Which symptom is characterized by scratchy throat and pain when swallowing?

• A. Sore throat
• B. Congestion
• C. Rhinorrhea
• D. Epistaxis

Answer: (A)

Scratchy throat with pain when swallowing is a hallmark of sore throat (pharyngitis). The combination of throat irritation and odynophagia points to inflammation localized to the pharynx, which is what “sore throat” describes. The other options reflect nasal issues—congestion (nasal blockage), rhinorrhea (runny nose)—and nosebleeds (epistaxis). Those symptoms pertain to the nasal mucosa rather than the throat, so they don’t match the described throat-focused complaint. In practice, labeling this as a sore throat helps guide the exam to look for pharyngeal findings and associated signs such as fever or cervical lymphadenopathy to assess for possible infection.