Pharyngitis: Just Another Sore Throat?
What is Pharyngitis?
Pharyngitis is one of several designations of a sore throat. It refers to the inflammation of the pharynx, which is located at the back of the throat between the tonsils and the voicebox (larynx).
"The 2000 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey found that acute pharyngitis accounts for 1.1 percent of visits in the primary care setting and is ranked in the top 20 reported primary diagnoses resulting in office visits" (www.aafp.org).
Causes & Symptoms
Most cases of pharyngitis are caused by viruses (eg: mononucleosis, inflammation of the mucous membranes in the nasal cavities [coryza], or conjunctivitis), and are actually a sign of an underlying illness, usually a cold or the flu. Bacterial sore throats are very commonly caused by Group A Streptococcus (strep throat).
Pharyngitis caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus accounted for 15-30 percent of cases in children and five to 15 percent of adult cases (www.aafp.org). In such cases, patients are contagious during the acute stage of the illness and for one week following.
Other causes include:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- post-nasal drip from the sinuses
- persistent cough
- thyroiditis
- allergies
- foreign bodies
- smoking
- mouth breathing (dry throat)
Since a sore throat is usually only a symptom of an underlying condition, other accompanying symptoms may include (either at the same time as or following the onset of the sore throat):
- fever
- headache
- joint pain, achy muscles
- skin rashes
- swollen lymph nodes
- malaise
Specifically with a cold, accompanying symptoms could include:
- sneezing
- coughing
- low-grade fever (below 102F)
- mild headache
If the sore throat is related to the flu, accompanying symptoms could include:
- fatigue
- body aches
- chills
- fever above 102 F
If the sore throat is associated with mononucleosis, accompanying symptoms could include:
- enlarged lymph nodes in neck and underarms
- swollen tonsils
- headache
- loss of appetite
- swollen spleen
- inflammation of the liver (www.umm.edu)
- skin rash
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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