Sore Throat

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What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

Your health care provider will perform a physical examination. He or she may want to know some details about the sore throat, such as:

• How long has the sore throat been present?
• Have other family members had recent sore throats?
• Is the pain increasing, staying the same, or decreasing?
• Are you able to swallow saliva, fluids, and food?
• Is there excessive drooling (in infants)?
• Are you hoarse?
• Is it worse at night? Are you able to sleep?
• Are you breathing through your mouth?
• Is the soreness better in the morning? Better with moist air or mist? Better with medication?
• What other symptoms are also present -- noisy breathing, fever, wheezing, allergies, rash?
• Have you had a recent injury or surgery?
• Are there swollen lymph glands in your neck?
• Are there sores or pus in back of throat?
• Is there a sensation of gagging?
• What medications are you taking?
• What is your typical daily diet?

• complete blood count
• monospot test (to rule out mononucleosis)
• throat culture and rapid strep test

Treatment

Usually, treatment will be delayed until the culture results are known. Doctors will often begin treatment of a sore throat immediately if there is a family history of rheumatic fever, if the patient has scarlet fever, or if rheumatic fever is commonly occurring in the community at the time. Otherwise, antibiotics should NOT be given without a positive strep test (culture or rapid strep test).

When antibiotics are started, it is important to complete the entire course as directed, even after symptoms improve. Children can return to school or day care 24 hours after antibiotics are started.

For sore throat caused by infectious mononucleosis, rest and home treatment is recommended.

For sore throat caused by bacterial tonsillitis, antibiotic treatment may be recommended. Some tonsillitis is viral and will clear up without treatment. (Surgery is rarely necessary.)