Sore Throat
A sore throat, also called a throat infection or pharyngitis, is a painful inflammation of the pharynx the back portion of the throat that includes the back third of the tongue, the soft palate (roof of the mouth) and the tonsils (fleshy tissue that are part of the throat’s immune defenses). The most common cause of sore throat is infection with bacteria or a virus.
Because an infection of the pharynx almost always involves the tonsils, tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils) was once a common name for infectious pharyngitis.
Currently in the United States, infectious pharyngitis accounts for almost 10 million visits to doctors’ offices each year, and sore throat is among the top 10 complaints of people who seek treatment in emergency rooms. In about 85% of cases, throat infection is caused by a virus. Although people who have the flu (influenza), cold sores (oral herpes simplex) or infectious mononucleosis (”mono”) also commonly have a sore throat, these viral infections usually cause other telltale symptoms in addition to throat pain. Read more…