Sore throat where it hurts to swallow

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - What it is

Odynophagia refers to pain on swallowing.

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Symptoms

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - How to prevent?

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Causes and Risk Factors

Some of the common causes of odynophagia include:

1. Infections

Infections involving the tonsils, throat, epiglottis and oesophagus may cause pain on swallowing.

Some of these infections include:

1. Acute viral/bacterial pharyngitis
2. Acute tonsillitis
3. Oral and oesophageal candidiasis
4. HIV infections
5. Herpes simplex infections

2. Tumours

Cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box (larynx), tongue and oesophagus can also sometimes cause pain when swallowing.

3. Inflammation

Inflammation of the mouth, pharynx and oesophagus can sometimes occur when they are exposed to caustic substances.

These can sometimes be ingested substances (e.g. hot fluids, acidic substances). Medical conditions such as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can also cause inflammation when these organs are are constantly exposed to acid reflux from the stomach.

4. Foreign Body

Foreign bodies (e.g. fish-bones) sometimes can get stuck when they are swallowed. They can lodge in the tonsils, throat or oesophagus and cause pain on swallowing.

5. Oesophageal Disorders

Sometimes, pain on swallowing can be due to a disorder in the motility of the oesophagus. These include:

1. Oesophageal spasm
2. Achalasia
3. Nutcracker Oesophagus

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Diagnosis

What tests can be done to investigate odynophagia?

Depending on your doctor’s findings, he or she may ask you to undergo one or more of the following investigations:

1. Nasoendoscopy

A flexible camera with light is passed through one of your nostrils to look at the back of your nose, larynx and throat. This test can be done in the clinic and is useful to look for conditions affecting the throat, larynx and back of the tongue (e.g. ulcers and tumours).

2. Oesophago-gastroduodenoscopy (OGD)

In an OGD, the doctor will pass a flexible tube with a camera and light through your mouth into your oesophagus, stomach and the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). An OGD is useful for looking for mechanical causes of dysphagia (e.g. tumours, strictures). It is usually a day procedure.

3. Manometry

A tube with pressure sensors is passed down your oesophagus to measure the strength and co-ordination of the contractions of your oesophagus. This test is useful to investigate motility disorders affecting swallowing.

4. Imaging Studies

Your doctor may order some X-rays or scans. One of these X-rays is a barium swallow. In a barium swallow, an X-ray of your oesophagus and stomach is taken after swallowing some dilute barium to outline the stomach. This test is good for looking for tumours and strictures.

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Treatments

The type of treatment you will need to undergo will depend on the underlying cause of the odynophagia. Your doctor will usually discuss this with you.

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Preparing for surgery

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Post-surgery care

Odynophagia (Pain on Swallowing) - Other Information

How Can I Tell If a Sore Throat Is Strep Throat?

Feb 18, 2018 Cedars-Sinai Staff

Strep throat can be an especially common illness in school-aged children and teenagers.

You start feeling pain or tingling in your throat, and it hurts to swallow. Is it just a sore throat or is it strep throat? Do you just need to rest or do you need to see your doctor?

A sore throat can have a variety of causes—including viral infections (like a cold), pollution, allergies, and heartburn. Strep throat, however, is a severe kind of sore throat caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus or group A strep.

Symptoms of strep throat include:

• A fever of 101 degrees or more that lasts more than 2 days
• Swollen tonsils with red or white patches
• Rash
• Swollen lymph nodes

If you're experiencing these symptoms in addition to a sore throat, your doctor will need to do a rapid strep test or a throat culture to determine if group A strep is present.

"While antibiotics are very effective at treating strep throat, they do not help sore throats due to other causes."

"You should call your doctor if you develop a sore throat with a fever higher than 101 or a rash without other cold symptoms, such as runny nose and cough," says Cedars-Sinai primary care physician Dr. Colleen Ryan.

Strep throat usually lasts only 3-5 days, but antibiotics are important to prevent complications like scarlet fever and rheumatic fever. Most people feel better 1-2 days after starting antibiotics.

"While antibiotics are very effective at treating strep throat, they do not help sore throats due to other causes," says Dr. Ryan. "The majority of sore throats are due to viral infections and will not be helped by antibiotics."

Looking for ways to soothe your sore throat? Dr. Ryan recommends the following for treating the symptoms, whether caused by strep throat or not:

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids to keep the throat moist.
• Use a humidifier.
• Gargle with saltwater to help clear post-nasal drip, which can irritate the throat.
• Use throat lozenges and warm liquids such as tea with honey to soothe your throat.
• Use acetaminophen or ibuprofen to treat pain or very high fevers. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure these over-the-counter pain medications are safe for you.

Strep throat is highly contagious and can be spread through airborne droplets. Other causes of sore throat can also be contagious, so with any sore throat, you should take care to protect those around you.

"You should wash your hands frequently when you have a sore throat and avoid touching your mouth," says Dr. Ryan. "If you have a cough, wear a mask or cough into your elbow crease to avoid spreading germs. Do not share food, drinks, and utensils. Also, avoid sharing towels and bed linens. Wash everything in hot, soapy water."

Wondering how long you should you stay home from work or keep the kids home from school? With strep throat, you are no longer contagious once you have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. With viral infections like colds, you are contagious as long as the symptoms last.

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