Persistent Sore Throat: No Fever, Cough, Causes, STD - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeWhy Do I Have a Persistent Sore Throat?

Medically reviewed by Megan Soliman, MD — Written by Ana Gotter — Updated on June 26, 2024

Causes
Home treatment options
Medical support
Outlook
Takeaway

A persistent sore throat can occur with common conditions like allergies and postnasal drip. In most instances, it’s possible to treat your symptoms at home.

Sore throats can result in pain, a scratchy sensation, hoarseness, and burning when you swallow.

A persistent sore throat can recur multiple times, or it can be long term (chronic). It can result from a variety of conditions, including a handful of severe infections, so it’s important to pinpoint its cause as quickly as possible.

Learn more about the causes of a persistent sore throat, how it can be treated, and when you should consider speaking with a doctor.

Causes of a persistent sore throat

A number of conditions can trigger a persistent sore throat, including:

Allergies

When you have an allergy, your immune system is hyper-reactive to certain substances that are usually harmless. These substances are called allergens.

Common allergens include foods, certain plants, pet dander, dust, and pollen. You’re particularly susceptible to a persistent sore throat if you have allergies associated with things you breathe in, such as pollen, dust, and mold.

The most frequent symptoms associated with these types of airborne allergies include:

runny nose
coughing
sneezing
itchy eyes
watery eyes

The postnasal drip from a runny nose and inflamed sinuses is the most likely cause of a sore throat due to allergies.

Postnasal drip

When you have postnasal drip, excess mucus drains from your sinuses into the back of your throat. This can lead to a persistent raw, sore, or scratchy throat. Postnasal drip can be triggered by factors such as weather changes, spicy foods, and allergies.

Mouth breathing

Breathing through your mouth regularly, particularly when you’re asleep, can lead to an inflamed and sore throat. You’ll most likely experience it first thing in the morning when you wake up. The soreness is typically relieved once you take a drink.

Most of the time, mouth breathing is due to some kind of nasal obstruction that prevents you from breathing properly through your nose. This can include nasal congestion and sleep apnea.

Acid reflux

Acid reflux, also known as heartburn, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) has weakened and becomes unable to close tightly. Stomach contents then flow backward and up into the esophagus. Sometimes acid reflux can lead to a sore throat. If you’re having symptoms daily, it’s possible for them to cause persistent soreness.

Over time, the acid from your stomach can damage the lining of the esophagus and your throat.

Tonsillitis

If you’re experiencing a prolonged sore throat and are unable to find relief, it’s possible you may have an infection like tonsillitis. Most often, tonsillitis is diagnosed in children, but people can get it at any age. Tonsillitis can be caused by bacterial infections or viruses.

Tonsillitis can recur (reappearing multiple times per year) and my require treatment with prescription antibiotics.

Mono

Another cause of sore throat and tonsillitis, mononucleosis (or mono for short), results from an infection by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). While mono can last for around 6 months, in most cases it’s mild and can be resolved with minimal treatment.

It’s possible a person with mono might experience a persistent sore throat for the duration of the active infection.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. You might think of an STI as something that only affects your genitals, but a gonorrhea infection in the throat can occur from unprotected oral sex.

When gonorrhea affects the throat, it typically only results in a red and persistently sore throat.

Environmental pollution

If you live in an area like a large city, it’s possible to form a persistent sore throat from smog, a collection of airborne pollutants. Especially on hot days, it can be dangerous to breathe smog.

Smoking

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can cause a scratchy or sore throat, along with worsened respiratory conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.

In mild cases, exposure to toxins in cigarette smoke can lead to a sore throat. Smoking is also a risk factor for throat cancer, which can result in throat pain as well.

How to treat a sore throat at home

If you have a persistent sore throat that isn’t due to an infection, it’s possible to treat your symptoms at home. Here are some things to try to relieve symptoms of a sore throat:

suck on a lozenge or piece of hard candy
drink plenty of water
eat popsicles or chipped ice
run a humidifier if the air in your house is dry
irrigate your nasal passages with a neti pot or bulb syringe
give yourself a steam treatment (breathing steam from a bowl of hot water or in the shower)
sip warm broth or tea
add honey and lemon to warm tea or water
sip juice with a small amount of diluted apple cider vinegar
take a pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Alleve)
gargle with salt water
limit exposure or remove allergens from your environment
take over-the-counter allergy or cold medication
consider stopping smoking, if you do smoke

When to see a doctor

If your sore throat lasts longer than 2 days it is important to speak with a doctor. In most instances, a sore throat can be easily diagnosed and treated.

You should speak with a doctor or seek emergency treatment immediately if you experience:

severe pain that impairs eating, talking, or sleeping
high fever over 101˚F (38˚C)
intense, severe pain on one side of your throat, along with swollen glands
trouble turning your head

In some cases, a doctor will need to intervene with treatment solutions to help you find relief:

If your sore throat is due to acid reflux, a doctor might prescribe antacid medication to relieve your symptoms.
A doctor may prescribe a prescription allergy medication, allergy shots, or nasal spray if seasonal allergies are causing your sore throat.
For tonsillitis, a doctor will typically prescribe a course of antibiotics if a bacterial infection is involved.
A doctor might prescribe steroid medication to relieve the swelling and pain of an EBV infection if you have mono.

If you don’t already have a primary care doctor, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.

»MORE:Get an online treatment plan for your cold, flu, or sinus infection in as little as 15 minutes with Optum Now Online Care.

Optum Now is operated by RVO Health. By clicking on this link, we may receive a commission. Learn more.

Outlook for a persistent sore throat

Most of the time, a persistent sore throat can go away on its own within a few days to a week, depending on its cause and treatment. Throat infection symptoms may persist for up to 7 days, even with treatment. People with mono might experience a sore throat for up to 2 months.

If you require tonsillectomy surgery or surgery to treat an abscess, you should expect to experience some pain in your throat during the recovery period.

Takeaway

Sore throats are common and can result in pain, hoarseness, and burning when you swallow.

A number of conditions can trigger a persistent sore throat, including:

allergies
mouth breathing
acid reflux
mono
postnasal drip

In most instances, a sore throat is nothing serious and can be treated at home. However, if it persists for more than 2 days and is also accompanied by a high fever, it is important to speak with a doctor immediately. They can make a diagnosis and put together an effective treatment plan.

Read this article in Spanish.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

5 dangerous pollutants you’re breathing in every day. (2021).https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/5-dangerous-pollutants-youre-breathing-every-day
9 at-home treatments for acid reflux. (2023).https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/9-ways-to-relieve-acid-reflux-without-medication
About infectious mononucleosis (mono). (n.d.).https://www.cdc.gov/epstein-barr/about/mononucleosis.html
Barbee LA, et al. (2021). The duration of pharyngeal gonorrhea: A natural history study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8366826/
Health effects of cigarette smoking. (n.d.).https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm
Javed A, et al. (2021). The potential impact of smog spell on humans’ health amid COVID-19 rages.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8583367/
Overview: Tonsillitis. (2023).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK401249/
Post-nasal drip. (n.d.).https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/post-nasal-drip/
Sore throat. (n.d.).https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/sore-throat/
Tamkin J, et al. (2020). Impact of airway dysfunction on dental health.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6986941/
Wolford RW, et al. (2023). Pharyngitis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519550/

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Medically reviewed by Megan Soliman, MD — Written by Ana Gotter — Updated on June 26, 2024

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