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Side Effect: Sore Throat

What is a Sore Throat?

A sore throat is a common condition characterized by pain, irritation, or discomfort in the throat. It may be caused by a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection, allergies, environmental factors such as dry air or pollution, or other things such as chemotherapy.

What does a Sore Throat look like?

The symptoms of a sore throat may include:

Sore Throat


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Who gets a Sore Throat?

In addition to infections, cancer or its treatment can also cause pain when swallowing, a condition known as dysphagia.

On occasion, people have a mild sore throat for a short time after surgery due to having a breathing tube placed (intubation) for the operation.

How to prevent Sore Throat

Preventing sore throat from cancer treatment may involve a few strategies such as maintaining good oral hygiene, staying hydrated, and avoiding certain foods and drinks that can irritate the throat. Using a saltwater gargle may also help.

When the sore throat is due to receiving chemotherapy or radiation, it may not be completely preventable.

How to treat Sore Throat

The treatment of sore throat from cancer treatment depends on the underlying cause of the sore throat. Because there are many possible causes, it is important to consider recent events that happened in the days that preceded the sore throat in order to determine the most likely cause which will guide treatment.

Viral infection:

Bacterial infection:

Fungal infection:

References

1. Chan TV. The patient with sore throat. Med Clin North Am. 2010 Sep;94(5):923-43.

2. Badders J, Coblens O, Ranasinghe V, et al. Medical Honey in Head and Neck Cancer. Cureus. 2024 Jan 23;16(1):e52822.

3. Jicman Stan D, Sârbu MI, Fotea S, et al. Oral Mucositis Induced by Chemoradiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer-A Short Review about the Therapeutic Management and the Benefits of Bee Honey. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 May 31;58(6):751.

Created: March 27, 2024 Updated: March 27, 2024