If you are going about your day and start to feel that raw, scratchy feeling appear in the back of your throat, it can feel very disheartening. For many illnesses, a sore throat is one of the first symptoms to appear!

Having a sore throat doesn’t necessarily guarantee you are getting sick, but it should definitely make you keep an eye on your symptom progression. Our AFC Urgent Care Louisville team explains more about sore throats below, so check it out.

Why Does a Sore Throat Occur?

In some cases, a sore throat can occur due to the dry winter air, allergies or even if you sleep with your mouth open. Oftentimes, it is the beginning of a viral or bacterial infection. If you can’t find relief from drinking some water or going indoors, an infection may be to blame.

As the infection spreads in your body, it can irritate the lining in your throat and cause it to swell. If this happens, it can make your throat feel itchy, scratchy or really painful. It can even be hard to swallow food or water.

Illnesses That Cause a Sore Throat

• Common cold
• Strep throat
• Flu
• Tonsillitis

How Do I Know if It Is Strep Throat?

If your sore throat is persistent or particularly painful, it might be due to a strep infection. Strep throat often makes it hard to swallow and spikes a fever in your body. If you have a flashlight, look in a mirror and shine it on the back of your throat. Strep can cause your tonsils to turn red and swell up and can cause white splotches to appear.

Our AFC team can help diagnose you as well! Come by for an evaluation and a rapid strep test, and we can determine what illness you are suffering from. If you have strep, we can prescribe a round of antibiotics that should help clear your infection up quickly.

Treating a Sore Throat

• OTC pain medication
• Plenty of fluids
• Gargling with warm salt water
• Rest and sleep

Is a sore throat bothering you? Stop by AFC Urgent Care Louisville any day of the week.