If you have experienced unilateral pain and swelling in your throat, in the following our doctors will tell you what causes sore throat on one side when yawing or swallowing. Unilateral involvement of the throat or tonsils may be due to your body position, e.g. When you sleep on one side, feel most of the sore throat on one side.
What you will read next:
What causes a sore throat?
First it is better to know what parts can be in this series when we talk about throat. This set includes the end of your mouth, the entrance to your throat and esophagus.
When swallowed, the food enters the nasopharynx, mouth, larynx, and esophagus through the mouth and then moves down into the esophagus.
Causes that can cause unilateral pain in the throat are:
- Gastric acid reflux into the esophagus or GERD:
Complications that Gastric Acid Reflux Can Cause Sometimes exceeds your gastrointestinal
Stomach acid reflux can cause sore throat. Gastric acid reflux can cause irritation, inflammation and swelling of the throat, as well as phlegm in the back of the throat or PND. Even recurrent earaches may be a complication of gastric reflux
High-fat and high-spice diets, lifestyle, alcohol consumption, overweight, etc. are predisposing causes of GERD
Sometimes the cause of your unilateral kidney pain and irritation is GERD. Gastric reflux is a very common disorder
- PND:
Post-nasal drip or discharge from the back of the throat can cause unilateral sore throat when swallowing.
Sinus and nasal secretions, return of stomach acid to the esophagus and throat, allergies, viral inflammations, and certain foods may cause irritation, and increased production and secretion of mucus or sputum and saliva.
Discharge from the back of the throat can sometimes cause irritation and swelling of the throat, which can be unilateral and cause a one-sided sore throat when you swallow.
-
- Inflammation and infection of the tonsils or tonsillitis:
Tonsils are tissues of the immune system that are present in your throat. Infection and inflammation of the tonsils is called tonsillitis, which can be characterized by swelling and redness at the bottom of the throat during your examination.
Bacterial and viral infections of the tonsils on one or both sides of the throat are more common in children and adolescents than adults and cause sore throat and discomfort when swallowing.
-
-
- Swelling of the lymph nodes:
-
Bacterial or viral infections can also swell the lymph nodes in the head and neck. Sometimes with tonsillitis or independently, the lymph nodes in one or both sides of the throat become swollen, making swallowing painful and uncomfortable.
-
-
- Stretching of the vocal cords and inflammation of the larynx
-
Stretching of the vocal cords, for example, occurs after prolonged screaming or talking and singing, and is accompanied by hoarseness. Stretching of the vocal cords and inflammation of the larynx is called laryngitis. Laryngitis can also occur following a virus or bacteria.
-
-
- Inflammation of the glottis:
-
The epiglottis is a valve that blocks food from entering the trachea when you swallow. Inflammation of the epiglottis is called epiglottitis
Epiglottitis requires immediate treatment and in addition to unilateral head and throat pain when swallowing is accompanied by the following symptoms
-
- Fever
- Special breathing sounds
- Change voice
-
- Dental problems:
-
Tooth problems can also cause inflammation that is accompanied by a sore throat when swallowing.
Abscesses are associated with pain in the jaw, gums, near the ear, and one or both sides of the throat, especially when swallowing.
Wisdom teeth can become troublesome due to the lack of sufficient space for growth and form unilateral or bilateral cysts that will cause unilateral or bilateral sore throat when swallowing.
- Glossopharyngeal neuralgia:
If you do not have any of the above problems on examination, the cause of unilateral sore throat when swallowing may be pain from a nerve called the glossopharyngeal.
Neuralgia means pain caused by a nerve. This disorder is rare. Swallowing itself can trigger the onset of glossopharyngeal neuralgia
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is characterized by sudden, painful, unilateral sore throats when swallowed. These pain attacks may recur several times a day for weeks.
- Tumors and cancers:
Tumors involving the pharynx can also cause unilateral sore throat when swallowing
Tumors at the end of tongue, early esophageal tumors, and tumors and lymphomas of the throat and pharynx are also in this category.
Treatment of unilateral sore throat when swallowing
Treatment depends on the cause of the pain.
- Gastric acid reflux into the esophagus:
- weight loss
- Quit smoking and alcohol
- Do not eat spicy, fatty and fried foods
- Avoid overeating
- Do not sleep or lie down for three hours after eating
- Putting two pillows under your head while lying down and…
- PND:
Depending on the cause of the discharge from the back of the throat, it may be necessary to take antacids or antihistamines or anticonvulsants.
- Laryngitis:
Sometimes antibiotics and steroids are needed for treatment
- Tonsillitis:
- Gargling salt water
- Right steam vaporizer
- Analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen
- And in case of bacterial infection, appropriate antibiotic administration
- Swelling of the lymph nodes:
Depending on the cause of the swelling, treatment is done
- Tooth problems and abscesses:
It is examined by a dentist and surgery is performed if necessary
- Epiglottitis;
They will need very urgent care to keep the airway open
- Glossopharyngeal neuralgia:
Prescribing specialized medications and sometimes nerve blocking and even surgery in very severe cases
Cancers, depending on their type and severity, will need treatment
- Canker sore:
We have a term called Canker sore, these are sores that can occur anywhere in the mouth. stress, trauma, certain foods and even bacterial infections may be the cause of this problem that can cause a sore throat.
Treatment is usually not necessary, but sometimes topical or oral medication is needed.
When to see a doctor?
- If you have one or more of the following symptoms with unilateral sore throat when swallowing, you should go to an equipped medical center without wasting time. Interruption in treatment will be really dangerous and even fatal.
- If you cannot breathe easily and the difficulty of breathing gets worse by the moment
- If you cannot swallow completely
- If you have a high fever, the mouth temperature is more than thirty-eight degrees Celsius or 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you have a lightheadedness
- Fainting