Hello , Read your Concern. First of all i would like to tell you that the throat discomfort that you have mentioned may be not be a very big problem to panic about or it may be just a small symptom of a larger underlying diseae. But the good news is that, most iof the time, discomfort is caused by minor illnes and can go away without any medical treatment. To reach at the root cause for your discomfort , we need to know the symptoms as well which you have not mentioned very clearly . Nevertheless, the cause for your throat discofort can be infections or injuries. When it comes to infections , Viral infections are more commonly seen. 1. Common cold is the most commom type of viral infection 2. Mumps and influenza can also cause throat discomfort. Look out for symptoms of Mumps like pain and fever. Influeza may cause rhinorhhea(runinig nose) 3. Infectious mononucleosis(Kissing disease) , an uncommon cause , can also lead to persistent sore throat. 4.Laryngitis , inflammation of the voice box , is another cause.Voice rest is the main form of trearment here. Bacterial infections can also cause sore throat. Common causes are : 1. Tonsillitis is a common cause which is acompanied by fever and pain . 2. Peritionsillar abscess , which is inflammation of the area around the tonsil, is another cause and leads toi high grade fever and pain. Chronic exposure to some irritants or an episode of injury may lead to complains of sore throat lasting longer than a week. 1. Exposure to smoke(smoking) , dust , pollution ,post nasal drip may all contribute in small ways. 2. Gastroesophageal refux disease or GERD, which means stomach acid that backs up in the throat often leads to heartburn and bad taste (acid)in the mouth .This may lead to soreness in the mouth as well. 3. An injury to the throat due to swallowing of a chicken bone is also seen in children So, according to the symptoms , the cause for the discomfort can be discerned . A thorough ENT check up is a must ion your case. Treatment can be guided accordingly . Hope this helps , Regards, Dr.Pallavi Jain MBBS,MD Biochemistry