A certain kind of irritation is usually the cause behind bump in back of throat. The irritation causes the body to keep itself safe and in doing so creates mucous and sends cells that can fight infection into the region. This multitude of activity causes the throat’s back to look all reddish. The cause for the irritation itself can either be an infection of the upper respiratory tract or a condition like post nasal drip. In some cases, acid reflux can cause the problem too though people usually don’t know about the presence of acid reflux since it hardly causes any symptoms.
What Causes Bumps in Back of Throat?
The redness in the throat is usually because of infection. Infected tonsils usually show themselves in the form of fever, swelling of lymph nodes etc. However, besides infection, there can be other causes and the bump can be white.
1. Strep Throat
Strep throat is caused by a bacteria induced throat infection. The infection causes the throat to feel itchy and sore.
The signs of strep throat include:
- Pain in the throat
- Issues in swallowing food
- Swelling of tonsils accompanied with appearance of white patches
- A number of small reddish spots around the roof’s mouth.
- Swollen neck lymph glands
- High fever
- Vomiting (affects young children)
- Tiredness and fatigue
These symptoms are usually an indication of the presence of an infection and it is possible that you might have several of these symptoms and not be suffering from strep throat. This is why the doctor would specifically look for strep throat through tests and won’t be able to conclude anything just by your symptoms.
2. Pharyngitis
Pharyngitis is a condition which affects the pharynx which lies in the upper respiratory tract along with the sinuses, the larynx and other nasal passages. The main task of all the structures is to take the air from the outside and to bring it to the trachea before passing it on to the lungs. When the pharynx gets infected, it results in soreness in the region.
The usual symptoms of pharyngitis apart from a sore throat are:
- Severe headache
- Constant sneezing
- Heavily runny nose
- Tiredness
- Pain in the entire body
- Chills
- Fever
- Swollen tonsils which may look like rad bumps in back of throat
- Swollen neck glands (lymph nodes)
3. Tonsil Stones
Tonsil stones usually appear like white specks on the tonsils. However, they can sometimes be invisible too. Tonsil stones cause problems in swallowing food and it is accompanied by a painful feeling in the throat. Bad breath and a constant taste of metal in the mouth are other problems caused by tonsil stones. The stones appear as a result of either the bacteria getting stuck with the tonsillar crypts or a hardened food items and mucus getting stuck with them.
4. Oral Candidiasis
Candida yeast is the main cause behind oral candidiasis with humans who don’t have a very strong immune system prone to the condition. Once the yeast enters the body, it looks to form white colonies and this manifests itself in the form of appearance of white spots on the mucous membrane of the cheeks. At this stage, the condition causes no pain. However, if allowed to advance, oral candidiasis spreads to the tonsils and causes bumps in back of throat.
5. Infectious Mononucleosis
Infectious mononucleosis is a condition whose symptoms include swelling of lymph nodes, a high fever, soreness in the throat and modification of the blood’s chemical composition. The condition can cause the throat to turn a very dark shade of red, which is covered by white spots, and the pain due to the condition in the throat is often high. The condition in some cases can create further problems by creating an abscess in the throat and this can prove very dangerous for your overall health.
6. Throat (Oral) Herpes
The herpes simplex virus, whether it is type one or type two, can cause sores. Normally, the sores start from the lips and then spread inside the mouth and throat too. The condition is infectious and spreads via oral sex. The condition causes white specks to appear on the throat’s back as well as causing fever blisters on the lips and the mouth.
7. Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis 
is normally the result of either an infection caused by a bacteria or any other virus. The main symptoms of tonsillitis include appearance of white specks on the throat and the tonsils, issues in swallowing food, pain in the neck region, high fever and swelling of the tonsils as well as the lymph nodes on each side of the neck.
8. Post Nasal Drip
When your nose gets blocked, the snot finds no way to make it out of the nose. The snot then finds another way out by running down your throat’s back. The heavy flow of the snot can make the throat irritated. This condition is called post nasal drip.
9. Syphilis Infections
Syphilis infection is also capable of giving you a throat with white or red spots. Other symptoms of syphilis infection include body sores, pain in the joints and malaise.
10. Allergic Rhinitis
Also called hay fever, it can induce symptoms which are similar to any cold. The symptoms of an allergy include runny nose, constant sneezing, pressure on the sinus etc. The thing about hay fever though is that it is triggered by an allergic response to pet dander or pollen rather than being triggered by a virus or bacteria. The irritation can cause your throat to be red or swollen in rare cases, which can resemble bump in back of throat.
11. Streptococcal Angina
This is also caused by streptococcal infection like Streptococcal pharyngitis. Apart from bumps in back of throat, streptococcal angina also causes other symptoms like itching and throat pain when eating food, appearance of white spots on the back of the throat, high fever and an overwhelming feeling of tiredness. The condition is a severe one as it can cause rheumatic fever and rheumatism. It is not only responsible for causing joint issues, it can also cause heart problems.
What Action Can I Take?
Firstly, you should make sure that you keep yourself hydrated as this would ensure that your immune system stays strong. Secondly, you should do some gargles with salt water in order to flush away any bacteria or debris that may have found home over your tonsils. Any inflammation would also be reduced by the salt which is an added benefit. These are general treatments and if your condition doesn’t improve with these measures, the doctor may need to conduct some tests to find out the root cause and then to adopt a course of treatment for that particular cause.
For instance, if the root cause of the bumps is strep throat, the treatment would include antibiotics like amoxicillin.