Is this your symptom?
- Pain or discomfort of the throat, made worse when you swallow
- Not caused by an injury to the throat
Causes of Sore Throat
- Colds. Most sore throats are part of a cold. In fact, a sore throat may be the only symptom for the first 24 hours. Then a cough and runny nose start.
- Viral Pharyngitis. Some viruses cause a sore throat without other symptoms. A cough and runny nose don't become part of the illness. An antibiotic won't help.
- Strep Pharyngitis. Group A Strep is the most common bacterial cause. It accounts for 20% of sore throats without any cold symptoms. Pus is seen on the tonsils. Most common in children, but it can occur in adults. An antibiotic is helpful.
- Mono. Infectious Mono mainly occurs in teens and young adults. The main symptoms are sore throat, fever and widespread swollen lymph nodes. Like Strep, Mono also has pus on the tonsils. Patients with Mono also may have a enlarged spleen. It's located in the upper left side of the stomach. Mono is diagnosed with special blood tests.
- Post-nasal Drip. Drainage from a sinus infection can cause a sore throat. The throat clearing that goes with the drainage may cause most of the irritation. The sinus infection is more likely to be viral than bacterial.
- Mouth Breathing. Breathing with the mouth open during sleep can cause a sore throat. After eating breakfast, it often goes away.
- Abscess of Tonsil (serious). A bacterial infection of the tonsil can spread to the surrounding tissues. The main symptoms are severe trouble swallowing, fever and one-sided throat pain. It's also hard to fully open the mouth. The peak age is teens, but it also occurs in adults.
- Epiglottitis (very serious). A bacterial infection of the flap of tissue above the vocal cords. It normally covers the windpipe during swallowing. The main symptoms are severe sore throat, drooling, spitting and fever. It can shut off the airway. If this happens, Call 911. Can occur at any age.
Strep Throat: When to Suspect
- Symptoms include sore throat, fever, headache, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.
- Cough, hoarseness, red eyes, and runny nose are usually not seen with Strep throat. These symptoms point more to a viral cause.
- Scarlet fever rash (fine, red, sandpaper-like rash) is highly suggestive of Strep throat.
- Peak age: 5 to 15 years old, but can occur at any age.
- If you think you have Strep, contact your doctor.
- Your doctor will do a Strep test. If the test is positive, you will get an antibiotic by mouth. There is no risk from waiting until a Strep test can be done.
When to Call for Sore Throat
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
- Struggling for each breath, can barely speak, or long pauses between breaths
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Trouble swallowing fluids or your own saliva
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Trouble breathing, but not severe
- Can't open mouth all the way
- Sore neck or can't move neck like normal
- You feel dehydrated (dark urine, dry mouth)
- High-risk patient (such as cystic fibrosis or other chronic lung disease)
- Weak immune system. Examples are: diabetes, sickle cell disease, HIV, cancer, organ transplant, taking oral steroids.
- Fever or chills; feeling hot or shivery
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent. Note: a Strep test alone is not urgent; it is recommended within 24 hours.
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Throat pain is severe
- Large lymph nodes in the neck
- Pink rash that's widespread
- You have white, pus-filled spots on the back of your throat (on the tonsils)
- Fever lasts more than 3 days
- Fever returns after being gone for more than 24 hours
- Close contact to a person with Strep within last 7 days
- Sores on the skin
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent (or you need a Strep test)
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- Sore throat is the main symptom and lasts more than 48 hours
- Sore throat with cold/cough symptoms lasts more than 5 days
- You are not getting better after 7 days
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Mild sore throat
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
