Throat infection symptoms

Throat infection

Throat infection is also referred to as strep throat, sore throat and pharyngitis. It is an infectionof inflammation of the throat, pharynx or tonsils. This infection is among the most commoninfections that can affect the human body. The throat infection may occuranytime, although it is more frequent in winter season. Even though it mayaffect everyone, the children and the elderly people are more prone to get thethroat infection. One should know that strep throat iscontagious. The flu and common cold usually gotogether with sore throat. Throat infection can be viral and causeddue to some viruses, or bacterial, caused when the bacteriaaffects the throat, pharynx or tonsils. In the majority of cases, the virusesthat cause throat infection are the flu virus and the mononucleosis virus,while the bacteria that are responsible for the throat infection are called streptococcusbacteria.

Symptoms of throat infection

The throat infections can bemanifested through many symptoms that can vary in intensity. The most commonsymptoms of the sore throat are a feeling of discomfort in the throat anddifficulty or pain when swallowing. Furthermore, the children and adults who suffer from throat infection may also experience cough and sneezing. When the babies get infected due toa contact with an infected person, several symptoms may appear, such as swollenthroat, swollen lymph nodes and low grade temperature, as well as difficulty inswallowing. Furthermore, the babies with throat infection may cry frequentlyand be irritated.

When the throat infection is causedby a virus, the most common symptoms are dryness of throat, deeper voice andcongestion. Pain in the sinuses is also the sign of viral throat infection. The most common symptoms ofbacterial throat infection are inflamed throat, headache and a slight fever. Tirednessand fatigue may also appear when bacterial throat infection is in question.

Treatment of throat infection

Throat infection is not a serioushealth condition and it usually disappears on its own after a couple of days. Nevertheless,the doctor may also prescribe certain medications in order to relieve thesymptoms of the infection. If the throat infection is caused bysome bacteria, then antibiotics are prescribed since they are effective indestroying the bacteria in the body. On the other side, antibiotics arecompletely ineffective if viral throat infection occurs. Thus, this kind ofthroat infection usually goes away on its own.