Having a sore throat is common. It can be due to many different things, such as a common cold, infection with bacteria or that you have been screaming or singing loudly. Usually, sore throat goes away by itself but sometimes you may need treatment.
Most people have a sore throat once a year. Some people are hurt more often. Children who attend preschool can have a sore throat several times a year.
Different types of sore throat
When you get an infection it is due to bacteria or viruses. The body reacts with inflammation. You can also get an inflammation because you have strained the vocal cords.
Cold
In the event of a cold, the nose and throat are inflamed. Colds are almost always caused by a virus. It usually looks red and irritated and you may have a sore throat. Sometimes you can get an infection in the vocal cords. Then the vocal cords become inflamed and you can become hoarse. You can also have fever, sore ears, sniffing and coughing if you are cold.
Tonsillitis
Throat flu is an infection caused by viruses or bacteria in the tonsils. It is usually streptococcal bacteria if the infection is due to bacteria. The infection causes the tonsils to become inflamed, sharply red and swollen.
Mononucleosis
Glandular fever is caused by a virus that is very common. Many people get the virus before the age of ten, which means that they have antibodies in their blood as adults. It protects them from getting infected again. Children usually have no or only mild symptoms of sore throat, such as a cold. It is mainly people aged 15 to 25 who get severe symptoms such as fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, fever and inflamed throat tonsils with a white coating. After adolescence, it is more common to have only the symptoms of swollen lymph nodes and fever, but no throat problems. It may be good to contact a health care center to get a diagnosis, to know for sure that there is glandular fever.
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is due to an infection of streptococcal bacteria. It is mainly young children who get the disease. Older children and adults tend to get strep throat throats instead. Common symptoms of scarlet fever are fever, sore throat, red and swollen throat, red cheeks and paleness around the mouth.
Epiglottitis
Throat inflammation is due to an infection of bacteria and is uncommon. The infection causes the larynx to swell. It makes you difficult to breathe, has a lot of sore throats, has difficulty swallowing, drooling and fever.
Inflammation of the throat is unusual among children. Vaccination against the bacterium is included in the general vaccination program for children. Therefore, it is mainly unvaccinated children and adults who get the disease.
Sore throat for other reasons
You may get sore throats from singing or shouting out loud. Then the vocal cords have been strained and inflamed.
When you have vocal cord inflammation with sore throat and hoarseness, it is usually caused by a virus. It is good to rest your voice as much as possible. Whispering is also an effort for the voice.
You can also get a sore throat if you stay in very dry air.
Herpes can also cause sore throat. It is a viral infection that often causes blisters on the lips and inside the mouth.
Heartburn and acid reflux can cause a feeling of a sore throat. Then acidic stomach contents slip back into the esophagus and can cause burning or burning pain down the throat.
What can I do for myself?
There is much you can do to relieve your neck pain.
Hot drinks such as tea can have a soothing effect on the throat. Ice cream and yogurt also usually feel good. Try out what works best for you.
Sometimes it feels better to have something to suck on and then you can try throat tablets found in grocery stores and in pharmacies. They do not reduce the swelling of the throat itself, but it can feel soothing. The best thing for your teeth is to choose sugar-free tablets.
Painkillers can help
There are several different non-prescription medicines for pain. Examples are drugs containing paracetamol and drugs belonging to the group of NSAIDs or cox inhibitors.
Here you can read about which prescription drugs are available and which may be suitable for you.
There are also several different medicines in the form of lozenges and oral spray which can relieve sore throat in different ways. Some of these drugs can be used by both children and adults, but not all. You can ask a pharmacy what medicines are available and how they work.
Do not overwork the body
The rest is needed, but that doesn’t mean you have to lie down to bed. A walk at a decent pace goes well but you do not exert yourself so hard that you get increased heart rate. Avoid exercise and physical exertion when you have a fever and muscle or joint pain infection.
It may be good to rest your voice if you are hesitant.
A glass of water can help with acid reflux
You can relieve heartburn and acid reflux problems by diluting the acid, for example with a glass of water. You can also try drugs for acid reflux or heartburn that are available at pharmacies.
When should I seek care?
A sore throat usually goes away by itself within a few days without you having to seek care.
Contact a health care provider if you have any of the following symptoms of sore throat:
- You have a sore throat and fever for two days, but no cold symptoms such as sniffing, coughing or nasal congestion.
