How to Know When to See a Doctor for Persistent Sore Throat

Sore throats are caused by a variety of things, including airborne irritants, common colds and more serious illnesses such as strep throat. You will first need to eliminate common causes of sore throats. Then you will need to check for symptoms of illness to know when to see your doctor for a persistent sore throat. You will also need to take into account the age and general health of the person with the sore throat to know when to visit the doctor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Flashlight
• Replacement air filters

Rule Out Sore Throat Causes in Your Home

1. Avoid smoking and smokers. Smoking dries out the tissue at the back of your throat and can cause a persistent sore throat.
2. Change the filters in your air-conditioning unit. Clogged filters can allow debris and dust into the air in your home, which can irritate your throat and cause it to be sore.
3. Avoid using a forced-air heating system. Dry heat from forced-air heaters can remove moisture from the air, which dries out your throat and make it sore.
4. Lower your voice. Yelling can overwork your throat and cause it to be persistently painful.
5. Take a decongestant. Post-nasal drip (mucus leaking down the back of your throat from the sinuses) is a benign cause of sore throats, which doesn't require a doctor's care.
6. Ask your spouse or other family member to monitor you while you sleep. Sleeping with an open mouth dries out the throat. Sleeping on your side rather than your back may help you keep your mouth closed at night.

Check for Symptoms Which Require Medical Evaluation

7. Shine a light on the back of the throat to look for white spots. If you find white spots on the tonsils or throat, you should contact your doctor to be tested for strep throat.
8. Take your temperature while you are suffering from a persistent sore throat. A temperature above 99 degrees may indicate a bacterial infection that your doctor can treat with antibiotics.
9. Look at your recent sexual history. You can contract gonorrhea during unprotected oral sex, which may cause a sore throat. Your doctor can treat gonorrhea with a regimen of antibiotics when you see her.
10. Keep track of coughing. Coughing that lasts more than a week or produces a lot of mucous may indicate bronchitis.

Tips & Warnings

• If your sore throat persists after you have eliminated all environmental factors, see your doctor.
• Your doctor can prescribe medication to help you quit smoking.