MYTH: Food can be left at room or outdoor temperature for more than two hours. REALITY: Because bacteria grow rapidly in the danger zone between 40 degrees F and 140 degrees F, food left at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded.
Postnasal drip also commonly causes excess mucus at the back of your nose and throat many times after eating. Excessive, thick phlegm or chest mucus can often be caused by viral or bacterial infections such as influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as irritants such as those inhaled during smoking. Chemotherapy also causes the immune system to overreact and excessive phlegm is often the result.
Because strep throat is a common cause of sore throats, your doctor may swab the back of your throat and examine the sample for the Streptococcal bacteria. He or she may also run a blood test to determine whether you have a viral or bacterial infection.he majority of sore throats are triggered by a viral infection. These are infections caused by a virus, such as the cold and flu. Other types of viral infections include: 1  mononucleosis: infectious disease typically transmitted through saliva.