Only 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat. Only about 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat has strep throat. Close A healthy throat and a sore throat, including uvula and tongue, showing inflamed tonsils. When to Seek Medical Care See a doctor if you or your child have symptoms of strep throat. Also see a doctor if you or your child have any of the following: Difficulty breathing Difficulty swallowing Blood in saliva or phlegm Excessive drooling in young children Dehydration Joint swelling and pain Rash This list is not all-inclusive.
Treatment A doctor will determine what type of illness you have by asking about symptoms and doing a physical examination. Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children Be careful about giving over-the-counter medicines to children.
Pain relievers: Children younger than 6 months: only give acetaminophen. Children 6 months or older: it is OK to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Cough and cold medicines: Children younger than 4 years old: do not use unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children can result in serious and potentially life-threatening side effects. Prevention You can help prevent sore throats by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including: Clean your hands.
Avoid close contact with people who have sore throats, colds, or other upper respiratory infections. Top of Page. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. In some cases, a sore throat may be caused by substances that irritate the throat.
Sources can include:. You may find that avoiding these substances, or seeking treatment for an allergy or GORD, can help to reduce symptoms of a sore throat.
If you smoke, giving up will reduce irritation to your throat and strengthen your defences against infection. The Quit Your Way Scotland service can offer you advice and encouragement to help you quit smoking.
Phone Quit Your Way Scotland free on 84 84 84 8. Your GP or pharmacist will also be able to give you help and advice about giving up smoking, or you can read more about quitting smoking. If you have a sore throat caused by an infection, you can help prevent the infection spreading by practising good hygiene, such as washing your hands regularly and keeping surfaces clean and free of germs. Home Illnesses and conditions Ears, nose and throat Sore throat. Sore throat See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1.
About sore throats 2. Causes of a sore throat 3. Treating a sore throat. About sore throats Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. Most are caused by minor illnesses such as colds or flu and can be treated at home.
Treatments for a sore throat The following measures can often help soothe a sore throat: take ibuprofen or paracetamol — paracetamol is better for children and for people who can't take ibuprofen note that children under 16 should never take aspirin drink plenty of cool or warm fluids, and avoid very hot drinks eat cool, soft foods avoid smoking and smoky places gargle with a homemade mouthwash of warm, salty water suck lozenges, hard sweets, ice cubes or ice lollies — but don't give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking There are also products such as medicated lozenges and sprays sold in pharmacies that you may want to try.
Sore throat self-help guide If you have a sore throat, complete our self-help guide to assess your symptoms and find out what to do next. Causes of a sore throat The cause of a sore throat isn't always obvious. Common causes A sore throat is often a symptom of: colds or flu — you may also have a blocked or runny nose, a cough , a high temperature fever , a headache and general aches laryngitis inflammation of the voice box — you may also have a hoarse voice, a dry cough and a constant need to clear your throat tonsillitis inflammation of the tonsils — you may also have red or spotty tonsils, discomfort when swallowing and a fever strep throat a bacterial throat infection — you may also have swollen glands in your neck, discomfort when swallowing and tonsillitis glandular fever — you may also feel very tired and have a fever and swollen glands in your neck It may also be caused by something irritating your throat, such as smoke, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease where acid leaks up from the stomach and allergies.
Less common causes Less often, a sore throat can be a sign of: quinsy a painful collection of pus at the back of the throat — the pain may be severe and you may also have difficulty opening your mouth or difficulty swallowing epiglottitis inflammation of the flap of tissue at the back of the throat — the pain may be severe and you may have difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing These conditions are more serious and should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible see below.
Pharmacy First Scotland: Sore throat treatment from your pharmacy If you have a sore throat you can get advice and treatment directly from a pharmacy.
Find your local pharmacy on Scotland's Service Directory. You don't usually need to get medical advice if you have a sore throat however your pharmacist may advise you see your GP if: your symptoms are severe you have persistent symptoms that haven't started to improve after a week you experience severe sore throats frequently you have a weak immune system — for example, you have HIV , are having chemotherapy , or are taking medication that suppresses your immune system If they're not open, you should phone the NHS 24 service If you have a persistent sore throat one that lasts three to four weeks , you should see your GP who may refer you for further tests.
Causes of a sore throat A sore throat is often just one symptom of a bacterial or viral infection, such as the common cold. This means you are aware of controlling the action. However, much of swallowing is involuntary. Problems at any point in the swallowing process including chewing, moving food to the back of the mouth, or moving it to the stomach can result in painful swallowing.
If someone is choking, immediately perform the Heimlich maneuver. Devault KR. Symptoms of esophageal disease. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; chap Nussenbaum B, Bradford CR.
Pharyngitis in adults. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. Wash everything in hot, soapy water. Wondering how long you should you stay home from work or keep the kids home from school? With strep throat, you are no longer contagious once you have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. With viral infections like colds, you are contagious as long as the symptoms last. Skip to content.
Strep throat can be an especially common illness in school-aged children and teenagers. Is it serious? Symptoms of strep throat include: A fever of degrees or more that lasts more than 2 days Swollen tonsils with red or white patches Rash Swollen lymph nodes If you're experiencing these symptoms in addition to a sore throat, your doctor will need to do a rapid strep test or a throat culture to determine if group A strep is present.
Treating strep throat. Soothing your symptoms. Ryan recommends the following for treating the symptoms, whether caused by strep throat or not: Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids to keep the throat moist.
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