There are many reasons why you might be experiencing a sore throat. The reasons can range from something simple like a dry throat after sleeping with your mouth open all the way to the beginnings of a severe infection.

A viral or bacterial infection is a common reason why your throat is in pain, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need medical attention.

Read on as our AFC Urgent Care Bronx Webster Ave. team explains the signs and symptoms of a serious sore throat that should be looked at by a doctor.

What Is a Sore Throat?

A sore throat isn’t a standalone illness; rather, it is a symptom of an underlying condition or situation. If you have an infection, the infection can cause a wide variety of symptoms that can make you feel pretty sick.

As your infection spreads, your throat pain can range from scratchy or itchy to severe pain with every swallow you take. The good news is that many different mild illnesses cause sore throats, so there is no immediate need to worry. Just keep an eye on your symptoms and get as much rest as you can.

Illnesses That Cause a Sore Throat

• Common cold
• Strep throat
• Flu
• Tonsillitis

When Is a Sore Throat Serious?

Viral infections tend to cause symptoms for up to a week, but will eventually fade away on their own without a doctor’s attention. If your sore throat is getting worse instead of better or you are experiencing blood in your saliva, difficulty breathing or a fever over 101 degrees that won’t go away, it might be due to another, more serious infection.

It is also important to receive a proper diagnosis in case you have strep throat. Strep throat can be bacterial, which would benefit from a round of antibiotics. In any case, you are more than welcome to come see us so we can get to the root cause of your sore throat together.

Signs of Strep Throat

• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Sore throat
• Inflamed tonsils with white patches or pus

We can help diagnose your sore throat. Stop by AFC Urgent Care Bronx Webster Ave. any day of the week.