The growing global concern over COVID-19—as well as the emphasis on providing better healthcare—has pushed for the increased awareness of its related symptoms, such as that of the common sore throat. Although having a sore throat is a common symptom in many other viral infections, there are still many individuals who are poorly misinformed about this symptom.
Sore throat is often regarded as a child’s disease, mainly due to its relation to strep throat—a condition more common among children between ages 5 to 15. To resolve it, households often stick to the home remedy of gargling a saline solution until the sore throat subsidies.
While it might be easy to clear out, however, having a sore throat may be a sign of more severe diseases. To better aid you in understanding this condition, this guide can help you determine which cases may need immediate medical attention.
Determining the Area of Soreness
Before treating a sore throat, you will first need to know where the area of soreness is. Knowing this may help identify what disease or viral infection could have triggered the throat to become irritated and enlarged. This is also relevant information to give upon consulting with your doctor.
Here are the following terminologies that you will need to be familiar with:
Tonsillitis
This is the most common term used for sore throat. Pertaining to a tonsils infection, this can be diagnosed by checking the inside of the mouth. If it is visibly red from the inside and can be visibly seen as enlarged from the neck area after the chin, then it’s most likely tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis is commonly triggered by viral infections such as the flu. Usually, this is treated with a saline solution and drinking warm water.
Laryngitis
This term refers to the inflammation of your voice box or vocal cord. Laryngitis may also be related to viral infections, but can also be the effect of overexerting your voice box.
Pharyngitis
This term correlates to the swelling of the back part of the throat called the pharynx. This is harder to see and often doctors do a laryngoscopy to observe this. This may also be a precursor to more serious diseases such as measles and chickenpox.
If you want to check on someone with a sore throat, then you can observe the swelling of the throat on their neck. You can also use a tongue depressor and flashlight to look inside the mouth and see the irritated area of the throat. Since the nose and throat are connected to each other, take note of a runny or stuffy nose, as this can be another symptom of a more serious disease.
Determining the Severity of the Sore Throat
Now that you have an initial understanding of the sore throat, you must also gauge the severity or intensity of pain or discomfort the patient may be feeling. This will help you determine what may be treatable with over-the-counter medicine and what needs to be brought to the attention of doctors.
Light or only a little sore
This is often the case for those who have tonsillitis, which can ultimately be treatable with home remedies such as gargling saline solution and rest. Light sore throat also means your patient is not experiencing any other symptoms such as fever or bodily chills. Often, light sore throat dissipates after three to four weeks of home treatment.
Medium soreness
A patient with medium soreness in the throat often complains about the difficulty of swallowing food and speaking as well. There are also cases when what was first thought to be a light case of sore throat can worsen into medium soreness. This needs the consultation of a doctor, especially when the patient is experiencing other symptoms such as fatigue and high fever.
Severe soreness
This level of soreness in the throat is present when the patient finds difficulty in swallowing little chunks of food, speaking, and even breathing. This requires immediate medical attention and may even need hospitalization.
Conclusion
Understanding the condition of sore throat requires your close attention, as it can allow you to provide better healthcare for your patients at home. If you are doubtful of your own observations and home remedies to treat it, then seek medical attention immediately to prevent the possible spread of contagious viral infections.
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