Sore throats and phlegm can be caused by viruses, bacterial infections, allergies, and lifestyle choices such as smoking. Discolored phlegm can be caused by a cold virus, and allergies can cause symptoms similar to a cold. Smoking can also lead to these symptoms, as can exposure to secondhand smoke.
Common causes of sore throats and phlegm include colds and other viruses, although bacterial infections can also cause these symptoms. In other cases, allergies underlie such symptoms, and lifestyle choices such as cigarette smoking can also lead to them. A person can even develop these symptoms after being exposed to secondhand smoke.
The common cold often causes a sore throat, stuffy nose, and phlegm. A sore throat is often one of the first indications that a person has a cold, and phlegm frequently develops later in the course of the illness. Some people assume that phlegm means a bacterial infection, especially if the phlegm is discolored rather than clear. In reality, however, discolored phlegm can also develop due to the cold virus.
Other viruses can also cause sore throats and phlegm. A sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of a case of flu, for example, and is often accompanied by a dry cough that produces little or no phlegm. Later in the disease, however, a person may begin to notice phlegm as well. Also, both of these symptoms can develop when a person has a flu-like illness rather than the flu.
An individual may also develop these symptoms due to allergies affecting the respiratory system. Many people are aware that allergies can cause a tickle in the throat or develop a cough, but the signs can also mimic some of the symptoms of a common cold. In fact, a person with an allergy can sometimes have a sore throat that lasts longer than they would with the common cold. He may also develop a cough that produces phlegm whenever he has significant exposure to an allergen.
Sometimes, sore throat and phlegm aren’t related to a disease, but develop because of something the affected person does. A prime example of this is the sore throat and cough that can accompany cigarette smoking for some people. Smoking can irritate the smoker’s respiratory tract and even lead to the development of phlegm. This can be worse if the individual also has a cold or allergies. Also, some people can develop these symptoms when exposed to secondhand smoke.
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