The sensation of a sore throat is usually caused by an irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat. Smoking is a common cause of this problem, but it can also be caused by other things such as:

Laryngitis — or inflammation of the voice box — is a common condition that occurs when you overuse your vocal cords. It can cause pain, itching and swelling in your throat. Smoking may make symptoms worse.

Postnasal drip — this condition causes mucus to drip down your throat from your nose, which may irritate your throat and make it feel sore. Smokers have more postnasal drip than nonsmokers do because smoking reduces the amount of saliva produced in the mouth, which normally helps clear out excess mucus from the nasal passages.

Sinusitis — if you have sinusitis (inflammation of sinuses), you may develop a sore throat because of swollen nasal passages that block off drainage from sinuses into your throat area.

Tonsillitis — tonsillitis is an infection that causes swelling of the tonsils, which are located at the back of your mouth on both sides under your tongue. The swollen tonsils can make swallowing painful and difficult.

Last modified: September 19, 2022