Persistent Sore Throat: Find Out How to Get Better

We’ve all suffered from a terrible sore throat, dry throat or itchy throat. So you know how awful a bad episode of throat pain can make you feel! At ENTcare clinic in Singapore, many patients with sore throat problems come to seek our help as an experienced ENT specialist. We see children and adults with sore throats all the time. So we know how important it is to identify the cause to successfully treat it.

WHY AM I SUFFERING A SORE THROAT?

Sore throat has many different causes so it is important to take a detailed history. We also need to perform a careful examination of the ears, nose and throat. The goal is to find out why you are suffering from a sore throat. Did you know that the causes of sore throat may be different in children and adults?

In people with recurrent sore throats, it may be due to tonsil infection or tonsillitis. Tonsillitis can be so painful for the throat that it may affect your ability to eat and drink properly. Some patients may have to be admitted to hospital to be given an intravenous (IV) drip of antibiotics for their sore throat because they are unable to swallow their medications due to the throat pain. If the tonsillitis is due to Group A streptococcus (group A Strep), a nasty type of bacteria which may grow in the throat, then it is important to start a course of penicillin. Group A Strep throat infections may sometimes also cause a specific rash on the legs.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY SORE THROAT DOESN’T GET BETTER OR KEEPS RECURRING?

Recurrent tonsil infections may lead to surgery to remove the tonsils (tonsillectomy) so that tonsillitis can no longer recur. Tonsillectomy can be a daycase procedure but many patients choose to stay overnight in hospital. They usually then go home the next day. There is a 2% risk of postop bleeding in the first 2 weeks after surgery, due to infection, so it is best not to travel overseas during this time. I always advise my tonsillectomy patients to stay put and rest in Singapore just in case.

Other common conditions which may cause a sore throat include an infected drip of mucus coming from the back of the nose. If you suffer from sinus infections or nasal allergy, it is quite common to get a persistent sore throat due to this postnasal drip. The right medications will usually do the trick of helping you to feel better!

COULD MY SORE THROAT BE DUE TO ACID REFLUX?

Acid reflux from the stomach may also lead to the backflow of acid juices up the food passage into your throat. Sometimes this may cause a dry persistent cough and may not necessarily cause any heartburn or indigestion symptoms. Again, diagnosis is key so that the right medications may be prescribed for you to feel better. Some lifestyle modification tips are also invaluable to help sort acid reflux out for you.

Here is a final note on sore throats in general. If you smoke and your sore throat just isn’t getting better, then you need to get your throat properly checked out by your top ENT specialist. This means having a nasoendoscope examinationb to rule out any sinister conditions like throat cancer.

Here are Dr Annabelle’s tips on how to avoid getting a sore throat:

1. Stop smoking! The toxins in cigarette smoke constantly irritate the delicate lining of the nose, throat and airways. So this leads to an increase in mucus production.
2. Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily to keep well-hydrated.
3. Using a Betadine throat spray when you start to feel the sore throat coming on. It may help to cleanse the throat to prevent a full flare-up from occurring.
4. Control risk factors for acid reflux/indigestion eg. Don’t overeat, don’t drink too much alcohol and don’t eat late at night.
5. Consider getting regular flu jabs.

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