Sore throats can be caused by mouth breathing, acid reflux, viruses, and bacterial infections. Treatment varies depending on the cause, with antibiotics and pain relievers for bacterial infections, home remedies for viruses, and prescription medications and lifestyle changes for acid reflux. Humidifiers and warm liquids can also help alleviate symptoms.
Sore throat is a common occurrence that often gets worse at night and gets better during the day. Throat pain can be the result of mouth breathing while sleeping, acid reflux disease, viruses, and other infectious diseases. Treatment for nocturnal sore throat varies depending on the cause. Common treatments for a viral or bacterial illness include antibiotics or pain relievers, and a cool mist humidifier can help with dry indoor air. Prescription medications and raising the head of the bed are ways to keep acid reflux from causing a sore throat at night.
Many sore throats are caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Like other symptoms of the disease, throat pain can get worse at night when a person is trying to sleep. Some common infections with symptoms of strep throat include strep throat, Coxsackie’s, and mononucleosis. Strep throat is a bacterial infection that causes a severe sore throat and fever. Coxsackie and mononucleosis are viral illnesses with many of the same symptoms.
A person who suspects their sore throat is due to a viral or bacterial disease should contact a healthcare professional to discuss a treatment plan. Bacterial infections like strep can be successfully treated using antibiotics, and an untreated strep infection could lead to complications like scarlet fever and rheumatic fever. A virus does not respond to antibiotic therapy, but a sore throat can often improve with home treatments such as gargling with salt water or using throat lozenges.
The throat is a humid environment and breathing with the mouth open can dry out the delicate mucous membranes. This is especially true in the winter when the house is closed and the air inside is dry and irritating. An individual who suffers from a sore throat at night due to dry air and mouth breathing can take steps to change the environment and repair the diseased throat. Using a humidifier at night, drinking plenty of fluids, and soothing the throat with tea and other warm liquids can improve or eliminate the discomfort of an irritating and painful sore throat at night.
Another medical condition that can cause a sore throat at night is acid reflux disease. Acid reflux occurs when digestive juices in the stomach leak into the esophagus. In some cases, stomach acid can travel up the esophagus and into the throat, causing a condition called laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD). Treatments for LRPD include prescription medications, dietary changes, and raising the head of the bed at night, all steps that work to control the amount of stomach acid and reduce the amount flowing into the esophagus and throat. A person suffering from LPRD should consult a healthcare professional to determine an appropriate and effective treatment plan.
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