You can buy these treatments from a supermarket or from a pharmacist without a prescription. Call your pharmacy or contact them online before going in person. You can get medicines delivered or ask someone to collect them. You do not normally need antibiotics for a sore throat because they will not usually relieve your symptoms or speed up your recovery. They'll only be prescribed if a GP thinks you could have a bacterial infection.
A severe or long-lasting sore throat could be something like strep throat a bacterial throat infection. Learn what you can do to prevent colds and the flu. It's not always easy to determine if you have a cold or the flu, but knowing the differences helps treatment work more quickly. Get tips for soothing a sore throat, such as gargling salt water, rucking lozenges, using a humidifier, drinking tea with honey, staying hydrated, and…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Sore Throat Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.
Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. Symptoms 8 Causes Home remedies When to see a doctor Diagnosis Medicines Antibiotics The bottom line We include products we think are useful for our readers. What is a sore throat? A sore throat is a painful, dry, or scratchy feeling in the throat.
Sore throats are divided into types, based on the part of the throat they affect: Pharyngitis affects the area right behind the mouth. Tonsillitis is swelling and redness of the tonsils, the soft tissue in the back of the mouth. Laryngitis is swelling and redness of the voice box, or larynx.
Sore throat symptoms. Home remedies for a sore throat. When to see a doctor. How a sore throat is diagnosed. When you need antibiotics. The bottom line. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R.
Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. The Secrets to Never Getting Sick. The Difference Between the Cold and Flu.
Medically reviewed by Cameron White, M. Help for Sore Throats. Most sore throats will get better on their own within one week. Your doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you tips to help you feel better.
More about antibiotic-resistant infections C. Side effects can range from minor issues, like a rash, to very serious health problems, such as antibiotic-resistant infections and C. Be careful about giving over-the-counter medicines to children. Not all over-the-counter medicines are recommended for children of certain ages. You can help prevent sore throats by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.
Antibiotic Prescribing and Use. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Sore Throat. Minus Related Pages. Most sore throats, except for strep throat, do not need antibiotics.
On This Page. Phone Quit Your Way Scotland free on 84 84 84 8. Your GP or pharmacist will also be able to give you help and advice about giving up smoking, or you can read more about quitting smoking. If you have a sore throat caused by an infection, you can help prevent the infection spreading by practising good hygiene, such as washing your hands regularly and keeping surfaces clean and free of germs.
Home Illnesses and conditions Ears, nose and throat Sore throat. Sore throat See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About sore throats 2. Causes of a sore throat 3. Treating a sore throat. About sore throats Sore throats are very common and usually nothing to worry about. Most are caused by minor illnesses such as colds or flu and can be treated at home.
Treatments for a sore throat The following measures can often help soothe a sore throat: take ibuprofen or paracetamol — paracetamol is better for children and for people who can't take ibuprofen note that children under 16 should never take aspirin drink plenty of cool or warm fluids, and avoid very hot drinks eat cool, soft foods avoid smoking and smoky places gargle with a homemade mouthwash of warm, salty water suck lozenges, hard sweets, ice cubes or ice lollies — but don't give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking There are also products such as medicated lozenges and sprays sold in pharmacies that you may want to try.
Sore throat self-help guide If you have a sore throat, complete our self-help guide to assess your symptoms and find out what to do next. Causes of a sore throat The cause of a sore throat isn't always obvious. Common causes A sore throat is often a symptom of: colds or flu — you may also have a blocked or runny nose, a cough , a high temperature fever , a headache and general aches laryngitis inflammation of the voice box — you may also have a hoarse voice, a dry cough and a constant need to clear your throat tonsillitis inflammation of the tonsils — you may also have red or spotty tonsils, discomfort when swallowing and a fever strep throat a bacterial throat infection — you may also have swollen glands in your neck, discomfort when swallowing and tonsillitis glandular fever — you may also feel very tired and have a fever and swollen glands in your neck It may also be caused by something irritating your throat, such as smoke, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease where acid leaks up from the stomach and allergies.
Less common causes Less often, a sore throat can be a sign of: quinsy a painful collection of pus at the back of the throat — the pain may be severe and you may also have difficulty opening your mouth or difficulty swallowing epiglottitis inflammation of the flap of tissue at the back of the throat — the pain may be severe and you may have difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing These conditions are more serious and should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible see below.
Pharmacy First Scotland: Sore throat treatment from your pharmacy If you have a sore throat you can get advice and treatment directly from a pharmacy. Find your local pharmacy on Scotland's Service Directory.
You don't usually need to get medical advice if you have a sore throat however your pharmacist may advise you see your GP if: your symptoms are severe you have persistent symptoms that haven't started to improve after a week you experience severe sore throats frequently you have a weak immune system — for example, you have HIV , are having chemotherapy , or are taking medication that suppresses your immune system If they're not open, you should phone the NHS 24 service If you have a persistent sore throat one that lasts three to four weeks , you should see your GP who may refer you for further tests.
Causes of a sore throat A sore throat is often just one symptom of a bacterial or viral infection, such as the common cold. Catching an infection The bacterium or virus that causes a sore throat is usually caught from someone else who is already infected.
Once you have caught an infection, two types of sore throat can develop. These are: pharyngitis — when the area at the back of your throat the oropharynx becomes inflamed tonsillitis — when your tonsils the two lumps of tissue either side of your throat become inflamed Read more about treating a sore throat. Non-infectious causes Less commonly, sore throats can have non-infectious causes.
These include: irritation caused by cigarette smoke or alcohol irritation from a nasogastric tube passed down your nose and into your stomach to provide liquid food if you can't eat solid food gastro-oesophageal reflux disease — a condition that causes acid to leak upwards from the stomach into the gullet Stevens-Johnson syndrome — a very severe allergic reaction to medication Kawasaki disease — a rare condition that affects children under five years of age allergies — such as hay fever an allergic reaction to pollen or spores which, in rare cases, may also cause a sore throat some blood disorders, such as leukaemia cancer of the bone marrow or aplastic anaemia when the bone marrow does not produce enough blood cells oral mucositis inflammation of the layer of tissue that lines your mouth , which can be caused by radiotherapy or chemotherapy cancer treatments.
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