Sore throats are common and not usually serious. Most people will have at least 2 or 3 every year. Children and teenagers are more likely to get sore throats than adults. Most sore throats will clear after a few days without the need for medical treatment. After a week, almost 9 in 10 people will be well again. Sore
throats are common and not usually serious. They are usually a symptom of a viral infection. Most sore throats are caused by a virus so antibiotics won't help. Symptoms include: You may also have a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, fever and a tickly cough. Sometimes your voice may get hoarse. Most sore throats are caused by a virus. Viruses cause tonsillitis and laryngitis. Sometimes sore throats they can be caused by bacteria (strep
throat). With bacterial infections, you will usually feel sicker and take longer to get better. Your immune system may clear the strep throat or you may need an antibiotic. About 8 out of every 10 sore throats will get better without antibiotics. Over-the-counter painkillers can usually relieve the symptoms of a sore throat. For babies and children, encourage them to drink water, juice or milk. Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding your baby will help ease their sore throat and will help keep them hydrated. For younger children, an ice cube or a frozen juice cube can be soothing to suck on. It can also help to keep them hydrated. Talk to your pharmacist to get advice about pain relief for your child's sore throat. Try to avoid hot food and hot drinks as this could irritate your throat. Eat cool, soft food and drink cool or warm (not hot) liquids. To help relieve the pain and discomfort of a sore throat, it can help to use: You can buy these from a supermarket or from a pharmacist without a prescription. GPs do not usually prescribe antibiotics for sore throats. This is because antibiotics will not usually relieve pain or help your symptoms. They won't speed up your recovery either. Your GP will only prescribe them if they think you have a bacterial
infection. Usually, you do not need to contact a GP or attend the emergency department, if you have a sore throat.Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Babies and children
Adults
Antibiotics
When to get help
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if:
- you have a sore throat and a very high temperature, or you feel hot and shivery
- your child or baby is not taking enough drinks or has dry nappies
- you have a weak immune system
- you're worried about your sore throat
A severe or long-lasting sore throat could be something like strep throat (a bacterial throat infection) or tonsillitis.
If you still have a sore throat after 2 weeks, it’s best to get it checked.
When to go to your emergency department
Going back to work or school
Do not go to work or send your child to school or creche with an infection. You can go back to work, school or creche when your symptoms have been gone for 48 hours.
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
Page last reviewed: 13 June 2019
Next review due: 13 June 2022
Is it painful to swallow? Or is your throat scratchy? A virus may be causing your sore throat.
Most sore throats, except for strep throat, do not need antibiotics.
Causes
Causes of sore throat include:
- Viruses, like those that cause colds or flu
- The bacteria group A strep, which causes strep throat (also called streptococcal pharyngitis)
- Allergies
- Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke
Of these, infections from viruses are the most common cause of sore throats.
Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria. These bacteria are called group A Streptococcus (also called Streptococcus pyogenes).
Symptoms of Sore Throat
A sore throat can make it painful to swallow. A sore throat can also feel dry and scratchy. Sore throat can be a symptom of strep throat, the common cold, allergies, or other upper respiratory tract illness. Sore throat caused by a virus or the bacteria called group A Streptococcus can have similar symptoms.
Sometimes the following symptoms suggest a virus is causing the illness instead of Strep throat:
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Hoarseness (changes in your voice that makes it sound breathy, raspy, or strained)
- Conjunctivitis (also called pink eye)
Symptoms of Strep Throat
The most common symptoms of strep throat include:
- Sore throat that can start very quickly
- Pain when swallowing
- Fever
- Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
- Tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth
- Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck
Sometimes someone with strep throat also has a rash known as scarlet fever (also called scarlatina).
When to Seek Medical Care
Talk to your doctor if you or your child have symptoms of sore throat. They may need to test you or your child for strep throat.
Also see a doctor if you or your child have any of the following:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Blood in saliva or phlegm
- Excessive drooling (in young children)
- Dehydration
- Joint swelling and pain
- Rash
This list is not all-inclusive. Please see your doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.
See a doctor if symptoms do not improve within a few days or get worse. Tell your doctor if you or your child have recurrent sore throats.
Treatment
A doctor will determine what type of illness you have by asking about symptoms and doing a physical examination. Sometimes they will also swab your throat.
A virus causes the most common type of sore throat and is not strep throat.
- Only 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat.
- Only about 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat has strep throat.
A healthy throat and a sore throat, including uvula and tongue, showing inflamed tonsils.
baby icon Talk to a healthcare professional right away if your child is under 3 months old with a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.
Since bacteria cause strep throat, antibiotics are needed to treat the infection and prevent rheumatic fever and other complications. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking in the throat. If your doctor thinks you might have strep throat, they can test you to determine if it is causing your illness.
Anyone with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or daycare until they no longer have fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12 hours.
If a virus causes a sore throat, antibiotics will not help. Most sore throats will get better on their own within one week. Your doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you tips to help you feel better.
When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems. These problems can include severe allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection. C. diff causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.
How to Feel Better
Some ways you can feel better when you have a sore throat:
- Suck on ice chips, popsicles, or lozenges (do not give lozenges to children younger than 2 years).
- Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.
- Gargle with salt water.
- Drink warm beverages and plenty of fluids.
- Use honey to relieve cough for adults and children at least 1 year of age or older.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed.
Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children
Carefully read and follow instructions on over-the-counter medicine product labels before giving medicines to children. Some over-the-counter medicines are not recommended for children of certain ages.
- Pain relievers:
- Children younger than 6 months: only give acetaminophen.
- Children 6 months or older: it is OK to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Never give aspirin to children because it can cause Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a very serious, but rare illness that can harm the liver and brain.
- Cough and cold medicines:
- Children younger than 4 years old: do not use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Cough and cold medicines can result in serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects in young children.
- Children 4 years or older: discuss with your child’s doctor if over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are safe to give to your child.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size. Also, tell your child’s doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines they are taking.
Prevention
You can help prevent sore throats by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:
- Clean your hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who have sore throats, colds, or other upper respiratory infections.
- Don’t smoke and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.