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Swallowing involves many muscles and nerves in the mouth, throat, and food pipe. Many people will experience pain when swallowing at least once in their lives. The medical term for painful swallowing is odynophagia.

It is often possible to identify the crusade of pain when swallowing past looking at the specific symptoms.

Depending on the cause, these may include abrupt or dull hurting in the jaw, throat, chest, or nutrient pipage. The pain may only bear upon one side of the throat and can change when a person breathes deeply.

In this article, nosotros accept a closer wait at the causes and symptoms of painful swallowing. We also await at how to relieve the pain.

Several illnesses and weather condition that lead to infection, inflammation, and obstruction of the pharynx, oral cavity, or food pipe can cause discomfort swallowing.

Depending on the cause, additional symptoms are often present. The following causes can lead to painful swallowing:

Strep throat

Woman drinking water and having pain when swallowing
Strep throat, epiglottitis, and esophagitis are some possible causes of pain when swallowing.

Throat infections are one of the most common causes of hurting when swallowing. These include strep pharynx, which is an infection with Streptococcal bacteria.

People with strep throat may as well find:

  • swollen, tender lymph nodes on 1 or both sides of the neck
  • pain in the soft palate
  • cherry-red spots on the soft palate
  • fever
  • white patches on the tonsils

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an infection and inflammation of the tonsils, which are two lymph nodes at the back of the pharynx. Tonsillitis is a mutual cause of painful swallowing.

Tonsillitis is a contagious condition. Viruses or bacterial infections, including strep throat, can cause tonsillitis.

If the pain when swallowing is due to tonsillitis, people may also detect:

  • swollen tonsils
  • white or yellow spots on the tonsils
  • bad breath
  • tender jaw or neck
  • fever

Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis is a throat infection that causes inflammation of the epiglottis, which is the flap in the back of the throat that prevents food from going down the windpipe.

In addition to pain when swallowing, typical symptoms of epiglottitis include:

  • difficulty swallowing, known equally dysphagia
  • a loftier fever
  • drooling
  • a preference for sitting leaning forward

A yeast infection

Yeast infections in the rima oris, pharynx, or food pipe can also lead to discomfort swallowing. Yeast is a blazon of fungus that can grow out of control if the weather condition within the body change in a way that promotes yeast growth.

A bacteria chosen Candida is a common cause of yeast infections.

Additional symptoms might include:

  • loss of taste
  • white patches on the tongue
  • redness in the corners of the mouth

Esophagitis

The nutrient pipage, also called the esophagus, is the piping that carries food and liquid from the oral cavity to the stomach. Esophagitis is inflammation of the esophagus.

The nearly mutual cause of esophagitis is gastric reflux illness, which is a condition that allows stomach acid to flow back up the food pipe.

Sure medications and allergic reactions can too cause esophagitis.

Esophagitis can crusade the post-obit symptoms aslope painful swallowing:

  • chest pain
  • stomach pain
  • a hoarse voice
  • coughing
  • heartburn
  • nausea

Throat injury

Although less common than other causes, an injury to the throat can also pb to pain when swallowing.

Eating or drinking something that is too hot can fire the inside of the throat or nutrient pipe. People tin can also scratch or cut the back of their throat when eating a cracker or chip that has a abrupt border.

Depending on the location and extent of the injury, in that location may merely be hurting on i side of the throat or further downwardly in the food pipe.

differential blood test paperwork from lab being filled out by gloved hand next to blood sample vials
A physician may use a claret test to diagnose hurting when swallowing.

An accurate diagnosis is vital to care for hurting when swallowing. Doctors may recommend diverse tests to brand a diagnosis. Afterward reviewing a person's medical history and carrying out a physical examination, they may perform the post-obit diagnostic tests:

  • Pharynx culture. During a throat culture, the physician removes a sample of fungus from the throat with a cotton swab. They test this mucus to decide whether or non it contains any organisms that might be causing an infection.
  • Claret tests. Blood tests, including a white blood cell count, assist the doctor make up one's mind if an infection is present.
  • Barium consume. A barium swallow is a special type of Ten-ray of the food piping. Before taking the Ten-ray, the doctor volition ask the individual to drink a liquid containing barium. The barium will reveal the pathway that the food takes from the oral fissure to the stomach.
  • CT browse. Doctors use CT scans to create images of the throat. These assistance the doctor identify any abnormalities, such as tumors, in the pharynx or food pipe that might crusade painful swallowing.

Handling for pain when swallowing generally depends on the cause.

Medication is the standard handling for sure types of infection. Doctors usually recommend antifungal medications to treat yeast infections and antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, including strep throat.

When people accept recurring tonsillitis, or information technology does not reply well to medication, a doctor may recommend removing the tonsils in a procedure chosen a tonsillectomy.

lady drinking hot drink
Sipping warm drinks can provide curt-term relief.

People can use the following home remedies for short-term relief from painful swallowing:

  • Taking anti-inflammatories. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) can reduce swelling and inflammation in the rima oris, throat, and food pipage, making information technology easier and less painful to swallow.
  • Taking antacids. Over-the-counter (OTC) antacids are effective for reducing pain that results from acid reflux.
  • Using throat sprays. Throat sprays tin numb the throat and make swallowing easier and less painful. These are available OTC or online.
  • Gargling with salt water. Common salt water may decrease inflammation and make swallowing less painful. Mix 8 ounces (oz) of warm water with i teaspoon (tsp) of salt and gargle this solution several times a 24-hour interval.
  • Sipping warm drinks. Warm drinks, such as herbal tea, may assist decrease pain. Avoid making the liquid likewise hot, or it can burn the pharynx.
  • Taking a hot shower. The steam from a hot shower may help to decrease any inflammation responsible for painful swallowing.
  • Avoiding booze and tobacco. Substances in alcohol and tobacco can irritate the soft tissue of the oral cavity, throat, and food piping.

Painful swallowing often resolves in a few days, especially if it occurs due to a common cold. Still, in some cases, professional medical aid is necessary to determine the cause and provide treatment.

It is best to consider seeing a doctor if the post-obit circumstances utilize:

  • the cause of pain when swallowing is unknown
  • the pain has lasted more than a week or is getting worse
  • there is a patch of white spots in the back of the throat

It is as well important to recognize when painful swallowing can be a sign of a medical emergency. A person should seek immediate medical care if hurting when swallowing occurs alongside:

  • swelling of the pharynx
  • difficulty breathing
  • issues opening the mouth
  • unusual drooling

Although it can be uncomfortable, pain when swallowing is typically only temporary. Depending on the crusade, painful swallowing often goes away in a few days.

For example, if the hurting is due to a cold, information technology normally resolves within a calendar week.

If a bacterial or fungal infection is causing the pain, treatment is usually successful. In the meantime, people can utilise home remedies to manage their symptoms and reduce discomfort.

Shop FOR HOME REMEDIES

All of the products in this article are bachelor in pharmacies and online.

  • ibuprofen
  • antacids
  • throat sprays

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