When are antibiotics needed for a sore throat?
Sore throat (pharyngitis) is very common. It is usually caused by a viral infection or less commonly, a bacterial infection.
In addition, you may have:
- A hoarse voice
- A mild cough
- A high temperature (fever)
- A headache
- A feeling of wanting to be sick (nausea)
- Tiredness
- Swollen glands in your neck
- Pain when you swallow.
The soreness tends to worsen over 2 to 3 days and then gradually goes within a week, though in about 10% of cases the soreness may last longer than that.
What is the best treatment for a sore throat?
- Doing nothing may be a sensible option- many throat infections are mild and get better by themselves.
- Plenty of fluids: it is tempting not to drink very much if it’s feeling painful to swallow. But you may become dehydrated, particularly if you also have a high
temperature (fever). Dehydration can make headaches and tiredness much worse. So it’s important to maintain good fluid intake. - Painkillers and anti-inflammatories can help ease symptoms.
- Various throat sprays and lozenges can be bought in pharmacies or supermarkets, and may give some relief also
What about antibiotics?
- Antibiotics are usually pointless, because most sore throats are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not work against viral infections.
- Even if it is a bacterial infection, your immune system is often able to clear it without the need for medication.
- It is also important to remember that antibiotics can cause side-effects such as diarrhoea, rashes, thrush and stomach upset. Therefore, doctors do not prescribe antibiotics for most sore throats.
Signs of a bacterial infection
If 3 or 4 of these symptoms are present it is more likely that a throat infection is caused by bacteria:
- Pus on the tonsils
- Sore lymph glands in the neck
- NOT having a cough
- High temperature (fever)
In this case, antibiotic treatment may be necessary, so you should consider seeing a doctor.
- There are also special throat swabs that can be done on the spot by your doctor, to check for bacteria- these swabs can give a result within a few minutes.
- If symptoms are severe, unusual, or if they do not ease within a week, it is advisable see your doctor.
- Complications are pretty rare, but sometimes a sore throat can have a more serious cause, such as an abscess behind the tonsil (quinsy)- in this case the person is usually very ill and will find swallowing almost impossible.
Renew a Specialist Referral Online
How to Renew a Specialist Referral Online If your specialist referral has expired, you may need to renew your specialist referral before your next appointment. This situation is common [...]
Do Specialist Referrals Expire? Referral Rules in Australia
Do Specialist Referrals Expire? Yes, in many cases specialist referrals in Australia expire after 12 months. However, the exact validity period depends on who wrote the referral and the type of referral. Understanding [...]
A Decade of Telehealth Medical Certificates- what we’ve learned.
A Decade of Telehealth Medical Certificates- what we've learned. For more than a decade, Qoctor has been providing medical certificates via telehealth to hundreds of thousands of Australians. During that time, the [...]
