At our clinic, a doctor can diagnose the cause of your sore throat & discuss treatment options with you. If necessary, we can perform a throat swab to determine the nature of the infection & prescribe the correct antibiotics.
A painful throat is often accompanied by a range of other symptoms. See below.
Causes
In some cases of sore throat, no cause can be found. Around 25% of sore throats are a symptom of infection with a common cold or ’flu virus such as rhinovirus or parainfluenza virus, & are not long-lasting.
If your sore throat is more persistent, you may need to take specific antibiotics to clear your infection. Strep throat, which is an infection with streptococcal bacteria, is another frequent cause, as well as tonsillitis.
In rarer cases, sore throats can be caused by adenovirus (which also causes conjunctivitis), herpes simplex virus type 1 (the cold sore virus), & Epstein Barr (EBV), the virus which causes glandular fever & mononucleosis (or “mono”).
In the case of a sore throat with a fever, other possible causes are epiglottis (an inflammation of throat tissue, which can affect breathing), abscess, or laryngitis.
Smoking & breathing in second-hand cigarette smoke is also a common cause.
Symptoms
- Swollen lymph glands in the neck & behind the ears
- Body aches & pains, or sore muscles
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Blocked or runny nose
- Headache
- Cough
What to do next?
If you are feeling unwell with a painful throat, or are experiencing recurrent or ongoing bouts of sore throat, please give us a call to make an appointment, or use our online booking system.