- You have a sore throat and at the same time, you are swollen on the neck.
- You have a sore throat, fever and small bumpy rashes.
- You have a sore throat for a couple of weeks and have no other symptoms.
If you have any of the following symptoms, please contact a health care center or an on-call reception immediately:
- You cannot swallow the saliva, have a fever and difficult to breathe.
- You have a lot of pain on one side of your neck and you have a hard time losing weight.
These symptoms of sore throat may be signs of more serious infections such as strep throat or throat swelling.
If it is closed at the health center or on-call reception, seek care at an emergency room.
So, sore throat
Throat infections are easily contagious, especially those caused by viruses. The infection can be passed on by handshake and other direct contacts. Avoid infecting others by coughing or sneezing in the arms fold. Wash your hands frequently.
Surveys
At the health center, a doctor first looks at the throat and throat with the help of a lamp. They also use a flat wooden stick, which looks like a wide glass stick. The tongue is pressed down with the wooden stick to make it easier to see the throat.
Sometimes you may need to take a so-called quick test to see if you have been infected by a certain type of bacteria, streptococcus bacteria. The person examining you then takes a sample from the tonsils using a small cotton cloth stick. The survey can sometimes be a bit unpleasant but only takes a few seconds. The test shows if you have throat flux caused by streptococci. You will receive a response within five to ten minutes.
The doctor also feels on the outside of the throat to find out if the lymph nodes are enlarged and sore. They can also examine the lower part of the pharynx to assess the larynx. This is often done with the help of a special mirror. Occasionally, the vocal cords are examined to see if you have received a vocal cord catheter.
You may be given other tests, for example, if your doctor suspects you have glandular fever.
Treatment of sore throat
There is much you can do yourself to relieve the sore throat. This also applies to glandular fever, which can take a long time to recover from. At glandular fever, you may feel tired for a long time afterward. But because the disease is due to a virus, antibiotics do not help.
In some infections you get antibiotics
In some infections, you may sometimes need treatment of sore throat with antibiotics. This applies to throat flux. Then a doctor first assesses whether antibiotics will really do so that you will recover faster. You get treatment for throat flux if it is due to streptococcus bacteria, while you have major problems.
Scarlet fever is usually treated with antibiotics and most people become completely healthy by the treatment. The faster the child receives treatment, the milder the disease becomes.
Some diseases require hospital care
You may have difficulty breathing if you have laryngitis. That’s because the larynx is swollen. Then you need hospital care. At the hospital, you get antibiotics directly into the blood.
Soothing treatment if you have difficulty swallowing
There are prescription drugs that can help if you have a lot of pain when you swallow.
Complications and sequelae
A sequela that you can get is throat scars. A throat ball is a powerful reaction of a throat flux and is usually due to bacteria. Then one was gathered behind one of the neck almonds in a boil. It hurts a lot, especially on one side. It may sound different when you talk and you may have trouble yawning.
A collar is emptied on each
A neck collar is usually treated by an ear-nose-throat doctor. You sit up during treatment. First, you get a stunning spray and then a stunning spray in your mouth. The doctor opens the buttocks so that the item can run out, and usually, an instrument is also used to more easily get the item out. The treatment usually takes a few minutes. Afterward, you will be given antibiotics in tablets.
It usually hurts the throat afterward, but less pain than before the buttocks opened. Since the boil can be filled with more where you get time for a return visit within a day, then the boil may need to be opened again.
Sometimes the tonsils are taken at the same time as the buttocks are emptied
It may be appropriate to remove the tonsils if a child gets a scalp. This is because the treatment of the buttocks cannot be done with just local anesthesia. You as an adult can also have your neck tonsils removed if you have had a scalp for the second time.
Influence and participate in your care
You can seek care at any medical center or open specialist clinic you want throughout the country. Sometimes a referral to the open specialized care is required.
You should understand the information
In order for you to be involved in your care and treatment of sore throat, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare personnel. Ask questions if you don’t understand. For example, you should receive information about treatment options and how long you may have to wait for care and treatment.
Children should be able to participate
There is no age limit for when a child can have an influence over their care. The child’s ability to participate in related to the child’s maturity.
The older the child, the more important it is for them to be involved in their care. In order to be active in the care and to make decisions, it is important that you as an adult and the child understand the information you receive from the healthcare staff.