Chronic Sore Throat
A chronic sore throat can be a painful problem, especially since there is no end in sight. With the potential for this to last for months on end, moving forward with your daily life can be a challenge.
This starts as nothing more than a simple sore throat, and is often times neglected in hopes that it will go away sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, this problem can drag on for many months, or longer, if the cause is not pinpointed and dealt with in the appropriate manner.
Chronic Sore Throat Symptoms
Before we discuss the potential causes of a chronic sore throat, it is important to learn more about some of the symptoms. As the name suggests, this is a sore throat that never seems to go away. It never fully heals, regardless of what type of treatment you employ. Here is a list of the most common symptoms:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Red throat
- Inflamed throat
- Runny nose
- Pus forming in the back of the throat
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Cough
It is not uncommon for a chronic sore throat to lead to depression, as this can be a difficult ailment to deal with on a daily basis.
Chronic Sore Throat Causes
There are many things that can cause a chronic sore throat. This could be as simple as breathing through your mouth when you sleep or an ongoing cold. However, it could also be the sign of a more serious medical concern. Here are some common causes to be aware of:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Allergies
- Cancer
- Croup
- Diphtheria
- Eating disorders
Chronic Sore Throat Treatment
The treatment of chronic sore throat is based largely on the cause. For example, allergies will be treated differently than an eating disorder.
If your sore throat is not going away, contact a medical professional who can run the appropriate tests to pinpoint the cause. At that point, once the cause has been determined, the proper course of action can be put into place.