Most people have experienced sore throat problems, that scratchy, swollen feeling in your throat that makes everything difficult to swallow, including saliva. Unfortunately, while most people can tell when a sore throat is coming on, a lot of people don’t know the difference between one sore throat problem and the other. This blog post looks at some of the most common sore throat problems and how you can identify them.

1.     Sore Throat from Cold or Flu

Flu or cold is the common cause of sore throat and the most common type of sore throat. Sore throat caused by cold or flu is a viral infection and will usually resolve on its own. If you’re coughing or sneezing and also a runny nose, then your sore throat is most likely from a cold. Here is how to identify a sore throat caused by cold or flu.

Symptoms of Sore Throat from Cold or Flu

If your sore throat is from a cold or flu, it will be accompanied by other cold symptoms such as:

• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Coughing
• Mild Headache
• Watery eyes
• And in some cases, fever.

2.     Strep Throat

This is another common sore throat problem. Strep throat is caused by a bacterial infection, also known as streptococcus. The throat pain is often more severe and lasts longer than a viral sore throat. Unlike sore throat from flu or cold, strep throat does not resolve on its own.

You may have to see a doctor if you suspect you have strep throat. The doctor will take a swab of your throat to confirm the bacterial infection and recommend antibiotics for treatment. Here are the common symptoms of strep throat.

Symptoms of Strep Throat 

• Sudden throat pain
• White and yellow spots on the tonsils
• Fever
• Very painful swallowing
• Swollen and red tonsils

3.     Tonsillitis 

Although not as common as a sore throat from a cold, a sore throat can also be from inflamed tonsils. This sore throat problem is also known as tonsillitis and can be caused by both bacteria and viruses.

Generally, your tonsils produce antibodies to fight infection and also act as a filter. However, like any other organ in the body, the tonsils can become overwhelmed by viruses and bacteria and get infected. Once the tonsils get infected, it becomes inflamed, causing your throat to become sore and painful. Tonsillitis is often characterized by excruciating throat pain, making swallowing extremely difficult. Nonetheless, your doctor will need to do some tests to confirm you have tonsillitis.  

Other symptoms of tonsillitis include:

• Swollen lymph glands
• Bad breadth
• Painful swallowing
• Fever
• Voice changes

Conclusion

Independent of the pathogen the human body's response is inflammation. Symptoms may but must not vary depending on viral or bacterial origin.

However, most often is a sore throat caused by viruses. Whereby it's also possible to develop a sore throat due to pollution, stress on the throat muscles from shouting, or allergies like dust, mold, and pollens.