Recurrent Throat Infection

Throat infections can happen for a variety of reasons and are normally accompanied by other symptoms such as a runny nose, stuffy head and a cough. These other symptoms could be indicators of a more serious condition or illness.

Types

• The types of throat infections are classified in two different categories, viral and bacterial. Viral throat infections can indicate viruses like the flu, measles, chicken pox, whooping cough, mono and croup. Bacterial infections include strep throat, tonsillitis, pneumonia, sinusitis and ear infections.

Mononucleosis

• Mononucleosis, or "mono," is a viral infection that causes fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands in the body. Mono can begin slowly, starting with fatigue, feeling ill, headache, and sore throat. As the virus progresses, the sore throat gets worse, swelling up the tonsils and lymph nodes found in the neck. The tonsils will have a whitish-yellow filmy covering. A measles like rash can occur, appearing pink in color. Common symptoms accompanying mono include headache, loss of appetite, ill feeling, muscle aches, rash, sore throat, swollen spleen and swollen lymph glands. Other, less common symptoms include chest pain, cough, fatigue, headache, jaundice, hives, nosebleed, sensitivity to light, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath and neck stiffness.

Chicken Pox

• The virus that causes chicken pox is vericella-zoster, a member of the herpes virus family, which can cause sore throat. This virus is denoted by small pink blisters covering the entire body that burst and crust over. This is the most common childhood virus and children show symptoms of fever, headache, stomach ache and loss of appetite one to two days before breaking out in the rash. Treatments of this virus have been limited to keeping the child comfortable while his body fights off the virus. This includes oatmeal baths, calamine lotion, and chicken noodle soup. Vaccines and antiviral medicines have been developed to help with this virus.

Tonsilitis

• Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils. Tonsils are a filtering system for the body by filtering germs, viruses and bacteria that enter the body through the mouth, nose and ears. Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, ear pain, headache, fever, chills, voice changes or loss, ear pain, sore throat that lasts for more than 48 hours and tenderness of the jaw and/or throat. The tonsils can become red and develop white spots. Treatments for this bacterial infection include antibiotics in shot form, IV or pill form. Steroids can also be administered if there is swelling that makes breathing difficult.

Strep Throat

• Strep throat is caused by the most common form of bacteria found in the mouth, group A streptococcus. Common symptoms are difficulty swallowing, sudden fever, general discomfort, ill feeling, loss of appetite, nausea, rash, red throat that may have white patches, sore throat and tender and swollen lymph nodes. If the strep test is positive, strep throat can be treated with antibiotics as well as a myriad of home remedies like hot things to drink such as herbal teas, gargling with warm salt water, eating cold things like ice pops or ice cream, using a humidifier and taking over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen.