Sore throat can make living extremely difficult because it keeps you from eating anything. Things become even difficult when you have a sore throat along with nausea. What causes that? It can be due to a common cold yet may also indicate some infection or serious issues. Keep reading to find out what causes sore throat and how you can treat it.

What Can Cause Sore Throat and Nausea?

You may end up developing sore throat as well as nausea due to a number of underlying conditions. Here is more about why your throat is sore and you feel nauseous at the same time.

1. Common Cold

What usually starts as an achy sensation in the lining of your throat often turns into a full-fledged sore throat in no time due to a common cold virus. You experience pain while swallowing, which gradually becomes worse and is often accompanied with phlegm. Croup, mononucleosis, flu, and other viruses can also cause sore throats with other symptoms, including nausea.

2. Strep Throat

Bacterial infections can also lead to a sore throat and nausea. In 10% to 50% of cases, sore throat is due to streptococcus bacteria. Other bacterial causes may include diphtheria and tonsillitis. Most of these airborne bacteria and viruses are quite contagious and spread from one person to another through air. You may also contract these infections when touching germs and mucous on door handles, shared towels, and eating utensils. Symptoms of strep throat include:

3. Medical Conditions in Digestive Tract

You may develop sore throat and vomiting or nausea due to certain diseases like hepatitis, pancreatis, and even cancer. Tumors develop in the lining of the stomach but are usually detected when the patient starts vomiting more often. You may also experience the same when you have gastroesophageal reflux disease in which the lower esophageal sphincter fails to close properly and allows stomach acids to travel up to cause a burning sensation in your chest, and you may also experience wheezing, coughing, heartburn, sore throat, and nausea, etc.

4. Whooping Cough

Pertussis or whooping cough is a bacterial infection that leads to the buildup of mucus in your respiratory tract. The excess mucus leads to uncontrollable coughing and produces other symptoms as well, such as nasal congestion, running nose, low fever, and sneezing. In the later stages, this respiratory tract infection can cause vomiting, nausea, redness of the face, fatigue, and a more intense cough. You will have to take antibiotics to treat the infection.

5. Ear Infections

Studies show that people with a history of difficulty in swallowing, sore throat, vomiting, nausea, poor appetite, and alternating constipation and diarrhea may also have ear infections. Patients who have been treated for ear infections have also noticed relief from other symptoms, including sore throat and nausea.

6. Other Causes

• Both bacteria and viruses can cause sore throat together with nausea.
• Environmental allergens and certain medication can also trigger sore throat and vomiting or nausea.
• Sore throat along with nausea can be common side effects for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

When to See a Doctor

It is a good idea to see your doctor if your condition persist for more than 72 hours. Your doctor will determine the underlying cause and may also prescribe anti-nausea drugs like droperidol and promethazine. They may also order strep tests to make a correct diagnosis and prescribe antibiotics.

How to Relieve Sore Throat and Nausea

While it is important to see your doctor to determine the underlying problem, you can try different home remedies. Here are some simple ways to get relief.

1. Treat Strep Throat

If it is indeed a case of strep throat, you should take oral antibiotics as soon as possible. These antibiotics work extremely well when taken within the first 48 hours of developing symptoms. Antibiotics help relieve symptoms and make your infection less contagious.

2. Deal with Flu

You can take antiviral drugs to help treat flu, especially if it is caused by influenza A or B. In addition, you need to drink plenty of fluids, take rest, and take painkillers to reduce fever and pain. You can also use decongestants to ease your symptoms. You have to take rest to provide your body with time and energy to fight off the infection.

3. Ginger Tea

Ginger works amazingly well to quell nausea. A cup of ginger tea will prove extremely beneficial against sore throat and nausea because it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as well. It loosens the buildup of mucus and relieves congestion. Simply take fresh ginger root and cut it into tiny pieces. Now, pour boiling water over it and drink when warm.

4. Combine Lemon and Honey

Drinking a cup of hot tea with honey and lemon will work wonders. The tea works great to relieve soreness in your throat and is equally effective against congestion. The lemon in the tea cuts through the mucus and allows honey to add a soothing coating to your throat. Honey has antibacterial properties, so it works even better to treat bacterial infections.

5. Gargle with Salt Water

Add a half teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water and mix well. Use this solution to gargle for a minute. Be sure to spit it out and do not swallow the water. Doing this several times a day will help reduces inflammation and swelling in your mucus membrane and make you feel better.

6. Hot Chicken Soup

Just like hot tea, hot chicken soup will create a soothing effect and relieve soreness. When you have a sore throat and nausea, you will not feel like eating anything. This is when you can opt for a bowl of hot chicken soup to relieve pain and provide your body with energy to clear infections.

7. Invite a Humidifier

You should consider installing a humidifier in your room if you develop a scratchy, dry throat quite often. You need to provide your throat with some moisture to help it heal quickly. You can also place a few bowls of water in your room to increase humidity level. Simply inhaling steam from a big pot of boiling water will also help relieve discomfort.