Sore Throat | Antibiotic Use | CDC

Below is an article on the topic Sore Throat | Antibiotic Use | CDC compiled by the editors of Gootoplist.com. Gootoplist - a general information page about useful tips for life

Is it painful to swallow?  Or is your throat scratchy? A virus may be causing your sore throat.

Most sore throats, except for strep throat, do not need antibiotics.

Causes of sore throat include:

Of these, infections from viruses are the most common cause of sore throats.

Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria. These bacteria are called group A Streptococcus (also called Streptococcus pyogenes).

A sore throat can make it painful to swallow. A sore throat can also feel dry and scratchy. Sore throat can be a symptom of strep throat, the common cold, allergies, or other upper respiratory tract illness. Sore throat caused by a virus or the bacteria called group A Streptococcus can have similar symptoms.

Sometimes the following symptoms suggest a virus is causing the illness instead of Strep throat:

The most common symptoms of strep throat include:

Sometimes someone with strep throat also has a rash known as scarlet fever (also called scarlatina).

Talk to your doctor if you or your child have symptoms of sore throat. They may need to test you or your child for strep throat.

Also see a doctor if you or your child have any of the following:

This list is not all-inclusive. Please see your doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.

See a doctor if symptoms do not improve within a few days or get worse. Tell your doctor if you or your child have recurrent sore throats.

A doctor will determine what type of illness you have by asking about symptoms and doing a physical examination. Sometimes they will also swab your throat.

A virus causes the most common type of sore throat and is not strep throat.

A healthy throat and a sore throat, including uvula and tongue, showing inflamed tonsils.

More about
scarlet fever
strep throat

baby icon Talk to a healthcare professional right away if your child is under 3 months old with a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.

Virus or Bacteria What’s got you sick?image icon

More about
rheumatic fever

Since bacteria cause strep throat, antibiotics are needed to treat the infection and prevent rheumatic fever and other complications. A doctor cannot tell if someone has strep throat just by looking in the throat. If your doctor thinks you might have strep throat, they can test you to determine if it is causing your illness.

Anyone with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or daycare until they no longer have fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12 hours.

If a virus causes a sore throat, antibiotics will not help. Most sore throats will get better on their own within one week. Your doctor may prescribe other medicine or give you tips to help you feel better.

More about
antibiotic-resistant infections
C. diff

When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems. These problems can include severe allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection. C. diff causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.

Some ways you can feel better when you have a sore throat:

Carefully read and follow instructions on over-the-counter medicine product labels before giving medicines to children. Some over-the-counter medicines are not recommended for children of certain ages.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size. Also, tell your child’s doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines they are taking.

You can help prevent sore throats by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:

To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:

Above is the article Sore Throat | Antibiotic Use | CDC shared by Gootoplist team. Next, I also write an article related to this article to synthesize the knowledge about how to fix sore throat Hope to bring you useful information, thank you for your interest and follow. track!