Sore throat

Sore throat is an irritation of the throat which may feel like scratchiness, burning, rawness, dryness, or pain when swallowing. The most common form of sore throat is called pharyngitis, or inflammation of the pharynx, which is located at the back of your throat.

Symptoms of sore throat may include:

• A sensation of scratchiness or rawness in the throat
• Pain that is aggravated by swallowing or talking
• Difficulty swallowing
• Sore, swollen glands
• Swollen tonsils
• White patches on the tonsils
• Hoarseness, loss of voice, or voice change due to swelling of glands/tonsils
• Fever
• Loss of appetite
• Bad breath

The approach to treating a sore throat is dependent on whether the cause is viral or bacterial.

Bacterial illnesses, such as strep throat, are treated with antibiotics like penicillin and amoxicillin, which kill off the harmful bacteria. Antibiotics for sore throat may be taken by mouth, in pill form, or given as a shot. If you contract strep throat, it will likely ease within 2-3 days of starting antibiotic treatment. Because strep throat is contagious, you should avoid contact with others for at least 24 hours after you begin taking the antibiotics.

Tonsilitis can be bacterial or viral in nature. In the case of bacterial infections, tonsillitis can be treated with antibiotics. If the infection is viral, you must simply allow the virus to run its course. Antibiotics for sore throat only work to fend off bacterial infections, so they cannot be used to treat viral tonsillitis or other viral infections like the cold or flu.

You can chat with one of our doctors on Cedars-Sinai Connect to learn more about treatment and same-day prescriptions.