Sore throat symptoms include:

• A dry, scratchy or swollen throat
• Pain when swallowing, breathing or talking

A sore throat usually occurs as a result of an infection that has its own additional symptoms. For example, if your sore throat is caused by a cold, you may also have coughing, fever, sneezing, body aches or a runny nose.

In most cases, the underlying cause of a sore throat — such as a cold or the flu — will get better on its own within a week. Less often, a sore throat is caused by something that needs treatment to get better.

Signs that your sore throat may have a more serious underlying cause — such as tonsillitis or strep throat — include:

• White patches or pus on your throat or tonsils
• Inability to swallow
• A sore throat that doesn't get better on its own or keeps coming back
• Vomiting
• Skin rash
• Headache
• Severe throat pain
• Swollen, red tonsils
• A high fever — over 101 F (38.3 C) in babies under age 6 months or 103 F (39.4 C) in older children and adults

When to see a doctor
Although uncomfortable, most sore throats aren't harmful and go away on their own in five to seven days. But sometimes they can signal a more serious condition.

See your doctor if you or a child has any of the following:

• A sore throat that is severe or lasts longer than a week
• Difficulty swallowing or breathing
• A fever over 101 F (38.3 C) in babies under age 6 months
• A fever over 103 F (39.4 C) in older children and adults
• Tender or swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Pus or white patches at the back of the throat
• Skin rashes, which can be a sign of an underlying condition such as measles, meningitis or mono (infectious mononucleosis)
• Hoarseness or a cough that lasts longer than two weeks
• Blood in the saliva or phlegm
• Signs or symptoms of dehydration, such as sunken eyes, severe weakness and decreased urine output
• Contact with someone who has been diagnosed with strep throat
• Sore throats that get better but keep coming back
• Excessive drooling (in a young child)

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Most sore throats are caused by viruses — the same germs that cause colds and flu (influenza). Less often, sore throats are due to bacterial infections. Viruses and bacteria both enter your body through your mouth or nose — either because you breathe in particles that are released into the air when someone coughs or sneezes, or because you have contact with an infected person or use shared objects such as utensils, towels, toys, doorknobs or a telephone. Because the germs that cause sore throats are contagious, they can spread easily wherever large numbers of people congregate, such as schools, child care centers and offices.

Viruses
The most common viral illnesses that cause a sore throat include:

• Common cold
• Flu (influenza)
• Mononucleosis (mono)

Other viral illnesses that can cause a sore throat include:

• Measles
• Chickenpox
• Croup — a common childhood illness characterized by a harsh, barking cough

Bacterial infections
Bacterial infections that can cause a sore throat include:

• Strep throat
• Tonsillitis
• Diphtheria — a serious respiratory illness that's rare in industrialized nations but is more common in developing countries

Other causes
Other causes of sore throat include:

• Allergies. The same pet dander, molds and pollens that trigger allergic reactions such as red, swollen eyes and a runny nose can also cause a sore throat.
• Dryness. Dry indoor air, especially in winter when rooms tend to be overheated, can make your throat feel rough and scratchy, particularly in the morning when you first wake up. Breathing through your mouth — often because of chronic nasal congestion — also can cause a dry, sore throat.
• Pollution and other irritants. Outdoor air pollution can cause ongoing throat irritation. But indoor pollution — especially tobacco smoke — is an even greater cause of chronic sore throat. Smokeless tobacco, alcohol and spicy foods can also inflame your throat.
• Muscle strain. You can strain muscles in your throat just as you can strain them in your arms or legs. If you've ever gotten a sore throat after yelling at a concert or sporting event, you've likely strained your throat muscles. Your voice may also be hoarse (a symptom of laryngitis).
• Acid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This occurs when stomach acid backs up into your food pipe (esophagus). Normally, a circular band of muscle (lower esophageal sphincter) blocks acid from coming up into the esophagus. But if the sphincter relaxes abnormally or weakens, stomach acid can back up, irritating your throat as well as your esophagus. Throat irritation caused by GERD doesn't occur with other symptoms of a viral illness, and it tends to be persistent, rather than lasting just a few days. It's also far more common in adults than in children. In many cases, you can prevent or reduce acid reflux with simple lifestyle changes — losing weight, avoiding foods that cause you discomfort and not eating right before bed, for example. When these aren't effective, over-the-counter or prescription medications may offer some relief.
• HIV infection. HIV-positive people sometimes develop a chronic sore throat. This is due to a secondary infection such as oral thrush or cytomegalovirus, a common viral infection that can be extremely serious in people with compromised immune systems.
• Tumors. If you smoke or abuse alcohol, you're at high risk of tumors of the throat, tongue and voice box. In some people these tumors cause few, if any, signs and symptoms. In others, they can lead to hoarseness, difficulty swallowing and sore throat.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Although anyone can get a sore throat, some factors make you more susceptible to throat problems. These factors include:

