My Life is Vital™ - Is It Strep Throat, Tonsillitis, or Sore Throat?

Cold & Flu Center

Is It Strep Throat, Tonsillitis, or Sore Throat?

Vital Healthcare Group

A sore throat is a real "pain in the neck" that sends nearly 40 million adults to the doctor's office each year for diagnosis and treatment. Whether from constant postnasal drip, swelling from inflamed tissue, or an all-out throat infection, sore throats can take away your quality of life and productivity. As with the other bacteria-related infections, early self-care may help you avoid further problems and boost your resistance so the sore throat quickly resolves.

What causes a sore throat?

Some common causes of sore throat include:

Sinus drainage (post nasal drip)
Colds
Tonsillitis
Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Swollen uvula
Mono (infectious mononucleosis)
Strep (streptococcus group A)

What are the symptoms of sore throat?

With a sore throat, your throat will feel swollen, scratchy, and raw. It may be hard to swallow without pain. If the lower one-third of the throat is infected, you may be hoarse because the larynx is swollen and cannot function properly.

In more serious sore throat cases, you may have very large, swollen tonsils (tonsillitis) with a white coating, red or white spots on the tonsils, swollen and tender neck glands, headache, nausea, and a fine rash called scarlet fever.

How is sore throat treated?

Drink a lot of water. Drink a minimum of 8 cups of water per day when afflicted.

Suck on soothing lozenges to coat the sore throat. Numb the pain with aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen (Advil). If you cannot take these pain relievers, check with your doctor about another option to reduce sore throat pain.

If the air is dry, a cool mist humidifier or vaporizer can moisten the air and make it easier to breathe. Be sure to keep the humidifier clean, however, to prevent the growth of bacteria and molds.

When to call the doctor

If you suspect strep throat (streptococcus group A), mono (infectious mononucleosis) or other infection, call your doctor immediately. Strep throat infection usually needs treatment with antibiotics because of rare complications such as rheumatic fever. A blood test is necessary to diagnose mono and treatment is limited. Still, your doctor needs to evaluate the sore throat and see if further medical treatment is necessary.