Sore throat
Developing a sore throat is very common, and it’s usually nothing serious. It gets better on its own within a week or two.
Sore throat symptoms
The typical symptoms of sore throat are:
- Painful throat, especially while swallowing
- A dry, scratchy throat
- Redness inside your mouth
- Mild cough
- Bad breath
- Swollen neck glands
Children can also develop these symptoms along with a high temperature and appear inactive.
Sore throats causes
Viruses (cold or flu) or smoking usually cause sore throats, but bacteria can occasionally lead to them. Other primary causes are:
- Laryngitis
- Tonsillitis
- Strep throat
- Glandular fever
Sore throat self-treatments
To soothe your sore throat, you can:
- Drink plenty of water
- Gargle warm water with salt (but not for children)
- Eat soft and cool foods
- Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
- Suck ice cubes, ice lollies, or hard sweets (but not for children since it can be a choking hazard)
- Get a lot of rest
If you have a high temperature and don’t feel good enough to do your regular activities, try staying at home and avoiding contact with other people till you feel better.
Consult a doctor if:
- Your sore throat doesn’t get better after a week
- You get sore throats more frequently
- You are worried about your throat
- You have a high temperature and feeling shivery along with a sore throat
- You have a weak immune system due to diabetes or chemotherapy.
Reviewed by – Dr. Priyanka, MBBS MD Microbiology
Page last reviewed: 16 JULY 2022