• Age. Children and teens are most likely to develop sore throats. Children are also more likely to have strep throat, the most common bacterial infection associated with a sore throat.
• Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke. Tobacco smoke, whether primary or secondary, contains hundreds of toxic chemicals that can irritate the throat lining.
• Allergies. If you have seasonal allergies or ongoing allergic reactions to dust, molds or pet dander, you're more likely to develop a sore throat than are people who don't have allergies.
• Exposure to chemical irritants. Particulate matter in the air from the burning of fossil fuels as well as common household chemicals can cause throat irritation.
• Chronic or frequent sinus infections. Drainage from nose or sinus infections can cause throat infections as well.
• Living or working in close quarters. Viral and bacterial infections spread easily anywhere people gather — child care centers, classrooms, offices, prisons and military installations.
• Poor hygiene. Washing your hands carefully and often is the best way to prevent many viral and bacterial infections.
• Lowered immunity. You're more susceptible to infections in general if your resistance is low. Common causes of lowered immunity include diseases such as HIV and diabetes, treatment with steroids or chemotherapy drugs — even stress, fatigue and poor diet.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Most conditions that cause sore throats aren't serious and go away on their own without causing any complications. However, some bacterial and viral infections can lead to other, more serious problems.

Strep throat, a bacterial infection, can trigger other conditions that include:

• Tonsillitis
• Sinus infection (sinusitis)
• Ear infection
• Scarlet fever, an illness characterized by a rash
• Inflammation of the kidney (glomerulonephritis)
• Rheumatic fever, which can damage organs such as the heart

Common signs and symptoms of strep throat include:

• Painful swallowing
• Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
• Tiny red spots on the soft or hard palate — the area at the back of the roof of the mouth
• Swollen, tender lymph glands (nodes) in your neck
• Fever
• Headache
• Rash
• Stomachache and sometimes vomiting, especially in younger children

Mono (infectious mononucleosis) is a viral infection that can lead to complications including:

• Inflammation of the spleen or ruptured spleen
• Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
• Low levels of blood cells involved in clotting (platelets)
• Anemia
• Inflammation of the heart
• Nerve damage, possibly leading to paralysis
• Swollen tonsils, leading to obstructed breathing

Common signs and symptoms of mono include:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Sore throat, perhaps strep throat that doesn't get better with antibiotics
• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes in your neck and armpits
• Swollen tonsils
• Headache
• Skin rash
• Loss of appetite
• Soft, swollen spleen
• Night sweats

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Your doctor will want to know what symptoms you've been having and how long you've had them. He or she will ask you a number of questions and do a physical examination to try to determine the cause of your sore throat.

What you can do

• Write down any symptoms you're experiencing.
• Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements that you're taking.
• Write down questions to ask your doctor.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. You might want to ask the following questions:

• What is the best treatment?
• Do you think I will experience any long-term complications?
• How can I prevent sore throats?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.

What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor will ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:

• When did the symptoms begin?
• How high has the fever been and how long has it lasted?
• How severe are the symptoms?
• Do you or your child have any allergies?
• Have you or your child had a cold, sinus infection or ear infection?

Your doctor may also do a throat culture to check for signs of a viral, bacterial or fungal infection.

What you can do in the meantime
To treat pain, you may take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen (Aleve, others), or an analgesic pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Don't give aspirin to anyone younger than age 16, due to the risk of Reye's syndrome — a rare but serious condition. Giving over-the-counter cough or cold medications is also not recommended for children age 2 and younger.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Most often, your doctor will diagnose the cause of a sore throat on the basis of a physical exam and a throat culture. During the exam, your doctor is likely to check your throat for redness and swelling and for white streaks or pus on your tonsils. Although these signs indicate an infection, there's no accurate way to tell by looking if the infection is viral or bacterial.

