When Sore Throats Are Serious
Throat pain is a common symptom associated with a variety of ailments from colds to cancer.
The basic symptoms of a sore throat, including pain when swallowing, talking, or taking a deep breath, coupled with a throat that feels, dry, scratchy, or swollen, are usually signs of an infection that has other symptoms.
Common causes of throat pain include:
- Viral infections (such as colds, flu, mono, measles)
- Bacterial infections (such as tonsillitis or strep throat)
- Allergies
- Dry air
- Pollution (including smoking or secondhand smoke)
Sore throats often go away quietly, but some additional symptoms are reasons to see a clinician, including:
- Problems breathing or swallowing
- Throat pain that lasts more than a week
- Fever above 103 degrees Fahrenheit (or above 101 degrees for infants younger than 6 months)
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Pus in the back of the throat
- Exposure to someone with strep throat
- Blood in the saliva
- Dehydration
- Skin rashes
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