Throat

Knowledge, Information and Experience

Is Your Sore Throat a Cold, Strep Throat, or Tonsillitis?

Wonder if your painful sore throat is from a cold, strep throat, or tonsillitis? Here’s help with how to tell.

What’s the Difference Between a Cold, Strep Throat, and Tonsillitis?

A sore throat is often the first sign of a cold. However, a sore throat from a cold often gets better or goes away after the first day or two. Other cold symptoms such as a runny nose and congestion may follow the sore throat.

Strep throat, which is an infection due to streptococcus bacteria, is another cause of sore throats and tonsillitis. With strep throat, the sore throat is often more severe and persists.

Tonsillitis is a painful inflammation or infection of the tonsils, the tissue masses located at the back of the throat.

Is a Sore Throat With a Cold Caused by Viruses or Bacteria?

Sore throats can be caused by viruses or bacteria. The most common causes of sore throats are viruses. Viral sore throats are often accompanied by other cold symptoms that may include a runny nose, cough, red or watery eyes, and sneezing. Other causes of sore throat include smoking, pollution or irritants in the air, allergies, and dry air.

Along With a Sore Throat, What are Other Cold Symptoms?

In addition to a sore throat, other common cold symptoms include:

Runny nose, Sneezing, Cough, Mild headache, Mild body aches, Fever

How Are Sore Throats With Colds Treated?

Although there is no cure for a sore throat caused by a cold virus, there are ways to help you feel more comfortable. Drinking warm liquids, gargling with warm salt water, sucking on ice chips, or taking an over-the-counter medicine may relieve symptoms of pain or fever. When you are sick with a cold, it is also important to get enough rest, eat a healthy diet, and drink plenty of fluids.

A lot of medicines are available to get relief from sore throat but I found one treatment better than others as I was fed up with medicines. I used to mix one glass of milk,  ‘Amba haldi’ (1/4 tbsp) and powdered cinnamon (1/3 tbsp), the ratio can be changed as per suitability and boil the mixture on low heat till the solution remains up to 3/4 th of the glass and take it just before sleeping at night. I did it for about one to one and a half year. I got a lot of relief. Now I  do not take any medicines but earlier before this treatment it was 24×7. Aakash Mudra also can give relief from sore throat and even can get rid of it.

Can Medications Relieve Symptoms of a Sore Throat With a Cold?

Over-the-counter cold medications may relieve cold and sore throat symptoms. However, the benefits of these drugs are minimal.

Sore throat sprays and lozenges to soothe your throat and numb the throat pain temporarily.

For a healthy voice, drink plenty of water to keep the body well hydrated. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking. Allow several “vocal naps” every day, especially during periods of extended use. The throat can be kept fit through gargles, warm liquids (teas such as cinnamon tea, ginger tulsi tea or simply a cup of desi masala chai), eating foods lighter on the stomach which won’t hurt while going down the throat, inhaling steam with a cough suppressant, taking cough lozenges, menthol or eucalyptus oil lozenges or applying hot towel around the neck.