Throat Disorders Summary Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx. The technical name for throat is pharynx. Throat problems are common. You’ve probably had a sore throat. The cause is usually a viral infection, but other causes include allergies, infection with strep bacteria or the upward movement of stomach acids into the esophagus, called GERD. Other problems that affect the throat include Tonsillitis – an infection in the tonsils Pharyngitis – inflammation of the pharynx Cancers Croup – inflammation, usually in small children, which causes a barking cough Most throat problems are minor and go away on their own. Treatments, when needed, depend on the problem. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Find an Expert American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Find an ENT American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Array Blockage of upper airway Epiglottitis Glossopharyngeal neuralgia Herpangina Laryngitis Laryngoscopy Retropharyngeal abscess Strep throat Throat Problems (Symptom Checker) American Academy of Family Physicians Throat swab culture Related Issues Candidiasis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux) and LPR (Laryngopharyngeal Reflux) American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Post-Nasal Drip American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis or Laryngeal Papillomatosis National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Laryngeal Diseases National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Laryngitis National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Pharyngeal Diseases National Institutes of Health Specifics Epiglottitis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Hoarseness American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Is it Strep Throat? National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Laryngitis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Laryngoceles Merck & Co., Inc. MedlinePlus: Croup National Library of Medicine Strep Throat Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Children Laryngitis (For Kids) Nemours Foundation Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and Children American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Scarlet Fever (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Scoop on Strep Throat (For Kids) Nemours Foundation Strep Throat (For Parents) Nemours Foundation When a Sore Throat Is a More Serious Infection American Academy of Pediatrics Treatments and Therapies Mouth or Throat Pain or Sores American Cancer Society Symptoms Neck Swelling (Symptom Checker) American Academy of Family Physicians Encyclopedia Oropharynx lesion biopsy Journal Articles Throat Disorders Diagnosis and Tests Strep Test: Throat Culture (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Strep Throat Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Throat Culture American Association for Clinical Chemistry X-Ray Exam: Neck (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Teenagers Strep Throat (For Teens) Nemours Foundation
