Sore Throats

Everyone gets a sore throat now and then, usually along with a cold. But sore throats may also indicate a more serious condition, like strep throat. When your symptoms don’t disappear on their own after a few days, visit the best sore throat doctor at the Century Medical & Dental Center, with offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Harlem. You need a sore throat specialist to know what’s causing your symptoms and how to address them. Call for an appointment.

What Is a Sore Throat?

A sore throat, known as pharyngitis, is characterized by pain, irritation and scratchiness in the back of your throat. A sore throat may be a sign of a throat infection. Without treatment, your condition may worsen so it hurts when you swallow. Sore throats are common, affecting people of all ages, and it’s one of the primary reasons for doctor visits.

Based on how long your symptoms last, you may have one of the two types of sore throats:

1. Acute pharyngitis. This is a sore throat that typically persists for three to 10 days.
2. Chronic pharyngitis. If your sore throat persists for longer than 10 days or several weeks, or if it keeps recurring, it’s likely chronic pharyngitis.

Most people experience sore throats during the cold and flu season, which often signals they’re about to get sick. If you’re feeling irritation and pain, especially while swallowing, visit a ENT specialist at the Century Medical & Dental Center, a medical practice with board certified physicians with offices in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Harlem.

How Do I Know if I Have a Sore Throat?

Your sore throat can be mild or severe, depending on its cause. Regardless, you may experience some level of pain and scratchiness in your throat.

Other symptoms include:

1. Difficulty swallowing and speaking
2. Swollen throat and tonsils
3. White patches or pus from your throat
4. Loss of voice or hoarseness
5. Swollen lymph nodes
6. Fever and body aches, if it’s due to an infection

A sore throat affects your nose and eyes as well, if it’s caused by a virus or allergy. You may experience nasal congestion, a runny nose, repeated sneezing and watery eyes, which can lead to a postnasal drip. If you have a sinus infection, you can also get mucus buildup, headaches and sinus pressure.

Visit your Manhattan pharyngitis specialist whenever you get a sore throat, but especially if it’s accompanied by a high fever, joint pain, ear pain or blood in your saliva or phlegm. These are signs that you need immediate medical attention. If your Brooklyn sore throat doctor can catch your symptoms early enough, you can prevent medical complications.

What Causes Sore Throats?

Infections — such as from the common cold, COVID-19, measles or mononucleosis — usually cause sore throats. Sometimes, any underlying medical condition causes the symptoms. Your New York City ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician has to determine the cause first, as your treatment depends on it.

Other causes include:

• Allergies. Pollen, dust allergy, pet dander and mold can irritate your throat, causing discomfort.
• Environmental triggers. Dry air, strong chemicals, smoke and pollution cause sore throats.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Acid reflux irritates your throat and can result in chronic sore throats.
• Mouth breathing. Due to nasal congestion, sleeping with an open mouth dries out and irritates your throat.
• Bacterial infections. Not so common, but severe when it occurs, a bacterial infection may cause strep throat, tonsilitis or diphtheria.

A weakened immune system makes you prone to sore throats.

Your Harlem sore throat doctor diagnoses your condition using a combination of tools, such as:

• A physical exam to check your throat for swelling, redness or white patches
• A swab test for a throat culture to detect bacterial infections like strep throat
• A blood test to see if mononucleosis is present
• An allergy or GERD evaluation, if that’s the suspected cause

What’s the Treatment for Sore Throats?

Treatment for your sore throat depends on its cause. Your sore throat may even resolve on its own in time, but you may need medication or another type of treatment. If your sore throat is due to a viral infection — say, from COVID-19, flu or a cold — then you need to rest, stay hydrated, use cough drops, do warm salt water gargles and take over-the-counter painkillers as needed.

Treatment options for more severe sore throats include:

• For bacterial infections: Take antibiotics and painkillers, drink fluids and rest.
• For allergies: Use antihistamines, avoid allergens like dust or pet dander and use a humidifier at home to keep the air moist.
• For acid reflux: Take antacids, avoid spicy or acidic food and don’t eat right before bed.
• For irritated throats: Drink warm herbal tea with honey, use throat sprays and place a humidifier in your bedroom.

Drinking ginger tea with honey and consuming broth-based soups ease your pain by keeping your throat moist. Reduce the strain on your voice whenever possible. Eat mashed potatoes, oatmeal, yogurt and smoothies to soothe your throat. Your sore throat specialist from the Century Medical & Dental Center guides you to eat in a way that doesn’t aggravate your symptoms.

What Happens if I Don’t Treat My Sore Throat?

A sore throat may seem like a minor issue, but if the cause is a bacterial infection, it can lead to more complications. If your sore throat’s caused by streptococcal bacteria, you may have strep throat, which can spread, leading to tonsillitis, sinusitis, a sinus infection or an ear infection, also called otitis media.

Potential complications include:

• The formation of an abscess
• Rheumatic fever
• Kidney damage
• A chronic sore throat with voice strain

A sore throat from a viral or bacterial infection may be contagious if you cough, sneeze or even talk. Minute droplets become airborne, where someone else can inhale them, becoming infected.

The infection can also spread through:

• Direct contact
• Contaminated surfaces
• Exposure to infected respiratory secretions

Can I Prevent Sore Throats?

There are simple, common-sense steps to take to prevent sore throats.

For example:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when you cough or sneeze.
• Avoid sharing drinks, utensils and personal items with anyone who has sore throat symptoms.
• Frequently disinfect items that are often touched, and wear a mask if you have a sore throat.

If you have children around you, preventing your sore throat can save them from experiencing the risks associated with sore throats.

Risks of a sore throat in infants include:

• Breathing difficulties
• Dehydration
• Febrile seizures
• High fevers
• Pneumonia

If you’re experiencing a sore throat, visit your doctor, as a timely checkup helps you minimize complications. In New York City, contact the Century Medical & Dental Center immediately and get a remedy for that scratchy feeling in your throat.

Page Updated on Mar 6, 2025, Reviewed by Dr. Dvorkina (Primary Care Doctor) of Century Medical & Dental Center