Why Does My Throat Hurt When I Yawn? Know The Reason

Pain in the throat can be usually felt in the case of throat infection or injury. This can cause pain while swallowing and yawning. It is common to have pain when yawning due to inflammation of tissues in your throat.

Most of the causes of pain experienced while yawning are not serious. They can be due to the common cold or flu. In very rare cases the pain while yawning can be due to life-threatening medical conditions like throat cancer or epiglottitis. Here in this article, we discuss some of the common reasons why your throat hurts when you yawn.

Causes Of Throat Pain

A dry throat can be a common reason behind a hurting throat. It can cause irritation and will give you a scratchy feeling while swallowing, talking, or yawning. You will get a dry throat when your membranes do not produce enough mucus to keep the throat lining moist.

There can be many factors that can lead to throat dryness. It includes infections, allergies, smoking, dehydration, breathing dry air, and sleeping with your mouth open.

Many types of viral infections that cause the common cold, flu, and Covid-19 can cause pain in the throat. These viral infections can cause inflammation in your throat and can cause pain while swallowing and yawning.

When air, food, water, or saliva comes in contact with these inflamed regions you will feel pain. Most of the throat infections that affect us are caused by viral infections.

A bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes can cause an infection in the throat called strep throat. It causes inflammation in the throat and can cause pain while swallowing or yawning. Strep throat is a highly contagious infection. It is a leading cause of sore throat in children and adults.

Injuries to the throat can cause pain. Swallowing hard and sharp food items like chips can cause bruises on the back of your throat. The injured part may hurt when yawning or swallowing, as the food particles and saliva irritate the sore area.

Mononucleosis is another cause of throat pain. It is also called mono and it is a contagious disease. It is mainly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, and it can be also affected by other viruses. This virus mainly spread through saliva. This condition is mostly found in teenagers and young adults, especially college students. This condition can cause sore throat, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

Swollen tonsils can be another cause of pain in the throat that can make yawning or swallowing food and water painful. This condition which causes inflammation of the tonsils is referred to as Tonsillitis. Tonsils are the two oval-shaped pads of tissue that you can see at the back of the throat.

Inflamed tonsils and sore throat make it difficult to swallow food, water, and saliva. Tonsillitis can also cause fever and headache. Most tonsillitis cases are caused by a viral infection, but bacteria can also cause tonsillitis. Surgery to remove tonsils are performed when it is frequent.

Candidiasis in the mouth and throat can cause difficulties while yawning and swallowing food. This is an infection that is caused by a yeast called Candida. This yeast is normally found in some parts of the body and does not cause any problems. But sometimes it can multiply and cause infection in the mouth, throat, or esophagus. This condition in the mouth is also called oral thrush.

Inflammation of the esophagus or food pipe is another reason behind the pain in the throat during yawning. This medical condition is called esophagitis. This condition is painful and you will find difficulty swallowing food.

It can also cause chest pain and thus can be a difficult condition. Some common causes of this condition are acid reflux, infection, oral medicines, and allergies. Without proper medical care, this condition can cause the lining of the food pipe to be damaged and can interfere with its function.

Esophagitis also can cause complications such as narrowing of the food pipe, weight loss, and dehydration.

Epiglottitis can be another reason that causes pain during yawning. It is a condition that causes the epiglottis to swell. Epiglottis is a small lid-like structure made of cartilage that covers the windpipe. The swelling of the epiglottis can block the flow of air into the lungs and it can be a deadly condition.

This condition can be caused by infections, burns from hot liquids, and injuries to the throat. Epiglottitis is a serious condition that can happen to anyone at any age. This condition requires urgent medical care or else it will cause deadly complications.

Sometimes throat cancer can be behind the pain in the throat while yawning. This is cancer that affects your throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx). There are different kinds of throat cancer depending on the part of the throat where cancer originated. The common symptoms of throat cancer include cough, changes to your voice, difficulty in swallowing, ear pain, sore throat, and weight loss.

The pain you feel when yawning depends upon the type of condition you are suffering from. Infections like the common cold and tonsilitis can cause pain on both sides of your throat. This pain can be rough, scratchy, or itchy. Pain from scratch or injury causes pain in a particular spot. Tumors can cause pain in a particular side of your throat.

Remedies For Throat Pain While Yawning

There are different treatments available for throat pain. Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. Fungal infections like oral thrush can be treated by antifungal medications like fluconazole or clotrimazole.

There are some home remedies for mild conditions. Gargling with warm salt water regularly throughout the day can be effective in treating sore throats. Drinking plenty of warm water helps you to soothe the sore tissue. Avoid smoking or other polluting environments. Medicated lozenges with zinc can help in treating sore throat.

Conclusion

It is common to feel throat pain while yawning. The same pain might be felt while talking or swallowing food and water.

Most of the time the pain will be due to mild conditions like the common cold and rarely it can be due to serious conditions like epiglottis or throat cancer that require proper medical attention. You can follow simple home remedies for mild conditions and if it still persists, contact a doctor.