When a Sore Throat Warrants a Trip to Your Provider

A sore throat is never fun, yet it usually resolves with at-home care. But not all sore throats go away on their own, and some may lead to serious health complications if left untreated.

How do you know when it’s time to see a medical professional for your sore throat?

At Healthy Life Family Medicine, based in Goodyear, Arizona, our Dr. John Monroe and his team, provides expert medical care for acute health conditions like a sore throat through telehealth. She knows when you need more than at-home care for a sore throat.

Here, we want to talk about sore throats, common causes, and symptoms that warrant a trip to the doctor.

Your sore throat

It may start out as a scratchy feeling in the back of your throat, but it soon turns into a burning sensation that causes sharp, knife-like pain when you swallow.

Sore throats make you feel miserable, but usually resolve within a few days. 

Cause of a sore throat

A sore throat is a symptom that has many causes. You may wake up with a dry throat if you sleep with your mouth open. Seasonal allergies may also irritate your throat.

Most sore throats occur from viral infections like the common cold or flu. But you can also get a sore throat from a bacterial infection, usually group A streptococcus (strep throat). 

A bacterial sore throat won’t clear up on its own. When this type of infection is left untreated, it may spread to your ears, tonsils, or blood. Strep throat may also cause inflammatory conditions like scarlet fever (red rash) or rheumatic fever (inflammation in the heart, joints, skin, and nervous system). 

When to see a medical professional

There’s never a wrong time to see a medical professional when you have concerns about your health. But you should contact us if your sore throat lasts longer than a week.

You should also schedule a visit with your health care provider if your sore throat develops quickly and causes severe throat pain and a fever. These symptoms may indicate you have strep throat.

Other concerning sore throat symptoms that warrant a trip to a doctor or other health care provider include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Blood in your saliva
• Swelling in your joints
• Difficulty swallowing
• Dehydration 

You don’t need to leave your house to get help for a sore throat. We can provide the care you need through our telehealth platform. After reviewing your symptoms, we can determine if your throat pain might be a bacterial infection or something else. 

If we suspect strep throat, we send out an at-home test kit. If you test positive for strep, we prescribe antibiotics to clear up the infection. If your sore throat is from a viral infection, treatment is fluids, over-the-counter pain medication, and time.

Not all sore throats need medical care, but with advances in diagnostic tools and technology, you don’t need to leave your house to get medical care for your sore throat. We can help you get better with a telehealth appointment.

We provide medical consultations for people living in Goodyear, Arizona. Call or book an appointment online today.