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This is a collaborative post.
Everyone’s been there. You go to sleep feeling fine and excited for a new day but wake up with a sore throat and crackly voice. Is it just a cold or something more sinister? Although most sore throats pass quickly, this is not always the case, and they can sometimes carry on for months or even years. If you are concerned about a prolonged dry or painful throat, here are some of the different health conditions that could be affecting your throat in 2024.
1. Allergies
Allergies can be a huge irritant for sufferers, especially as they can disturb both your work and personal life, and yet a quarter of people in the US have one. If you have had a sore throat for a few weeks or even months, this could be caused by allergies. This is especially the case if you have other symptoms, such as a runny nose, a cough, and red or streaming eyes. Allergies can be alleviated by antihistamines. However, you should be aware that they can dry your throat out further and cause it to feel sore and scratchy. If antihistamines do not have the effect that you would like, you should consider taking other steps, such as closing your windows, changing your clothes when you get home, and putting petroleum jelly on your nostrils. You might also look into nasal sprays and eat local honey.
2. Cancer
Cancer is one of the words that no one wants to hear. However, a prolonged sore throat and hoarseness are among the most common throat cancer symptoms. This means you should always visit a doctor to get cancer ruled out if your symptoms have been going on for a few months and you do not believe there are any other causes. A doctor will look inside and outside your throat, and they may refer you to an ENT specialist if they are concerned about your symptoms. You may also be referred to an ENT professional for a variety of other reasons, though.
3. GERD
GERD can be frustrating. Even though you are more at risk of GERD if you are overweight or smoke, anyone can develop GERD throughout their lives, especially if they drink a lot of coffee or foods that are high in saturated fats. If you have GERD, you might find that you cough and hiccup often, that you have a metallic taste at the back of your throat, and that you have a sore throat, especially when you wake up in the morning.
4. Strep Throat
Strep throat is one of the infectious causes of a sore throat. Although less common than a cold, flu, or COVID-19, cases of strep throat increased in winter last year. It is important that you get your strep throat treated with antibiotics, or you might find it causes serious complications, such as rheumatic fever and kidney problems. To check if you have strep, your doctor will usually get you to take a swab of your throat, which is then sent off to a laboratory for testing. Only then will you be able to get the antibiotics that you need.