The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7487 p127-130
2 February 2008

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Giving advice on sore throats

With only one in 18 adults with a sore throat consulting his or her GP, for most people the pharmacy is likely to be the first port of call. Sarah Marshall looks at some causes of sore throats and factors pharmacists should consider when consulted

Continuing professional development articles

SUMMARY

People use the term “sore throat” to describe pharyngitis, tonsillitis and laryngitis. Tonsillitis is inflammation due to infection of the tonsils, whereas pharyngitis is inflammation of the oropharynx only but, in practice, the distinction between the two can be unclear and they can occur simultaneously. “Laryngitis” is used when there is hoarseness with soreness lower down in the throat.

Sore throats are mostly minor and self-limiting and are often associated with a viral upper respiratory tract infection (at least 70 per cent of sore throats are the result of cold or influenza viruses). However, there are numerous other infective causes (see Panel 1 below), including glandular fever.

A sore throat is often an early sign of chickenpox, mumps or measles. The most common bacterial pathogen is group A beta haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS), also known as Streptococcus pyogenes.

Non-infective causes include irritation by tobacco smoke, overuse of the voice (often seen in teachers or singers), laryngopharyngeal reflux, scalding (eg, after drinking hot liquids), some drugs (eg, steroid inhalers causing oral thrush in patients with asthma) and malignancy.

Adults experience two or three sore throats each year but incidence in children is higher. Children aged between five and 10 years and young adults aged between 15 and 25 years are the most frequently affected.

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