A throat infection is a general term describing a disease affecting the area of and surrounding the throat. Commonly known as a sore throat, throat infections are most commonly caused by bacteria or viruses. It has been estimated that a throat infection is one of the top ten reasons that people visit emergency rooms for treatment. A throat infection is discomfort, pain, or scratchiness in the throat due to any infectious condition. A sore throat often makes it painful to swallow in cases of throat infection. Sore throats are common. Most of the time soreness is worse in the morning and improves as the day progresses. The vast majority of sore throats are caused by viral infections. This means most sore throats will NOT respond to antibiotics. Many people have a mild sore throat at the beginning of every cold. Viral infections are not treatable with antibiotics. Strep throat is an inflamed (red and swollen) throat caused by infection with bacteria called Streptococci. Although a person of any age group can suffer from throat infection; children and older people are found to be more susceptible to this bacterial infection. One should also keep in mind that strep throat is contagious.
The symptoms of throat infection can range from mild to severe. The following are the symptoms of throat infection in adults and children. Discomfort in throat, Difficulty in Swallowing, Cough, Sneezing. Mononucleosis, also known as mono, is an example of a throat infection caused by a virus. Symptoms of mononucleosis include those listed above, along with fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite. Unlike most common sore throats, symptoms of mononucleosis can linger for an extended period of time. A sore throat is less likely to be strep throat if it is a minor part of a typical cold (with runny nose, stuffy ears, cough, and similar symptoms). Allergies (allergic rhinitis) can cause a sore throat. Doctors will often begin treatment of a sore throat immediately if there is a family history of rheumatic fever, if the patient has scarlet fever, or if rheumatic fever is commonly occurring in the community at the time.
