Asore throatafter surgery is common, particularly ifgeneral anesthesiais used.
It also requires a breathing tube that can irritate the throat.
Sometimes, it may be due to both.
Illustration by Joules Garcia for Verywell Health
This can cause dryness in your throat.
Drinking water and other fluids will relieve this problem.
This requires methods to maintain breathing during surgery.
Sometimes, face masks orlaryngeal mask airways(LMA) are used.
These breathing tubes can also lead to throat dryness or irritation.
If your condition requires a prolonged stay on the ventilator, the resulting sore throat may be more significant.
In that case, you shouldn’t experience throat discomfort.
Someover-the-counter (OTC) remediescan be helpful.
Numbing lozenges with benzocaine are particularly effective for this pop in of irritation.
The medication coats and protects the throat while numbing the area.
Sucking on hard candy can also help keep the area more lubricated to decrease pain.
It’s also important to drink lots of fluids.
How Long Does a Sore Throat Last?
You might notice a sore throat immediately after waking up from surgery.
As medications wear off, you might start to notice a sore throat.
Usually, symptoms begin to ease after two to three days.
You may be referred to an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist called anotolaryngologist.
Keep in mind that the sore throat may be unrelated to the surgery.
It may require antibiotics as treatment.
Antibiotics kill or stop the growth of bacteria.
The irritation usually improves in a few days and should be gone in about a week.
