Have you ever experienced a stabbing pain in throat while swallowing? Painful swallowing is medically known as odynophagia. Along with it, you may also experience severe or dull pain in the jaw, chest, or food pipe. Sometimes the pain might only thrive on one side of the throat.
The exact cause of the pain can be identified by looking at the symptoms along with some other indications.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms include:
• Loss in weight due to reduced food intake
• Aggravated pain when swallowing hard food items
Causes
Throat infections- are the most common cause of pain when swallowing. They can also cause
• Fever
• Swelling in tonsils
• Pain in the soft palate
Tonsillitis- is the inflammation of tonsils. It is one of the common causes of painful swallowing. If the pain is due to tonsillitis, you may also experience
• Bad breath
• Fever
• Softness in jaw or neck
Esophagitis- is the inflammation of food pipe, commonly caused by acid reflux. Along with feeling pain during swallowing, esophagitis can also cause
• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Pain in chest
• Coughing
Throat injury- however, it is the least common cause, but throat injury can also cause pain during swallowing
Treatment
Here are some of the home remedies that can help you relieve throat pain for the short-term.
• Take anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce swelling in the mouth, throat, and food pipe.
• Make use of antacids to reduce pain caused by acid reflux.
• Gargle using saltwater to reduce the inflammation.
However, if the home remedies are not effective enough, and the pain persists or gets worse over time, rush to your doctor and seek immediate medical help. Doctors usually prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial infections such as strep throat and antifungal medicines for yeast infections.
Call Family Diagnostic Clinic on 281-351-6800 or visit our website to book an appointment.