University of Wyoming

What causes a sore throat?

A sore and scratchy throat is often the first sign that you are developing an illness. Although a sore throat is a symptom of many medical disorders, viral infections, such as the common cold, are the cause of most sore throats.
A sore throat will usually go away on its own, depending on how well your immune system handles illnesses like the common cold. The typical course of such an illness is 7 - 10 days.
Infrequently, sore throats are caused by bacteria, such as strep throat. This might require medical treatment.

Many other factors including cigarette smoking, allergies, hay fever, or drainage down the back of the throat from your sinuses can cause a sore throat.

College students get upper respiratory infections, or common colds, often. Sore throat is one of the most common symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. Factors related to close living quarters (college dorms are a good example), classroom conditions, stress, and lifestyle explain why college students get colds so often. Only about 10% of sore throats are caused by a bacterial infection, such as streptococcus (strep), which might require treatment with an antibiotic. Most sore throats are caused by a viral infection (the common cold) and are unaffected by antibiotics. Most often, sore throats require no medical attention and resolve with self-care measures (listed in What else can I do?).

What should I do first when I notice that I have a sore throat? When you first notice a sore throat, do the following:

Start immediately to increase your fluids such as water, fruit juices, and non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages.
Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily. The fluids help keep your throat moist decreasing the dry/scratchy feeling. In addition, adequate fluid intake serves to keep you well hydrated which can generally make you feel better.

What else can I do?

In addition to increasing fluids, many other self-care measures can ease the pain of a sore throat including:

Suck on throat lozenges, hard candy, ice chips, or popsicles to keep your throat moist which lessens the discomfort.
Gargle with saline solution (dissolve ½ teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water).
Get plenty of rest.
Eat a balanced and nutritious diet.
Use over-the-counter medications for throat discomfort:
Acetaminophen (Extra Strength Tylenol ®) 2 tablets every 4 hours as needed, Ibuprofen (Advil ® or Motrin ®) 3 tablets every 8 hours with food.
>Rest your voice if you have hoarseness and/or have lost your voice.
Use a cool mist humidifier in your bedroom. Adding moisture to the air keeps mucus membranes in the throat from becoming dry and even more irritated.
Always seek medical care for worsening or persistent symptoms.

Is a sore throat bacterial or viral?

A sore throat can be due either to a bacterial illness or a viral illness. Here is a comparison of signs and symptoms of bacterial vs. viral causes of sore throat.

	Is it Viral or Bacterial?
	Viral (common cold)	Bacterial (strep)
Runny and/or stuffy nose	often	rare
Headache	often	rare
Dizzy	often	rare
Fever	often (<100.5)	often (>100.5)
Cough	often	sometimes
Hoarseness	often	rare
Do antibiotics help?	no	yes

An accurate way to differentiate bacterial and viral cause of sore throat is to have a strep test done. Rapid Strep screens are available through UW Student Health Service without an appointment for a nominal cost. This is an on-site test requiring a swab of secretions from your throat. Results are available within a few minutes. If the test is positive, antibiotic therapy is usually prescribed. If the strep test is negative, a clinician or nurse will review self-care measures with you. Again, most sore throats are caused by viral infection and will resolve with time and the self-care measures listed above under What else can I do?

When do I need antibiotics?

Only bacterial infections will respond to an antibiotic. Strep throat is a bacterial throat infection that may treated with an antibiotic. Sore throats due to a viral illness usually resolve without an antibiotic in 7-10 days.

For more information on strep throat, go to the American Academy of Family Physicians website http://www.familydoctor.org

Step Two: Medical Treatment

Do I need to see a nurse or a doctor?

If you are a student with a chronic illness such as diabetes or asthma, you will want to pay close attention to your health. Seek medical attention when you feel the self-care measures listed in Step One of this program are not helping and your condition is not getting better after 7 days. The following symptoms are also reasons to seek medical attention:

1. Difficulty breathing or swallowing liquids

2. Difficulty opening your mouth

3. Joint pain, skin rash, or earache

4. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

5. Fever >101 degrees

6. Frequently recurring sore throat (>4/year)

7. Lump in neck

8. Hoarseness lasting more than 2 weeks

For all others, immediately initiate the self-care measures when you notice a sore throat. If you are not getting relief after 5-7 days by using the self-care measures, and/or your symptoms are worsening, seek medical attention.

What do I do if the strep test is negative and I still feel sick?

If you have tried the self-care measures listed in What else can I do? of this program for a few days AND your strep test is negative, make an appointment to see one of the clinicians at UWSHS. Other infections or conditions, such as infectious mononucleosis (mono), can cause a sore throat.

Step Three: Prevention

What can I do to prevent getting a sore throat?

· Frequent hand washing

· Don’t share towels, napkins, eating utensils, water bottles, or drinks.

· Cover your mouth with a tissue or your forearm when you sneeze or cough.

· Take measures to keep yourself healthy by eating well, getting enough sleep, and quitting smoking. Alcohol is not advised; use only in moderation (no more than two drinks/day for men, one/day for women).

· Drink 6-8 glasses of water and additional fluids every day to stay well hydrated.

Additional information on sore throats:

American Academy of Family Physicians website for flow chart of symptoms related to sore throats http://www.familydoctor.org/flowcharts/515.html

National Institute of Health website on throat disorders http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/throatdisorders.html

What causes a sore throat?

Is a sore throat bacterial or viral?

Quick Links