Throat is sore but no other symptoms

What is a sore throat?

A sore throat means that your throat hurts. It feels irritated or scratchy. You may feel mild discomfort or a burning pain. A sore throat may feel worse when you swallow. Possible complications from a sore throat include ear and sinus infections. Another complication is an abscess (buildup of pus) near your tonsils.

Symptoms of a sore throat

A sore throat means that your throat hurts and is irritated, swollen, or scratchy. It usually hurts worse when you swallow. Depending on the cause of your sore throat, symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• White spots on your throat or tonsils
• Red, swollen tonsils
• Swollen glands in your neck
• Skin rash

In some cases, additional symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain (usually in children)
• Vomiting (usually in children)
• Joint or muscle pain

What causes a sore throat?

Most sore throats are caused by viruses, such as the cold or flu virus. Some of the more serious causes of sore throat include tonsillitis, strep throat, and mononucleosis (mono). Other causes include smoking, mouth breathing at night while you sleep, pollution, and allergies to pets, pollens and molds. General anesthesia during surgery can cause a sore throat.

How is a sore throat diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam. They will look at the back of your throat. Your doctor may swab the back of your throat. This is called a throat culture. It is done to collect a sample of bacteria. This also is used in a rapid strep test. This is a quick test to diagnose strep throat. The test won’t tell if your sore throat is caused by something other than strep. The results of a throat culture takes between 24 and 48 hours. If your doctor thinks you may have mono, they will probably do a blood test.

Can a sore throat be prevented or avoided?

The best way to avoid a sore throat is to avoid getting sick. Avoid catching or spreading the viruses and bacteria that cause a sore throat. Wash your hands regularly. Avoid touching your eyes or mouth. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

Sore throat treatment

If your sore throat is cause by the flu, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medicine. Antibiotics don’t work on viruses. Most sore throats caused by a cold or flu-type virus go away in a week to 10 days.

If your sore throat is caused by bacteria, your doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. You will feel better in a few days. It is important to take all of your antibiotics. This reduces the risk that your sore throat will return.

Symptoms caused by mono can last for 4 weeks or more. The treatment for mono is rest and reduced exercise.

If a sore throat is caused by allergies, your doctor may talk to you about allergy triggers. He or she may recommend medicine for the allergy.

If your sore throat is caused by tonsillitis, you may need an operation. This is called a tonsillectomy. The surgery removes your tonsils. Most people who have tonsillitis don’t need surgery. You might need surgery if you get severe tonsillitis often. You may need surgery if your tonsils are too big.

Living with a sore throat

Easing the pain of a sore throat is all you can do beyond treatment. The best remedies include:

• Take over-the-counter pain medicine. This includes brand names such as Tylenol, Motrin, and Aleve. Do not give children younger than 18 aspirin. Aspirin may cause Reye’s syndrome. This can be fatal.
• Gargle with warm salt water. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of water and stir.
• Suck on an over-the-counter throat lozenge. Hard candy works too.
• Eat a popsicle.
• Use a humidifier in your bedroom. Move it to other rooms you spend time in.
• Drink liquids to keep your throat from getting dry. Also, this helps prevent dehydration.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Will hot drinks make my sore throat worse?
• Does honey help ease the pain of a sore throat?
• Should I go to work or school if I have a sore throat?
• Can a dry room cause a sore throat?
• Can certain medicines cause a sore throat?

Family Medicine Physician

If you’ve ever had a sore throat, you know it’s no fun. It’s painful and it hurts even more when you swallow. And when it goes on longer than a week, it may be strep throat and it’s time to see a doctor.

Sore Throat or Strep Throat? Viral or Bacterial?

Sore throats come in two varieties: viral and bacterial. The most common cause of a sore throat (pharyngitis) is a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu, and usually goes away on its own. A sore throat, often accompanied by fever, headache, stomachache or rash, may indicate bacterial strep throat (streptococcal infection) and requires treatment with antibiotics to prevent complications.

How Do You Feel? And Why?

Viruses cause many sore throats in both adults and children. A runny nose, cough and hoarseness are usually viral infections. Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections, but your doctor may suggest over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen and throat lozenges to alleviate the pain.

Common infections causing a sore throat might result in other signs and symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Body aches
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting

When Is It Time to See A Doctor?

It’s time to see a doctor when certain symptoms occur.

In Children
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should take your child to a doctor if symptoms don’t go away with the first drink in the morning. Also, you should get immediate care if your child has severe signs such as difficulty breathing or swallowing or unusual drooling, which might indicate an inability to swallow.

In Adults
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, you should see your doctor if you have a sore throat and any of the following associated conditions:

• A sore throat that is severe or lasts longer than a week
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Joint pain
• Earache
• Rash
• Fever higher than 101 F (38.3 C)
• Blood in saliva or phlegm
• Frequently recurring sore throats
• A lump in your neck
• Hoarseness lasting more than two weeks

Make It Feel Better

For a sore throat, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or other mild pain relievers may ease pain and fever. These should be used for the shortest time possible and label directions should be followed to avoid side effects. For children, over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications designed for infants or children (Tylenol, Infant's Feverall) or ibuprofen (Pediatric Advil, Motrin Infant) can ease symptoms.

For strep throat, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. It is important to take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed even if the symptoms are gone. Failure to take all medication as directed can result in the infection worsening or spreading to other parts of the body. Not completing the full course of antibiotics to treat strep throat can increase a child’s risk of rheumatic fever or serious kidney inflammation.

Also important: Stay home until 24 hours after starting antibiotics. You may need an EXTRA day to regain your strength!

How Not to Get a Sore Throat

Sore throat germs are spread through contact, so the best way to prevent a sore throat is to stay away from those germs and practice good hygiene. Teaching your children to do the same will keep those germs out of your house and away from your family. So, remember:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after using the toilet, before eating and after sneezing or coughing.
• Avoid sharing food, drinking glasses or utensils.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and toss it in a receptacle that won’t come in contact with others. When necessary, sneeze into your elbow.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers to washing hands when soap and water aren't available.
• Avoid touching public phones or drinking fountains with your mouth.
• Regularly clean telephones, TV remotes and computer keyboards with sanitizing cleanser. Also clean phones and remotes in your hotel room when you travel.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

The Final Words for Sore Throats

A sore throat is one of the most common reasons for a sick day and a doctor’s visit. At the first sign of scratchiness, you wonder if it will linger or fade away in a few days. If it’s simply a symptom of the cold or flu, it will probably go away as your flu subsides. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to see a doctor. And the sooner you do, the sooner those antibiotics will have you saying, “Bye-bye, sore throat. You are out of here.”

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