At one time or another, most of us have suffered from a sore throat. The area behind the tongue, top, bottom and sides, feels raw, scratchy and painful. It hurts to swallow, and even smooth, bland food can feel like jagged slivers of glass as it passes by irritated throat tissue.
A sore throat can have many causes. It is often best to wait a day or two to see what other symptoms, if any, develop. If the discomfort is caused by dry air or air pollution, relief will come when the environment changes.
If the illness is a virus like the common cold, there will be accompanying annoyances: a runny nose, mild fever, fatigue, irritability, and aching muscles.
Then, the recommended treatment is bed rest, drinking lots of fluids, and taking Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or Aleve to relieve pain and reduce fever. The sufferer is also advised to stay away from other people. No one wants to share your germs. The illness should disappear in a week.
Every time the immune system fights off an infection itself, without the aid of drugs, it becomes stronger.
However, sometimes a sore throat is a harbinger of a serious illness and medical aid should be sought. Here’s when you should see your doctor:
* If you have been in contact with someone with strep throat, and your own throat becomes sore, seek medical aid. You may have high fever, headache, white spots on the back of your throat and swollen lymph nodes in your neck. The streptococcus bacteria causes strep throat. If left untreated, this disease can lead to kidney damage and rheumatic fever, which can damage the heart.
* Mononucleosis is another serious illness which starts with a very sore throat. It is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. Other symptoms are fever, headache, swollen glands in the neck and under the arms and extreme tiredness. This illness needs medical management because it can cause inflammation of the liver and an enlarged spleen. It can last from two to four weeks.
* Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils, clumps of tissue on either side of the back of the throat. The patient will find it hurts to swallow and the sore throat may be accompanied by an earache and a high temperature. The inflammation may be caused by a virus or by a bacterial infection, such as strep throat. The strep throat requires treatment with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. Frequent bouts of tonsillitis may result in having the tonsils surgically removed.
*Allergies can cause sore throats. Your doctor can test for food and environmental allergies so that these substances can be avoided. There are also medications available to relieve allergy symptoms,
* Many serious diseases start with a sore throat: typhoid fever, H1N1, influenza and other infections. After two days call the doctor if your fever is still above 101 degrees F., if you have trouble swallowing, if you can’t keep fluids down, if you develop a rash, if you can’t open your mouth, if there is swelling of the inside of your mouth, white spots on your throat or if you have a cough which produces mucus.
If you’re worried or unsure whether or not your sore throat is serious, it’s wise to consult your doctor. It’s always easier to douse a fire in a pail than to overcome a raging inferno in a forest. By getting medical attention early, you may avoid a more serious problem later on.
