Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx. The technical name for throat is 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 upward movement of stomach acids into the esophagus, called gastric reflux.

Other problems that affect the throat include

• Tonsillitis - an infection in the tonsils
• Pharyngitis - inflammation of the pharynx
• Cancers

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