My throat has been hurting on and off for a few days. i looked in the back of my throat and it looks to be the palatoglossal arch that is red and inflamed. what could be causing this? any recommendations?

Causes of a sore throat range from simple irritation like dry or cold air to deadly infections like diphtheria. Most are due to upper respiratory viruses that cause colds. The cause we routinely test for is streptococcus bacteria because left untreated a strep-throat can lead to a number of auto-immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and rheumatic heart disease which can arise years later.