Sore throat
 Viral pharyngitis the most common cause of a sore throat. |
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| ICD-10 | J02, J31.2 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 462, 472.1 |
| DiseasesDB | 24580 |
| MedlinePlus | 000655 |
| eMedicine | emerg/419 |
| MeSH | D010612 |
A sore throat or throat pain is a common physical symptom usually caused by acute pharyngitis, or throat inflammation, though it also occurs in a number of other situations, such as post trauma and in diphtheria. It can cause mild to extreme pain.
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[edit] Definition
A sore throat is pain anywhere in the oropharynx.[1]
[edit] Differential diagnosis
A sore throat is usually from irritation or inflammation. The most common cause is acute viral pharyngitis (80%) which is a viral infection of the throat.[1] Other causes include other infections (such as streptococcal pharyngitis), trauma, and tumors.[1] In children streptococcal pharyngitis is the cause of 37% of sore throats.[2]
[edit] Treatment
Analgesics such as NSAIDs and paracetamol (acetaminophen) help significantly in the management of pain.[3] Steroids are also useful in this respect.[3] The Mayo clinic mentions some tips, including gargling with warm, salty water, resting the voice, and avoiding air pollution.[4]
[edit] Epidemiology
In the United States there are about 2.4 million emergency department visits with throat related complaints per year.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Marx, John (2010). Rosen's emergency medicine: concepts and clinical practice 7th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby/Elsevier. p. Chapter 30. ISBN 9780323054720.
- ^ Shaikh N, Leonard E, Martin JM (September 2010). "Prevalence of streptococcal pharyngitis and streptococcal carriage in children: a meta-analysis". Pediatrics 126 (3): e557–64. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-2648. PMID 20696723.
- ^ a b Thomas M, Del Mar C, Glasziou P (October 2000). "How effective are treatments other than antibiotics for acute sore throat?". Br J Gen Pract 50 (459): 817–20. PMC 1313826. PMID 11127175. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1313826.
- ^ "Sore throat: Lifestyle and home remedies". Mayo Clinic/Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sore-throat/DS00526/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
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