Question: what are the causes of severe throat pain?
Answer: Colds, the flu, and other viral infections. Viruses cause about 90 percent of sore throats ( 2 ). ...  Strep throat and other bacterial infections. ...  Allergies. ...  Dry air. ...  Smoke, chemicals, and other irritants. ...  Injury. ...  Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) ...  Tumor.