What is a sore throat?
There are numerous ways to experience a sore throat. The most common symptom is discomfort or pain. Your throat may only hurt when you speak or cough or might hurt even when you are resting quietly.
Additional symptoms include:
- Dry or scratchy sensations
- Swelling in your throat or lymph nodes
- Redness in the back of your throat
- Swelling in your voice box, or larynx
- Red or swollen tonsils
- Burning or sensation sensations when you speak or swallow
- Visible white patches of pus
Depending on the cause of your sore throat, you might also experience nasal congestion, fever, chills, loss of appetite, runny nose, cough, or body aches.
What causes a sore throat?
Numerous things can lead to a sore throat, some of which are more serious than others. Something as minor as an evening spent cheering for your favorite sports team or a sudden change in the weather can cause minor throat irritation.
Other common causes of sore throat include:
- Cold or flu
- Viruses like mononucleosis, mumps, chickenpox, or measles
- Exposure to chemicals, smoke, or other irritants
- Dry air
- Allergies
- Strep throat
- A scrape or cut on your neck or throat
- Tumor
- Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD)
As you can see, some of these causes are unlikely to pose a serious health risk, while others need prompt treatment to preserve your overall health and wellness. Physicians Medical Urgent Care offers a wide range of diagnostic tools, including rapid strep testing, to determine the cause of your sore throat.
What are some treatments for a sore throat?
Once your practitioner has identified the cause of your sore throat, the next step is crafting a customized treatment plan. If your sore throat is due to a bacterial infection, a course of antibiotics may be necessary to clear up the infection. It’s important to take the full prescription as advised to fully eliminate all bacteria.
If an environmental irritant brought on your sore throat, your practitioner can advise you on self-care tips to follow at home. You also learn how to avoid similar irritants in the future. If allergies are to blame, you can discuss various allergy treatment options.
Over-the-counter or prescription medications can address sore throat pain, swelling, and irritation. Your practitioner advises you on the proper dosing schedule.
Don’t live with the discomfort of a sore throat when help is a phone call away. You can also set up a visit at Physicians Medical Urgent Care using the easy online booking tool or walk-in today.
