Recurrent Sore Throat Treatment in Palm Harbor, FL
Everyone has experienced a sore or scratchy throat at some point, and you are likely to encounter a few more over the years. The symptoms of a sore throat will usually resolve themselves with a little bit of extra rest, but there are instances in which a sore throat will last for weeks at a time without any sign of relief.
What Causes a Chronic Sore Throat?
There can be several potential causes of a recurrent sore throat, and many will require professional treatment from and ENT specialist like Dr. Jose A. Berrios and Dr. Dionne Murphy.
Acid Reflux
When stomach acid travels back up through the esophagus, it can cause serious irritation and damage to the individual’s throat tissues. If issues with acid reflux continue over long periods of time, the pain is likely to become worse and may even progress to become an entirely new medical condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
Allergies
Many people suffer from various types of seasonal allergies, but not every person has been made aware of their specific allergies from a diagnosis by a medical professional.
Undiagnosed and untreated allergy symptoms can result in a postnasal drip that leads excess mucus to drain from the sinuses down to the throat. If the postnasal drip continues, the throat may become raw and persistently sore.
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis, also known simply as mono, is a viral infection that often causes flu-like symptoms, which include swollen tonsils and a sore throat. It can be difficult to accurately diagnose a patient with mono since its symptoms are rather vague, but even after being diagnosed, the condition can last for up to two months.
Mouth Breathing
If an individual suffers from any sort of blockage or obstruction of the nasal passages, the body is likely to revert to mouth breathing, especially at night while the person is asleep. Over time, breathing through the mouth can dry the tissues of the throat and cause significant irritation.
Tonsillitis and Tonsil Abscesses
Infected and inflamed tonsils can inflict considerable pain on a person’s throat. A peritonsillar abscess can lead to similar amounts of persistent pain, as a pus-filled pocket develops near the tonsils and continues to grow larger until it is either treated or breaks open.
Sexually Transmitted Infection
This type of infection most often causes symptoms that affect the pelvic region, but certain STIs like Gonorrhea can actually impact other areas of the body as well, including the throat.
It is also common for more serious viral infections like HIV and AIDS to be spread through high-risk sexual activities, which usually weakens the infected person's immune system. When this system is compromised, it leaves the person much more susceptible to infectious bacteria and viruses.
Smoking or Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Inhaling toxic chemicals from cigarettes and other sources of tobacco smoke can lead to progressive damage of the throat. This is not just limited to individuals who smoke, but also includes the people who are subjected to tobacco smoke secondhand.
Throat Cancer
If throat tissues become cancerous, they are likely to cause symptoms of soreness, pain, and difficulty in passing food or drink. Individuals with throat cancer also frequently experience hoarseness in their voice, trouble breathing, and the development of a lump in their neck.
Learn more about throat cancer
When to Contact You Doctor About Your Sore Throat
It can be easy to ignore a sore throat and assume that it will fix itself over the course of a few days. While this is often true, individuals are advised to seek professional care if their symptoms last longer than one week. Prolonged soreness of the throat is an indicator that an underlying medical condition is at work, and the sooner that condition is diagnosed and treated, the better the patient’s outcome should be.
Reviewed by the board-certified ENT doctor at Gulfcoast Ear, Nose, & Throat
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