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McKesson Clinical Reference Systems: Women's Health Advisor 2002.2
Spanish version
Illustration
Sore Throat
What is a sore throat?
Sore throat is a common symptom that ranges in severity
from just a sense of scratchiness to severe pain.
Pharyngitis is the medical term for sore throat.
How does it occur?
Sore throat is caused by inflammation of the throat
(pharynx). The pharynx is the area behind the tonsils. A
sore throat may be the first symptom of an illness as mild
as a cold or the flu or of a disease as severe as
mononucleosis or scarlet fever.
A sore throat that comes on suddenly is called acute
pharyngitis. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses. A
sore throat that lasts for a long time is called chronic
pharyngitis. It occurs when a respiratory, sinus, or mouth
infection spreads to the throat.
Sore throats can also be caused by:
- cigarette smoking
- breathing heavily polluted air or chemical fumes
- swallowing substances that hurt the lining of the throat.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include:
- a raw feeling in the throat that makes breathing,
swallowing, and speaking painful
- redness of the throat
- fever
- pus in your throat
- earache
- tender, swollen glands in your neck.
How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and
examine your throat. Your provider also will examine you
for signs of other illness, such as sinus, chest, or ear
infections.
Just by looking at your throat, it is often hard for your
health care provider to decide whether a virus or bacteria
are causing your sore throat. Your provider may swab your
throat to test for strep infection.
How is it treated?
Usually no specific treatment is needed if a virus is
causing the sore throat. It most often gets better on its
own within 5 to 7 days. Antibiotic medicine does not cure
viral pharyngitis.
For acute pharyngitis caused by bacteria, your health care
provider may prescribe an antibiotic.
For chronic pharyngitis, your provider will try to find and
treat the cause.
How long will the effects last?
Viral pharyngitis often goes away in 5 to 7 days.
If you have bacterial pharyngitis, you will feel better
after you have taken antibiotics for 2 to 3 days. You must,
though, take all of your antibiotic even when you are
feeling better. If you don't take all of it, your sore
throat could come back.
How can I take care of myself?
- Do not smoke.
- Get plenty of rest.
- You may want to rest your throat by talking less and
eating a diet that is mostly liquid or soft for a day or
two.
- Nonprescription throat lozenges and mouthwashes should
help relieve the soreness.
- Gargling with warm salt water and drinking warm liquids
may help.
- A nonprescription pain reliever such as aspirin,
acetaminophen, or ibuprofen may ease general aches and
pains. (Anyone under age 21 with a fever should not take
aspirin because it increases the risk of Reye's
syndrome.)
If your sore throat lasts for more then a few days, call
your health care provider.
How can I prevent a sore throat?
The following suggestions may help prevent a sore throat:
- Don't share eating and drinking utensils with others.
- Wash your hands often.
- Don't let your nose or mouth touch public telephones or
drinking fountains.
- Avoid close contact with other people who have a sore
throat.
- Stay indoors as much as possible on high-pollution days.
- Don't stay in areas where there is heavy smoke from
cigarettes.
- Humidify your home if the air is quite dry.
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