Sore throat

A viral illness which causes a sore throat involves:

What Does A Sore Throat and Nausea Indicate?

Sore throats are irritation, scratchiness, or pain of throats that oftentimes worsens while swallowing. The most typical sore throat cause is a viral infection, like the flu or a cold. A sore throat that is caused by a virus will resolve all on its own.

Causes

Viruses which cause the flu and the common cold also trigger the majority of sore throats. Bacterial infections, less often, lead to sore throats.

Viral infections

A viral illness which causes a sore throat involves:

• Pertussis (Whooping cough)
• Croup — common childhood sickness that is characterized by a barking, harsh cough
• Chickenpox
• Measles
• Mononucleosis (Mono)
• Influenza (Flu)
• Common cold

Bacterial infections

Numerous bacterial infections may lead to a sore throat. The most typical is group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes) that triggers strep throat.

Treatment: How to Get Rid of a Sore Throat

A sore throat that is caused by a viral infection typically lasts 5 – 7 days and does not need medical treatment. To ease fever and pain, most folks turn to acetaminophen or additional mild pain relievers. Think about giving your youngster OTC pain meds made for children or infants, like acetaminophen (FeverAll, Children’s Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Children’s Motrin, Children’s Advil), to ease symptoms. Never offer aspirin to teenagers or children because it has been connected with Reye’s syndrome, a rare yet possibly life-threatening disorder which causes swelling inside the brain and liver.

Lifestyle and Home Sore Throat Remedies

Irrespective of the cause of a sore throat, the following at-home care strategies will assist in easing your or your youngster’s symptoms:

• Rest. Get an abundance of sleep. Also, rest your voice.
• Consume fluids. Fluids prevent dehydration and keep your throat moist. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which may dehydrate you.
• Try comforting beverage and foods. Warm liquids — caffeine-free tea, broth, or warm water with honey — as well as cool treats like ice pops may soothe sore throats.
• Gargle using saltwater. Saltwater gargles of one-quarter to one-half teaspoon of table salt to 4 oz. to 8 oz. of warm water may assist in soothing a sore throat. Kids who are older than six and adults may gargle the solution then spit it out.
• Humidify air. Utilize a cool-air humidifier that eliminates dry air which might further irritate sore throats, being certain to clean the humidifier on a regular basis so it does not grow bacteria or mold. Or sit for a while inside a steamy bathroom.
• Consider hard candy or lozenges. Either may soothe a sore throat, yet do not offer them to kids age four and younger because of a choking risk.
• Stay away from irritants. Keep your house free of cleaning products and cigarette smoke which may irritate your throat.

Alternative medicine

Even though a variety of alternative treatments commonly are utilized to soothe sore throats, evidence is restricted on what works. If you or your youngster requires antibiotics for a bacterial infection, do not rely upon alternative treatments alone.

See your physician before you use any herbal remedies, as they’ll interact with prescription meds and might not be safe for breast-feeding and pregnant women, children, and those who have specific health conditions.

Herbal or some alternative products for sore throats often are packaged as sprays, teas, or lozenges. Typical alternative remedies involve:

• Marshmallow root
• Licorice root
• Slippery elm

Getting ready for your appointment

If you or your youngster has a sore throat, arrange an appointment with your child’s pediatrician or family doctor. In some instances, you might be referred to a specialist in ENT (ear, nose and throat) conditions or an allergist (allergy specialist).

For more information on sore throats and nausea contact BASS Primary Care today!

Sore throat

Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. They normally get better by themselves within a week.

How to treat a sore throat yourself

To help soothe a sore throat and shorten how long it lasts, you can:

• gargle with warm, salty water (children should not try this)
• drink plenty of water
• eat cool or soft foods
• avoid smoking or smoky places
• suck ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets – but do not give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking
• rest

1. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water (warm water helps salt dissolve).
2. Gargle with the solution, then spit it out (do not swallow it).

Video: how to treat a sore throat

This video shows you how to treat a sore throat.

Media last reviewed: 14 July 2023
Media review due: 14 July 2026

A pharmacist can help with sore throats

You can ask a pharmacist about ways of relieving the pain and discomfort of a sore throat, such as:

• paracetamol or ibuprofen
• medicated lozenges containing a local anaesthetic, antiseptic, or anti-inflammatory medicine
• anaesthetic spray (although there’s little proof they help when used on their own)

You can buy these treatments from a supermarket or pharmacy without a prescription.

A pharmacist can also provide other treatments if you need them, without you seeing a GP.

Some medicines are not safe for everyone (for example, if you’re pregnant). Always check the leaflet or speak to a pharmacist before taking them.

Antibiotics

You do not normally need antibiotics for a sore throat because they will not usually relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery.

You’ll only be given antibiotics if you could have a bacterial infection.

Non-urgent advice: Speak to a GP if:

• your sore throat does not improve after a week
• you often get a sore throat

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get advice from 111 now if:

• you’re worried about your sore throat
• you have a sore throat and a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery
• you have a weakened immune system – for example, because of diabetes or chemotherapy

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

You or your child:

• have difficulty breathing or are unable to swallow
• are drooling – this can be a sign of not being able to swallow
• are making a high-pitched sound as you breathe (called stridor)
• have severe symptoms and are getting worse quickly

Information:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Sore throat symptoms

If you have a sore throat you might have:

• a painful throat, especially when swallowing
• a dry, scratchy throat
• redness in the back of your mouth
• bad breath
• a mild cough
• swollen neck glands

The symptoms are similar for children, but children can also get a high temperature and appear less active.

Causes of sore throats

Sore throats are usually caused by viruses (like cold or flu) or from smoking. Very occasionally they can be caused by bacteria.

A sore throat can also be caused by:

• laryngitis
• tonsillitis
• strep throat (a bacterial throat infection)
• glandular fever

Page last reviewed: 08 April 2024
Next review due: 08 April 2027

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