Throat Disorders—Mouth Disorders

Your mouth is one of the most important parts of your body. Any problem that affects your mouth can make it hard to eat, drink or even smile.

Some common mouth problems include

• Cold sores – painful sores on the lips and around the mouth, caused by a virus
• Canker sores – painful sores in the mouth, caused by bacteria or viruses
• Thrush – a yeast infection that causes white patches in your mouth
• Leukoplakia – white patches of excess cell growth on the cheeks, gums or tongue, common in smokers
• Dry mouth – a lack of enough saliva, caused by some medicines and certain diseases
• Gum or tooth problems
• Bad breath

Treatment for mouth disorders varies, depending on the problem. Keeping a clean mouth by brushing and flossing often is important.

• Burning Mouth Syndrome – NIH (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) – PDF
• Drooling (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gum biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Herpangina (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Leukoplakia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lichen planus (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mouth sores (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mouth ulcers (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Mucous cyst (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Perioral dermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Thrush (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Pharyngeal disorders

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx. The technical name for your throat is the pharynx.

Throat problems are common. You’ve probably had a sore throat. The cause is usually a viral infection, but other causes include allergies, infection with strep bacteria or the leaking of stomach acids back up into the esophagus, called GERD.

Other problems that affect the throat include

• Tonsillitis – inflammation of the tonsils
• Cancer
• Croup – inflammation, usually in small children, which causes a barking cough
• Laryngitis – swelling of the voice box, which can cause a hoarse voice or loss of voice

Most throat problems are minor and go away on their own. Treatments, when needed, depend on the problem.

• Blockage of upper airway (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Epiglottitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Herpangina (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Laryngitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Laryngoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Retropharyngeal abscess (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Strep throat (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Throat swab culture (Medical Encyclopedia)