For that reason, your doctor is likely to take a throat culture or perform what's known as a rapid strep test to check for the presence of bacteria that cause strep throat. In either case, your doctor will rub a sterile swab over the back of your throat and tonsils to get a sample of the secretions.

In the past, the only way to accurately diagnose strep throat was to have these secretions cultured in a laboratory — a procedure that could take up to two days. Now, your doctor may use a rapid test that checks for bacterial infections within hours. Because rapid tests may miss a fair number of infections, your doctor may choose to have additional laboratory testing done as well.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Most sore throats go away without treatment, often within a week or so. That's a good thing, because no medical therapy exists for sore throats caused by viral infections. But increasing your fluid intake and getting extra sleep can help speed your recovery.

When you're sick, choose fluids such as water, soups and broths — not sodas or drinks that contain caffeine, which can dehydrate you further. If you find it extremely painful to swallow, try sipping warm broth through a straw or sucking on ice chips. You may also find that gelatin (such as Jell-O) is easy to swallow.

Treating bacterial infections
At one time, doctors automatically treated all sore throats with antibiotics, both to cure the infection and to prevent dangerous complications such as rheumatic fever. Now, doctors are much less likely to prescribe antibiotics because the overuse of antibiotics has led to an alarming increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Most importantly, most cases of sore throat are not caused by bacteria, so antibiotics won't help.

If your doctor does recommend antibiotics for you or your child, take the entire course of medication, even if you or your child feels better. This helps prevent the infection from coming back. It also prevents bacteria from becoming resistant to the medication. If children on antibiotic therapy feel well and don't have a fever, they often can return to school or child care when they're no longer contagious — usually 24 hours after beginning treatment.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

Until your sore throat has run its course, try these tips:

• Increase your fluid intake. Fluids such as water, juice, tea and warm soup help replace fluids lost during mucus production or fever. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can cause dehydration.
• Gargle with warm salt water. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a full glass of warm water, gargle, and then spit the water out. This will soothe your throat and clear it of mucus.
• Use honey and lemon. Stir honey and lemon to taste into a glass of very hot water, allowing it to cool to room temperature before you or your children sip it. The honey coats and soothes your throat, and the lemon helps cut mucus. This time-tested recipe may relieve most of your pain — if only temporarily.
• Suck on a throat lozenge or hard candy. This isn't necessarily soothing in itself, but it does stimulate saliva production, which bathes and cleanses your throat.
• Humidify the air. Adding moisture to the air prevents your mucous membranes from drying out. This can reduce irritation and make it easier to sleep. Be sure to change the water in a room humidifier daily and clean the unit at least once every three days to help prevent the growth of harmful molds and bacteria.
• Avoid smoke and other air pollutants. Smoke irritates a sore throat. At least while you're sick, stop smoking and avoid all fumes from household cleaners and paint. And don't expose children to secondhand smoke.
• Rest your voice. If your sore throat has affected your voice box (larynx), talking may lead to more irritation and temporary loss of your voice (laryngitis).
• Avoid infecting others. If you're not well, take a few days off to avoid spreading your germs to others. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

While a number of alternative treatments are commonly used to treat sore throat symptoms, evidence is limited about what works and what doesn't. Check with your doctor before using any herbal remedies, as they can interact with prescription medications and may not be safe if you're pregnant or have certain health conditions.

Most herbs thought to ease symptoms of a sore throat are brewed as teas and can be found at grocery stores or health food stores. Examples of herbs that may help with sore throat symptoms include:

• Licorice root
• Marshmallow root
• Honeysuckle flowers
• Barberry
• Eucalyptus
• Chamomile
• Slippery elm

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.

The best way to prevent illness is also one of the simplest: frequent, thorough hand washing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are an excellent alternative to hand washing, particularly when soap and water aren't available. However, it's not necessary to use antibacterial soaps. With proper hand washing, standard soap will kill germs just as well.

Try these tips to keep you and your children healthy:

• Avoid sharing eating utensils, glasses, napkins, food or towels with others.
• Avoid touching public phones or drinking fountains with your mouth.
• Regularly clean telephones, TV remotes and computer keyboards with sanitizing cleanser. When you travel, clean phones and remotes in your hotel room.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay indoors as much as possible on high pollution days.
• Don't smoke, and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Humidify your home if the air is dry.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then throw it away.
• On a commercial airplane keep the air nozzle above you closed. The recirculated air can be a source of spreading viruses.

©1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.