Sore Throat as the name suggests is the problem associated with throat. A very common problem suffered by almost all people at some point of time is marked by itchiness, inflammation or discomfort in throat. Not a disease in itself, sore throat is mostly a symptom followed by occurrence of some other disease. Mostly it occurs with influenza, cold and cough.

Sore throat is also known as pharyngitis or tonsillitis due to its occurrence in the area of tonsillitis and more specifically it is the disease having its origin in lining of mucous membranes of pharynx. It is a painful inflammation in throat and causes the difficulty in swallowing along with hoarseness in voice. The problem of sore throat usually has its course of 3-4 days of existence but in severe cases the disease may persists for more than 2 weeks and in that case it should be thoroughly discussed with doctor.

A normal sore throat marks the infection in tonsillitis and can be easily cured with herbs and gargling with salty water. Though there are varied causes behind the problem of sore throat but viruses and bacteria are omnipotent reason associated with sore throat. Further the disease is highly contagious and can be spread easily by sharing of food, breathing close, kissing, sneezing etc

Anatomy of Throat and Sore throat

Throat is part which lies between the reparatory /digestive tract and mouth, windpipe and oesophagus. Throat mainly comprises of Pharynx, Uvulva, tonsils and larynx. The parts of the throat can also be described into 3 pharynx region namely-

Nasopharynx is the region traced by the tubes that are present between ear and nose.

Oropharynx lies in the middle of throat and is quite visible which can easily be seen by naked eyes by wide opening of mouth.

Laryngopharynx is the lowest part near larynx and is identified below the tongue

Throat is very important functionary and along with nose helps in filtering of bacteria that passes in the body through food or breathing and can create infection. Generally the encompassing bacteria have their accumulation in lymph glands and are countered attacked by white blood cells but in some cases the lymph has swelling due to prolonged conflict between white blood cells and bacteria’s and thus results into painful throat which is termed as sore throat.

When the infection concurs in upper part (Nasopharynx), your ear may get infected as it affects the tubes that run between nose and ears. Similarly, hoarseness prevails with the infection in lower region due to which larynx (voice box) swells making your voice vulnerable. The other critical region is Uvulva which is responsible for swallowing. Thus when you have difficulty in swallowing process, it is likely your sore throat is due to infection in Uvulva.

Causes and Symptoms of Sore Throat

Sore throat has very vivid symptoms and can be marked by pain, itching, discomfort and irritation in throat. Problem in swallowing is yet another symptom of sore throat. Swelling on lymph’s and tonsils can also be noticed in sore throat. In some cases sore throat is also accompanied by mild fever and headaches.

Talking of causes; virus and bacteria are backbone of most of the sore throat problems. Sore throat due to viral infection usually comes with cold, flu, influenza, cough etc and occurs mostly in winters. Most of the times it is combated with our immune system and goes in 3-4 days but if our immunity weakens and fail to do so than it is likely to have serious problem accompanied by bacterial formation. The majority of sore throat occurs due to Group A (strep) bacteria known as streptococcus and often is called as Strep throat. It is quite common among children and can cause fever without the symptoms of cold or flu.

Sore throat is also caused by infection in tonsils or pharynx. Problem of sinus is another important cause that results into sore throat. Some other common causes of sore throat are pollution, allergens, smoking, alcohol, sudden change in temperature (e.g. switching from air conditioned room to warm surroundings), excessive and continuous shouting or talks etc.

How to get rid of a Sore Throat

Cures for a Sore Throat
	Licorice Root plays a significant role in treating upper respiratory tract infections, mainly cough and cold. It serves to soothes the sore throat. Licorice supplements have two important constituents viz, Glycyrrhizin and flavonoids ehich give the herb anti-viral property and thus is very useful in treatment of sore throat
	Garlic operates as best anti fungal, anti viral and anti-bacterial compound. It also has antiseptic properties which help against infections. Garlic supplements acts as a multi-target source for curing sore throat trouble with its powerful antibiotics compounds.

 

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