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What are Common Causes of Sore Throat with No Fever?

Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

When one suffers a sore throat with no fever, there may be a number of causes at hand. The most common reason a person without a fever may have a sore throat is due to a viral infection. Bacterial infections can also be a culprit, as well as environmental toxins, allergies, and other sources of inflammation.

To establish whether or not an infection is the cause of a sore throat with no fever, testing for other symptoms is usually conducted. Infections are often associated with redness of the throat, severe pain, and stiffness of the neck. Fever may or may not be present during an infection. Hence, if a fever is not present, a physician should still be seen if pain persists for more than three days.

A crossection of the human head, including the throat.
A crossection of the human head, including the throat.

The common cold can also cause a sore throat, but often won't cause a fever. Other symptoms that may be present in such cases include cough, runny nose, and mild muscle weakness. Other conditions that may cause sore throat and cough include croup, asthma, and exposure to cigarette smoke, or environmental toxins. A cough itself may also cause sore throat with no fever.

There are a number of possible causes of a sore throat without a fever.
There are a number of possible causes of a sore throat without a fever.

Several critical conditions can lead to sore throat. These can include tonsillitis, emphysema, and many other conditions. If symptoms persist for more than three days, or are accompanied by a sore throat and rash, bloody saliva, or difficulty breathing, a physician should be contacted.

People with allergies, particularly hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis, may experience sore throat with no fever several times a year, or throughout the year. This uncomfortable symptom, caused by a pollen allergy, often exists in conjunction with a postnasal drip, or sinus drainage. Repeatedly switching from a hot to cold environment, such as summer heat and air conditioning, may also lead to a sore throat.

Hot beverages can sooth a sore throat.
Hot beverages can sooth a sore throat.

Sore throat causes can include heavy use of the vocal chords. This may occur during or after cheering, such as at a sports venue or pep rally. Some people, such as teachers or aerobics instructors, may experience these symptoms through regular work activities. This activity can also lead to temporary loss of voice, such as laryngitis.

Many people with sore throat feel the most pain in the morning upon waking. Conditions often improve throughout the day. Sore throat lozenges may be purchased over the counter to help alleviate the irritation. Many people prefer to drink hot beverages, such as tea with honey, to soothe sore throat as well. Drinking plenty of fluids, gargling with saltwater, using commercial throat sprays, and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes may also help lessen the symptoms of sore throat.

Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Sara has a Master’s Degree in English, which she puts to use writing for TheHealthBoard and several magazines, websites, and nonprofit organizations. She has published her own novella, and has other literary projects currently in progress. Sara’s varied interests have also led her to teach children in Spain, tutor college students, run CPR and first aid classes, and organize student retreats.

Learn more...
Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Sara has a Master’s Degree in English, which she puts to use writing for TheHealthBoard and several magazines, websites, and nonprofit organizations. She has published her own novella, and has other literary projects currently in progress. Sara’s varied interests have also led her to teach children in Spain, tutor college students, run CPR and first aid classes, and organize student retreats.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon313610

Could Massad, or some other intelligence agency, be targeting individuals with slow-acting cure-resistant pathogens, designed to unleash severe inflammation, and increased vulnerability to flu, HIV, and/or cancer? Will these sociopaths target individuals for slow death, rather than overt assassination?

JackWhack

I had a sore throat with white spots once, and I still don't know what caused it. The spots were on one side of my throat, and whenever I swallowed, they seemed really dry.

Since my throat didn't swell much and I didn't have a fever, I don't believe it was strep throat. The lymph nodes in my neck did swell, so it was some type of infection.

Within three days, it had disappeared. That was the strangest sore throat I have ever had.

wavy58

@Kristee – I've never had a sore throat that severe before. It sounds rough, and I believe I would want to see a doctor if I had strep throat.

I did have a weird experience with a sore throat once. I had been singing for hours with my band while we were rehearsing for a performance the following night. I woke up the next day with no voice!

My throat was sore all the way down my neck. I had to call my bandmates and whisper that we had a problem!

shell4life

I got a very sore throat after cleaning out an extremely dusty garage once. As soon as I started to wipe off the shelves, layers of dust flew up into the air, and I began to cough.

I started coughing up phlegm later that night. My throat was irritated from the dust, and the coughing irritated it even further.

I kept throat lozenges in my mouth, and that helped soothe the irritation. The lozenges contained eucalyptus, and that helped clear up my chest congestion a little, too.

Kristee

My sore throats aren't usually severe. I tend to get them only when I have a cold, and to be honest, the constantly runny nose bothers me more than the slightly irritated throat.

However, I did get a strep throat infection once, and that was severe. My throat swelled so much that I couldn't swallow much of anything. Also, I had a high fever.

I never go to the doctor when I have a cold with a sore throat. I always go when I have a fever along with my sore throat, particularly if I suspect that it is strep throat.

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    • A crossection of the human head, including the throat.
      By: pixelcaos
      A crossection of the human head, including the throat.
    • There are a number of possible causes of a sore throat without a fever.
      By: xalanx
      There are a number of possible causes of a sore throat without a fever.
    • Hot beverages can sooth a sore throat.
      By: food pictures studio
      Hot beverages can sooth a sore throat.
    • Getting antibiotics from a doctor may be necessary.
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      Getting antibiotics from a doctor may be necessary.
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      Cigarette smoke can cause a sore throat.
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      A cough alone might cause a sore throat.
    • Hay fever can cause a sore throat without fever.
      By: photophonie
      Hay fever can cause a sore throat without fever.
    • Throat lozenges can be a quick way to treat a sore throat with no fever.
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      Throat lozenges can be a quick way to treat a sore throat with no fever.
    • A sore throat may be caused by a cold.
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      A sore throat may be caused by a cold.
    • Gargling with saltwater can soothe a sore throat.
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      Gargling with saltwater can soothe a sore throat.