Why Does My Throat Hurt While Yawning?

Why Does My Throat Hurt While Yawning?

Why Does My Throat Hurt While Yawning?

sore throat hurts when i yawn

Many conditions can cause a sore throat, which can worsen when yawning. Let’s take a look at some of the more common causes as well as treatment options.

Dry Throat

A dry throat can feel scratchy and leave it more susceptible to irritation. That irritation can make it painful to yawn. It occurs when your membranes fail to create enough mucus to keep your esophagus moist. This can occur for numerous reasons, including sleeping with your mouth open, smoking, allergies and dehydration, among other causes.

Strep Throat

Strep throat is a highly contagious bacterial infection. The main symptom is a sore throat that can be particularly painful when swallowing but also hurts when yawning as well. Strep throat is a common condition, with research finding that it accounts for roughly 5% to 15% of adult sore throat cases and 20% to 30% in children.

Viral Infections

Viruses like the common cold, flu and COVID-19 can all cause inflammation in your throat. When you yawn when you have throat inflammation, it can cause air, saliva or food particles to contact the inflamed areas and lead to pain.

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils, which are lymph nodes in the back of your throat. Symptoms can include a severe sore throat, painful swallowing, red and swollen tonsils and a white or yellow coating on your tonsils.

Injury to Your Throat

You can easily injure your throat when swallowing something sharp like a chip or cracker. This can cause a scratch on your throat, which can be irritated when you swallow or yawn. The pain should subside once the injury heals.

Home Treatment Options

You can often ease your throat pain through various home remedies, including:

  • Gargle with warm saltwater.
  • Use throat lozenges.
  • Drink plenty of liquids, particularly warm, soothing beverages like tea from Loose Leaf Tea Market.
  • Take over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
  • Avoid smoking or being exposed to secondhand smoke.

When to See a Doctor

Home remedies aren’t always enough to treat throat pain. Visit a medical professional if you experience:

  • Tonsil swelling
  • Severe or persistent pain
  • Swollen glands
  • A high fever
  • Pain that lasts longer than several days
  • Difficulty breathing

To learn more or to have your throat pain evaluated by one of our experts, call Arizona Desert Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists today.

[related-posts]

This post was last modified on December 4, 2024 3:11 am