Why Does Your Throat Hurt After Surgery? Causes, Treatment, and Recovery Tips

Postoperative sore throat, also known as POST, is common after surgeries that use general anesthesia. According to one recent study, more than 60% of patients who were intubated for surgery experienced a sore throat after the procedure. While common, post-surgery throat pain is difficult during recovery. It helps to understand the causes and some tips that provide relief.

Why Your Throat Hurts After Surgery

There are two main reasons you get a sore throat after surgery. One reason is that food and fluid restrictions before the procedure can leave you dehydrated. You may also be limited after the procedure, compounding the problem. Being dehydrated can make your throat feel dry and scratchy.

Another cause is intubation. If you are going under general anesthesia, you will most likely have an endotracheal tube inserted through your mouth and into your windpipe, or trachea. This is called intubation. General anesthesia paralyzes your muscles, including your diaphragm which keeps you breathing. A ventilator attached to an endotracheal tube provides oxygen during the procedure.

Unfortunately, a tube inserted in your windpipe can be irritating. It can irritate throat tissue, vocal cords, and tongue. The longer the tube remains inserted, the more likely you are to get a sore throat after it is removed.

How Is Throat Pain After Surgery Treated?

You might not feel sore right after surgery as pain medications are still in effect. As they wear off, you might feel sore and scratchy or even have a cough. Most people do not require any medical treatment for this. The tissue should recover within days.

In the meantime, you can take several steps to get relief:

• Follow your surgeon’s recommendations for post-surgery recovery. They should include guidelines for managing a sore throat and similar symptoms.
• Limit talking as much as possible.
• Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid those that irritate the throat, like citrus drinks.
• Eat cold treats, like popsicles or ice cream, or suck on ice cubes to soothe the sore and inflamed tissues.
• Suck on cough drops or candies. Cough drops often have numbing agents. The act of sucking on candy or cough drops also keeps the throat moist, which reduces soreness.
• Use over-the-counter throat sprays, medicated mouth rinses, or pain relief medications, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

How Long Does Post-Surgery Sore Throat Last?

A sore throat after surgery is uncomfortable and frustrating but not usually cause for concern. You should begin to feel improvements within a day or two, and it should not last longer than one week.

When Should I Talk to My Surgeon About My Sore Throat?

Experiencing coughing and scratchy throat days after surgery is not unusual, but it is uncomfortable. Contact your surgeon if you can’t get relief or if the symptoms last for a week or longer. You should also contact your surgeon if your pain is severe or if your voice continues to be affected.

Although rare, intubation can cause more serious tissue damage that requires treatment. Your sore throat also may be unrelated to intubation or your surgery. You may have an infection. Tell your surgeon or doctor if you have a sore throat along with a fever, chills, and other symptoms.

Recovery from surgery takes time and patience. Follow your surgeon’s instructions for care during this time for the best results. If you have any questions or concerns, contact them for guidance.

Good outcomes from surgery depend on working with the best surgeons. Learn more about our specialists and the types of surgery offered at North Carolina Specialty Hospital.