Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms. If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you.
Do you have an injury to your mouth or teeth? Do you think that a problem with your mouth such as a sore or an infection is causing the sore throat?
Does your baby seem sick? A sick baby probably will not be acting normally. For example, the baby may be much fussier than usual or not want to eat. How sick do you think your baby is? Extremely sick. Baby is sick sleepier than usual, not eating or drinking like usual. Is your baby having trouble breathing? Sometimes babies may have trouble breathing because of a stuffy nose. If your baby's nose is stuffy, clearing the nose with a rubber bulb may help. Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild?
Do you think your baby may be dehydrated? Are the symptoms severe, moderate, or mild? Do you think your baby has a fever? Did you take a rectal temperature? Taking a rectal temperature is the only way to be sure that a baby this age does not have a fever. If you don't know the rectal temperature, it's safest to assume the baby has a fever and needs to be seen by a doctor. Any problem that causes a fever at this age could be serious.
Is it Is your child drooling and unable to swallow, cry, or make sounds? Is your child having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? The symptoms of difficulty breathing in an older child may be different than symptoms in a baby or young child. Is your child's ability to breathe:. Getting worse? Staying about the same not better or worse? Getting better? Quickly getting worse within minutes or hours? Slowly getting worse over days? Does your child have a chronic health problem that affects his or her breathing, such as asthma?
A breathing problem may be more of a concern if your child normally does not have breathing problems. Is the problem your child is having right now different than what you are used to? Does your child make a harsh, high-pitched sound when he or she breathes in?
This often occurs with a loud cough that sounds like a barking seal. Are you suddenly drooling and not able to swallow? Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose?
Would you describe the problem as severe, moderate, or mild? Is your ability to breathe:. Do you have a chronic health problem that affects your breathing, such as asthma, allergies, or COPD? A breathing problem may be more of a concern if you normally do not have breathing problems.
Are the breathing problems you're having right now different than what you are used to? Do you think you may be dehydrated? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a baby or toddler.
Are you having trouble drinking enough to replace the fluids you've lost? Little sips of fluid usually are not enough. You need to be able to take in and keep down plenty of fluids. Do you think your child has a fever? Did you take your child's temperature? How high is the fever? The answer may depend on how you took the temperature.
Moderate: Mild: How high do you think the fever is? Mild or low. How long has your child had a fever? Less than 2 days 48 hours. From 2 days to less than 1 week. Does your child have a health problem or take medicine that weakens his or her immune system? Does your child have shaking chills or very heavy sweating?
Shaking chills are a severe, intense form of shivering. Heavy sweating means that sweat is pouring off the child or soaking through his or her clothes. Do you think you may have a fever? Did you take your temperature? How long have you had a fever? At least 2 days but less than 1 week. Do you have a health problem or take medicine that weakens your immune system?
Do you have shaking chills or very heavy sweating? Heavy sweating means that sweat is pouring off you or soaking through your clothes. Is there any pain? How bad is your throat pain, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?
Signs of pain in a baby or toddler are different than signs of pain in an older child or adult. Is the pain on only one side of your throat? Does your voice sound hoarse or muffled? How long have you had the sore throat or other throat problem? Less than 1 day 24 hours. Longer than 1 week. Have you been exposed to someone who may have strep throat? Do you have swollen lymph nodes in your neck? Do you have white or green patches or pus on the back of your throat?
Do you have cold symptoms, such as a runny or stuffy nose or drainage from your nose down the back of your throat? Colds often cause a sore throat. You can usually treat this at home. Do you have a rash? Certain illnesses can cause a sore throat and a rash. You may need to be seen sooner if you have both. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.
A peritonsillar abscess is a puss-filled sore near the back of your throat and tonsils. It is filled with…. Strep throat is an infection caused by bacteria. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Fever in Infants and Children. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Teenagers: How to Stay Healthy. Vomiting and Diarrhea. Strep Throat. Home Diseases and Conditions Sore Throat. Table of Contents. What is a sore throat?
Symptoms of a sore throat A sore throat means that your throat hurts and is irritated, swollen, or scratchy. Depending on the cause of your sore throat, symptoms include: Fever Headache White spots on your throat or tonsils Red, swollen tonsils Swollen glands in your neck Skin rash In some cases, additional symptoms include: Abdominal pain usually in children Vomiting usually in children Joint or muscle pain. What causes a sore throat? How is a sore throat diagnosed?
Can a sore throat be prevented or avoided? Sore throat treatment If your sore throat is cause by the flu, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medicine. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking at his or her throat. A rapid strep test involves swabbing the throat and running a test on the swab. The test quickly shows if group A strep is causing the illness. If the test is positive, doctors can prescribe antibiotics.
If the test is negative, but a doctor still suspects strep throat, then the doctor can take a throat culture swab. A throat culture takes time to see if group A strep bacteria grow from the swab. While it takes more time, a throat culture sometimes finds infections that the rapid strep test misses.
Culture is important to use in children and teens since they can get rheumatic fever from an untreated strep throat infection. For adults, it is usually not necessary to do a throat culture following a negative rapid strep test. Adults are generally not at risk of getting rheumatic fever following a strep throat infection. Someone with strep throat should start feeling better in just a day or two after starting antibiotics.
Call the doctor if you or your child are not feeling better after taking antibiotics for 48 hours. Doctors treat strep throat with antibiotics. Either penicillin or amoxicillin are recommended as a first choice for people who are not allergic to penicillin. Doctors can use other antibiotics to treat strep throat in people who are allergic to penicillin. They are less likely to spread the bacteria to others and very unlikely to get complications. If a carrier gets a sore throat illness caused by a virus, the rapid strep test can be positive.
In these cases it can be hard to know what is causing the sore throat. If someone keeps getting a sore throat after taking the right antibiotics, they may be a strep carrier and have a viral throat infection. Talk to a doctor if you think you or your child may be a strep carrier. Sometimes a doctor will recommend a culture test to confirm a negative result from a rapid strep test.
If a doctor suspect EBV, they can recommend a blood test to confirm this. Find out more in our dedicated article. Sometimes, a sore throat can happen for another reason, such as a tumor. If the problem does not go away, the doctor will do more investigations to find the cause. Bacterial infection : In the case of a bacterial infection, such as strep throat, a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.
People should always take the complete course, even if they feel better before finishing all the medication. Viral infection : Sore throats due to a viral infection usually start to improve within 7 days and do not require medical treatment. Acetaminophen or mild pain relievers may help with the pain and fever. Children can use pediatric versions of these. A pharmacist can advise which ones to use and how much. It is important always to follow the instructions on the medication and not to take more than they suggest.
A person with epiglottitis or may need to spend time in the hospital. In severe cases, they may need intubation to help them breathe. If investigations reveal a tumor or another cause, the doctor will discuss appropriate treatment options with the individual. Honey is not safe for children aged under 1 year, due to the risk of botulism , a type of food poisoning.
A review of three studies published in concluded that dissolving tablets containing a high dose of zinc acetate in the mouth may relieve symptoms of a common cold in adults, including a sore throat. However, more evidence is needed to show that it works and that it is safe in the long term.
It can also have some adverse effects, including nausea and a bad taste in the mouth. Zinc nasal sprays are also available, but some people have experienced a permanent loss of smell after using them. Children should not use these products. Some of these may be useful because of their possible anti-inflammatory properties.
However, there is a lack of evidence to prove that many these treatments are effective or safe.
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