Sore Throat

Pharyngitis/Laryngitis

One of the most common reasons for a visit to the urgent care center is pharyngitis commonly called a sore throat. Patients experience a spectrum of symptoms from mildly irritating to severely painful. If the voice box (larynx) is inflammed and/or infected then patients will also complain of hoarseness or complete loss of their voice. This is called laryngitis.

Most sore throats are caused by a minor illness and will go away without any medical treatment. For example if you have sinus allergies you may wake up with a sore throat in the morning, but by afternoon it will be gone on its own.

Other non-infectious causes of a sore throat include:

Throat irritation from low humidity Smoking Air pollution Yelling Nasal drainage Mouth breathing, especially when sleeping at night with allergies or a stuffy nose. Stomach acid that backs up into the throat whether from "heartburn" or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

If a sore throat persists more than a few days then you should seek medical attention. A persistent sore throat can be caused from a variety of underlying conditions:

Viral infections (70%)
Most infectious sore throats (70%) are caused by a viral illness such as rhinovirus or adenovirus usually called "The Common Cold."
Infection of the voice box (laryngitis) causes hoarseness and could also lead to a sore throat.
Mononucleosis (mono, "the kissing disease"), another viral infection that tends to cause a persistent sore throat (lasts many months).
Other viral infections, such as mumps, herpangina, or influenza.

Bacterial infections (20%)
A bacterial infection will cause a sore throat but not usually loss of voice. Instead of just a red throat you may see pus in the back of throat. The most well known bacterial infection is Strep Throat. But many other bacteria can cause a sore throat and require antibiotics. These less common infections include chlamydia or gonorrheae if you have engaged in high-risk sexual behavior, Arcanobacterium haemolyticus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and haemophilus.

Infection can lead to various forms of inflammation such as an inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis), adenoids (adenoiditis), epiglottis (epiglottitis), and the uvula (uvulitis). If left untreated it can cause ear infections, Scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, or kidney damage.

Since the most common cause of a sore throat is a virus it is important not to use antibiotics to treat. Antibiotics will not affect viral infections and unnecessary use of an antibiotic exposes you to the other risks such as an allergic reaction, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes and yeast infections. Antibiotics also kill all bacteria including the good beneficial bacteria in your gut. This could encourage the development of very dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria.