When to See a Doctor for a Sore Throat

When to See a Doctor for a Sore ThroatA sore throat can be painful. It can also cause you to miss work, school, and sleep, and otherwise disrupt your daily life. Fortunately, most sore throats are caused by minor illnesses and resolve on their own without medical treatment. For example, throat pain can result from the common cold, low humidity, smoking, air pollution, yelling, nasal drainage, and mouth breathing due to allergies or nasal congestion. The key to effectively treating a sore throat – and feeling better as quickly as possible – is a combination of at-home therapy and knowing when it’s time to consult with a physician.

Home care for a sore throat

In most cases, home remedies are sufficient to relieve sore throat pain. To treat a sore throat at home, you can:

  • Drink plenty of warm fluids, such as herbal tea and broth, which can soothe the throat, improve mucous drainage, and decrease stuffiness
  • Gargle once an hour with warm salt water to reduce swelling and discomfort
  • Use a humidifier
  • Take nonprescription medications, such as throat lozenges, decongestants, acetaminophen, or anti-inflammatories
  • Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke

When to see a doctor for a sore throat

A less common reason for a sore throat is strep throat, a highly contagious bacterial infection of the soft palate and tonsillar region caused by streptococcus bacteria (the same bacteria that causes rheumatic fever). Doctors often treat strep throat with antibiotics, which can help shorten the time that the infection can be spread to other areas of the body or other people, and also help a patient feel better. Therefore, you should consult with a physician if you have any signs of strep throat, which include:

  • Severe pain
  • Throat pain that does not improve within three to four days
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Difficulty breathing or swallowing
  • Swelling in the neck area
  • White patches or red spots on the palate
  • An absence of cold symptoms
  • A rash that resembles “goose bumps on a moderate sunburn” over the torso and groin region

A physician can diagnose strep throat through a physical examination of the throat and a lab test, such as a rapid strep test. During this fast and painless test, the throat and tonsils are swabbed to collect a bacteria sample for testing. The results are usually available within 10-15 minutes, and if a patient tests positive for the streptococcal bacteria, the physician can prescribe an appropriate course of antibiotics to treat the infection.

If you have questions or would like to see a doctor for a rapid strep test, you can contact or visit South Tampa Immediate Care. Our walk-in clinic is conveniently located on South Howard Avenue in Tampa, FL, and we welcome patients from Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding Florida areas.