Sore Throat
A sore throat is a common symptom of upper respiratory infection (URI) or the flu. Rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and adenoviruses cause most URIs. Antibiotics do not kill viruses, so doctors will not prescribe antibiotics for sore throats caused by viral infections. A sore throat is one of the most typical upper respiratory infection symptoms, and it can be a sign that someone has both a sore throat and an upper respiratory infection.
Sore throat is also called pharyngitis or inflammation of the pharynx. When you have pharyngitis, you might feel pain in your throat, which can be hard to swallow. You may also experience ear pain because of swollen membranes in the eustachian tubes inside your ears.
A sore throat should not be confused with strep throat, caused by bacteria that can enter your body through cuts in your mouth or nose. Strep throat is also characterized by white patches on your tongue called “plaques,” which are made up of dead tissues from the infection that have come off your tongue and collected on the surface of the tongue.
