![]() However, if you're worried, if you exhibit any additional symptoms or if your sore throat is particularly persistent, it's worth seeking advice from your pharmacist or GP.There are two main causes of a sore throat: a virus or bacteria. In fact, according to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) estimates, 85% of sore throats will resolve within a week, and 40% within just three days. It's reassuring to know, however, that in most cases, sore throats will resolve without additional intervention. Urgent medical attention should also be sought if you develop a high-pitched sound whilst breathing, or have any difficulty in breathing.įinally, if your sore throat lasts for more than three weeks and is not accompanied by an upper respiratory tract infection (common cold), it's important to seek medical advice. "Similarly, if you develop a rash, or stiff neck, begin drooling or have a high temperature that isn't resolved with paracetamol." "If your throat becomes swollen and you can't swallow, or if your tongue swells, you should seek urgent medical advice," says Foster. In addition, if your immune system is compromised - for example, due to cancer treatment, medication such as carbimazole or 'disease-modifying drugs', diabetes or HIV infection - it's important to get additional advice on the best course of treatment.Īlthough most are little more than a nuisance, in certain cases a sore throat may indicate a more serious problem. For example, if your sore throat doesn't improve after a week, if you develop a high temperature, or if your sore throat keeps coming back. Whilst the majority of sore throats can be resolved without visiting your doctor, in certain cases it's important to seek the advice of your GP. "A viral sore throat will usually settle within a week." ![]() ![]() "Most sore throats are not helped by seeing a doctor," agrees Coffey. In the UK, unless you have three or all four of these symptoms, doctors don't prescribe antibiotics for otherwise healthy people because it's highly likely to be due to a viral infection. If you open your mouth and shine a torch at the back of your throat, white spots on your tonsils due to pus.Tender swollen glands on the front of your neck.The symptoms and signs your doctor would look for are: Most GPs use a scoring system called the Centor Score to decide if antibiotics are needed. "This is higher in children, but still only 20-30% at the most." "Estimations are that in adults only 10% of sore throats are bacterial and need antibiotics," explains Foster. In fact, only a small proportion of sore throats have a bacterial cause. These are important for many aspects of our health, and ironically our immune system," explains Coffey. Another risk that isn't discussed nearly enough is that antibiotics literally decimate the friendly bacteria in your gut. The most common are upsets with your digestive system - feeling sick or getting diarrhoea, and thrush, especially in women. "If you don't need antibiotics (because they don't work at all against viral illnesses) you get zero benefit and risk side-effects. When we hear the word infection, we may automatically make the link to antibiotics - after all, these are meant to target infections, right? However, antibiotic treatment is only effective on infections with a bacterial cause taking them when the cause is viral is not only pointless, it could weaken our already stressed immune system by eliminating good bacteria in the gut. They can get sore and tender when activated - but this is a healthy immune response," explains GP Dr Julie Coffey, of Uber Health Blog. They get bigger as they produce more white blood cells which fight infection. In response to the infection the glands 'activate'. "Any throat infection (bacterial or viral) can cause swollen glands in the neck - this is normal. In fact, more often than not, they're a good sign that your body is working to clear itself of infection. "But the most common cause is infection."Īlthough swollen glands may be uncomfortable, they are rarely an indicator of something serious. "Sore throats can have a number of causes - foreign bodies scratching, allergies, acid reflux, fungal infections (like thrush), swollen glands or even cancer,” explains GP Dr Jeff Foster of TFJ Private GP Services. They might all lead to a similar sensation, but there are a variety of possible causes for your sore throat. But how do we know whether to pop a paracetamol and carry on, or call the doctor for something stronger?
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