Sore throat, though not as debilitating as other health conditions, can still pose a lot of discomfort and even danger to a person. How many times have you been played by fate that when the day of the cheerleading competition arrives, or when the day of your singing audition for a musical comes, or when you are about to join a noise barrage, you magically lose your voice or suffers in pain for every muttered word because of sore throat?
I bet we all have experienced this kind of unexpected turn of events. Though most people think that sore throat is something that you just wake up with one day, without any cause whatsoever, the truth is that there are so many causes of sore throat and most if not all them you can actually avoid.
10 of The Most Common Causes of Sore Throat
Bacteria
One of the most common and most challenging causes of sore throat are bacteria. There is a wide spectrum of bacteria that can attack your body and eventually cause throat infection. Among many of them are chlamydia, streptococci, rickettsia and many more. Some of them are bacteria that may not be that easy to combat and thus, sore throat that is caused by a bacterial infection is that which is more difficult to manage and may take more time to recover.
Most of the time, people who suffer from sore throat due to bacteria are those who engage in oral sex where STD can be acquired. The danger is that some throat infections that start simple can lead to a more serious condition that may sometimes be accompanied by oral thrushes. Management for this can be both natural and medical.
Virus
Epstein Barr virus is a common cause of sore throat which can result to fever or mononucleosis. It is just one of the many latent viruses in the body that are triggered to be reactivated when the body’s immune system is low or when exposed to too much stress. There are also the more common viruses that can be acquired from the environment such as those that cause flu. Always keep your immune system up by loading on vitamins and keeping a healthy lifestyle to reduce chances of developing sore throat.
Fungi
There are different kinds of fungi that may cause sore throat and most of the time, these are cases where thrushes or Candida may develop along with the infection. People with weak immune system are exposed to this kind of sore throat. There are medications in form of creams, tablets, and suspensions that may be taken for this cause of sore throat.
Allergens
There are a lot of allergens that can be found in the environment that can trigger the development of sore throat. Among these common causes of sore throat are plant pollens, moulds, dust mites as well as dander which are all risks for an inflamed and painful throat. In order to avoid developing sore throat due to these factors, always make sure to maintain a clean environment and to avoid exposing yourself to allergens that are abundant outdoors.
Food and Chemicals
When you think that just because you eat a lot, you are keeping your immunity up and avoids developing sore throat, then think again. Eating foods that can be irritating to the throat may lead you to develop sore throat. Also, if you have food allergies, avoid exposure as an allergic reaction can be accompanied by symptoms that can trigger sore throat such sneezing and a runny nose. There are also chemicals that you can be constantly or possibly exposed with such as cleaning agents, petrol, glues, chlorine, pesticides and aerosol sprays that can lead you to acquiring sore throat and even worse, cancer.
Dry Air
In cold places where heaters are a necessity for homes and establishments, one of the most common causes of sore throat is the dry air. When people breathe dry air, chances are, the throat becomes dry and more prone to irritation. The best way to deal with this is to have humidifiers as well to help maintain the moist environment of the throat and thus prevent irritation.
Voice Overuse
There is no wonder why people who use their voice for a living are the ones who often get sore throat. This is due to the fact that when the throat is constantly exposed to stress or strenuous activities, the vocal cords are more prone to damage and developing pain and irritation. This can be managed by going through voice training.
Drug Reactions
If you always have sore throat and is taking medications, chances are, the irritation is brought about by the medication you take. There are some drugs that may have reactions that can cause dryness to the throat or may be too strong to cause irritation to the throat. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about this.
Acid Reflux
Some causes of sore throat could be an existing health condition such as GERD. A reflux disease is a common factor that can lead to an irritated throat since as a person lies flat at night during sleep, acidic contents may flow back to the esophagus from the stomach and damage the mucosa of the back of the throat. There are medications that may be prescribed by your doctor to help prevent the reflux.
Mouth Breathing
Since dryness of the throat is one of the most common factors for sore throat, people who are nose breathing such as those who have sleep apnea or have clogged nose commonly end up having sore throat. There are treatment options for sleep apnea and clogged nose due to flu that can be treated with flu medications. Keeping the throat moist is the keys to preventing sore throat.
Knowing what can lead you to developing sore throat is the best preventive action; keeping yourself from doing things that can trigger throat irritation is the most effective way to prevent yourself from ending with sore throat. There are a lot of causes of sore throat and by identifying them one by one, you can live without having to worry about acquiring a sore throat from time to time.
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