London - Thirty-five million work or school days are lost annually due to sore throats. There is often conflicting advice given about when to visit the surgery. Here Dr Ellie Cannon answers some of the most common questions and explains when it is time to seek medical help.
Which over-the-counter treatment should I go for?
Most autumn/winter sore throats are caused by a virus and will get better themselves within ten days, with or without treatment. The treatments worth aiming for are those that relieve the pain and allow you to drink. The most effective is an anaesthetic throat spray, combined with an anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Nine in ten treated cases will improve after seven days.
When should I go to the doctor with a sore throat?
It is difficult to get this right and GPs understand. Some people turn up on day one of a sore throat having not tried anything, while others struggle on for weeks without asking for help. If it has gone on longer than a week it is worth a visit. If you are unwell, with difficulty swallowing, it is likely the cause is a bacterial problem which could need antibiotics. In children, it is appropriate to visit the doctor after three to four days, especially if the child has a temperature.
I get sore throats all year while my friends get none. Am I unlucky or unhealthy?
Most sore throats are viruses so the number we get can simply be related to the amount of people contact we have. Commuting on crowded buses, working in schools or air travel will make you more likely to get ill. Smoking makes you more prone, and parents of young children are also at greater risk. Those who use their voice professionally, such as teachers, also suffer more frequent infections. Some have recurrent infections that come and go, such as glandular fever.
I have had a sore throat for a few months which hasn’t improved with antibiotics.
Sore throats that continue are unlikely to be an infection. A chronic sore throat can be secondary to another problem in the airways such as chronic sinusitis or snoring, both of which will irritate the throat long term. Acid reflux causes a lot of chronic sore throats because the acid regurgitates and inflames the throat. Sore throats can also be the result of gum disease, lung disease and alcohol abuse. - Daily Mail
* Dr Ellie Cannon is on Twitter, www.twitter.com/Dr_Ellie