Everyone has had a sore throat at one time or anther. In the past, doctors used to give antibiotics for sore throats, because they thought they would cure them. In fact, almost all sore throats are caused by virus infections.
There is no cure for virus infections. However, your body will almost always fight off the infection within a few days. Many people who took antibiotics in the past for sore throats got better within a day or two. This was because their bodies had fought off the infection. However, because they started taking antibiotics at the same time as their body was fighting off the infection, they assumed it was the antibiotics which had made them better.
Should I see the Doctor?
We now know that taking antibiotics for viral sore throats does not help. It can actually make you more ill, as most antibiotics cause side effects (including diarrhoea, thrush, rashes etc). That's why doctors do not give antibiotics for sore throats any more, except in a few cases. The signs and symptoms that your doctor will look for to decide if antibiotics are needed are:
- Absence of cough (that means a sore throat that is not accompanied by other signs of a cold, like cough and runny nose)
- Fever over 38.5° C
- Swollen glands in your neck
- White discharge at the back of your throat, on your tonsils
- Severe pain or problems with swallowing, especially on one side. If your symptoms include severe pain on one side of your throat and are having problems swallowing, you may have an abscess on your tonsil. You should contact the surgery as soon as possible.
If you do not have at least three of these signs, it does not make sense to go to the doctor.
Should my child see the Doctor?
In children, signs and symptoms to look out for include:
- neck pain and high fever
- not being able to swallow their own saliva
- not being able to swallow fluids
- breathing problems
If your child does not have at least three of these signs, it does not make sense to go to the doctor.
How can I help myself?
You can avoid a pointless visit by following the advice on 'how to help yourself'.
- Gargle with soluble paracetamol tablets (two 500mg tablets dissolved in half a glass of water), then sip the liquid down slowly. Repeat this up to every four hours, with not more than four doses in 24 hours
- If you prefer, you can gargle with three 300mg aspirin tablets dissolved in warm water.
- Suck soothing throat lozenges, especially the kind that include a local anaesthetic. Your pharmacist can advise you about which ones might help.
- For children, try and persuade them to gargle with the right dose of paracetamol solution for their age. Ibuprofen syrups can be used as an alternative. If they cannot gargle, swallowing the dose of painkilling medicine can also help.
How do I get a flu vaccine at Richford Gate?
Richford Gate has a limited supply of flu vaccine for patients aged over 65 and with chronic conditions (eg diabetes, heart disease). Click here to read more about the Richford Gate Flu Clinic.