What Are the Symptoms of a Sore Throat?
Symptoms of a sore throat include pain, scratchiness, dry throat, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, swollen neck or jaw glands and swollen or inflamed tonsils. You may also have a fever, chills, cough, runny nose, sneezing, headache, muscle and joint aches, nausea and vomiting.
What Causes a Sore Throat?
Most sore throats are the result of viral infections due to the common cold or flu. Bacterial infections including strep throat, tonsillitis, whooping cough and diphtheria may also cause a sore throat.
Additional causes include allergies, acid reflux, environmental irritants, dry air and strained vocal cords.
Sore Throat Treatment
Gargle with warm salt water throughout the day. Drink plenty of liquids, and use throat lozenges and cough drops to relieve soreness and irritation.
If your sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection, your doctor may treat it with antibiotics.