Sore Throat Causes - Contagious and Non Contagious
Every one of us is susceptible to sore throat which is mostly caused by viral or bacterial infections. We get it more frequently these days than a decade ago.
Most of the throat infections are contagious but some are not.
Winter is the most common time to get these infections. It generally affects children and adolescents more often than adults. You can reduce the possibilities by keeping safe distance from infected people.
What Causes Sore Throat?
Viral infections are the biggest cause of sore throat. Roughly 80-90% cases of throat infections are caused by different viruses. Most of these viruses are also responsible for common cold and flu.
More severe form of viral infections can cause fever and nausea and swollen glands.
Other major cause of sore throat is bacterial infection. 10-15% cases of the infection are bacterial infections. Among the most common bacteria is Streptococcus which causes a condition called strep throat.
The most important difference between viruses and bacteria is that bacteria respond well to antibiotic treatment, but viruses do not.
Other causes of sore throat include environmental pollutants like chemical fumes, cigarette smoke and allergens like molds and dander. These pollutants cause temporary sore throat which gets normalized once the exposure to irritant is eliminated.
After effects of some of the medications like treatment with antibiotics, chemotherapy, or other immune-compromising medications also cause sore throat.
These causes of sore throats are not contagious like viral and bacterial causes.
At times sore throat can just be a symptom of other underlying ailments such as respiratory tract infections, tonsillitis, glandular fever and chickenpox.
It is important to note that most sore throats heal without complications. However in some cases, they develop into a serious illness.
Proper treatment will largely depend on understanding the actual cause of the sore throat. Many Natural Home Remedies for Sore Throat are very effective in early stages of the infection.
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Sore Throat Causes