| Airway obstruction |
| Muffled or "hot potato" voice |
| Drooling or pooling of saliva |
| Stridor |
| Respiratory distress (tachypnea, dyspnea, retractions) |
| "Sniffing" or "tripod" positions (positions that help maintain airway patency) |
| Deep neck space infection |
| Severe unilateral sore throat |
| Bulging of the pharyngeal wall, soft palate, or floor of oropharynx |
| Neck pain or swelling, torticollis (wry neck) due to muscle spasm |
| Crepitus |
| Trismus (irritation and reflex spasm of internal pterygoid muscle) |
| Stiff neck |
| Fever and rigors |
| History of penetrating trauma to oropharynx |
