MedlinePlus: Throat Disorders

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- Services and providers for Throat Disorders in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Throat Disorders is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Throat Disorders

Also called: Pharyngeal disorders

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx. The technical name for throat is pharynx.

Throat problems are common. You've probably had a sore throat The cause is usually a viral infection, but other causes include allergies, infection with strep bacteria or the upward movement of stomach acids into the esophagus, called gastric reflux.

Other problems that affect the throat include

Tonsillitis - an infection in the tonsils
Pharyngitis - inflammation of the pharynx
Cancers

Most throat problems are minor and go away on their own. Treatments, when needed, depend on the problem.

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Throat Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians)

Basics	Learn More	Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews Diagnosis/Symptoms Treatment	Specific Conditions Related Issues	Pictures & Photographs
Research	Reference Shelf	For You
Clinical Trials Journal Articles	Medical Encyclopedia Directories Organizations	Children Teenagers

Overviews
- Throat Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.)
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Neck Swelling(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Strep Throat Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Throat Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Treatment
- Will Antibiotics Help Your Sore Throat?(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Specific Conditions
- Epiglottitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Hoarseness(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Laryngitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Peritonsillar Abscess(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
- Strep Throat(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Strep Throat(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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Related Issues
- Candidiasis(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD) and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
- Laryngeal Papillomatosis(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
- Post-Nasal Drip(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Sore or Irritated Mouth or Throat(American Cancer Society)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Collecting a Throat Culture(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pharyngeal Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Laryngitis(National Institutes of Health)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Medical Encyclopedia
- Throat Disorders
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Directories
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
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Organizations
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Children
- Croup(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Croup and Your Child(American Academy of Family Physicians)
  Also available in Spanish
- Epiglottitis(Children's Hospital Boston)
- Herpangina(Children's Hospital Boston)
- How Can I Tell If a Sore Throat Is a Virus or a More Serious Infection?(American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Laryngitis(Nemours Foundation)
- Laryngopharyngeal Reflux and Children(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Scarlet Fever(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Scoop on Strep Throat(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
- Strep Throat(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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Teenagers
- Strep Throat(Nemours Foundation)
  Also available in Spanish
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