Sore throat treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

In most cases, doctors can diagnose a sore throat online by asking about your symptoms, requesting to see images, or video calling to observe your skin. Once you describe your symptoms and the doctor has inspected your skin, they will be able to diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatment.

In children, doctors treat strep infections with antibiotics only to reduce the chance of strep related complications, not to reduce the length of illness.

In adults, antibiotics offer little benefit for throat infections, and the best treatments are often a mix of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and oral steroid medications, all of which can be safely prescribed online.

If the doctor suspects you have a more serious problem, they may suggest you go to a clinic for a thorough in-person examination.

It’s essential to seek emergency care if your sore throat makes you unable to swallow liquids, or causes any difficulty breathing.

Yes, our physicians can prescribe medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or we’ll deliver it right to your door at no additional cost.

You can visit our How it Works page to learn more.

A sore throat, also known as pharyngitis, is usually one of the first signs that you’ve caught a bug. Sore throats are most commonly caused by viruses, like the cold virus, but can also be due to more serious viruses like the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis.

Only a minority of sore throats are caused by strep bacteria, causing what we commonly call strep throat.

The most common cause of a sore throat is a viral infection like the common cold or flu.

Other, but less common causes of sore throat include:

• Allergies — allergic reactions to pets, mold, dust, and pollen;
• Bacterial infections - this can includes bacteria like Streptococcus pyogenes which is the common cause of strep throat;
• Dy air - airy indoors can make your throat feel dry and itchy.

• Difficulty swallowing
• Hoarse or muffled voice
• Inflamed tonsils
• Itchy throat
• Throat pain
• Sore and swollen glands around your neck and jaw area

A sore throat caused by a viral infection like a common cold includes the following symptoms:

• Body aches
• Cough
• Fever
• Mild headache
• Runny nose
• Sneezing

A sore throat caused by a bacterial infection typically includes the following symptoms:

• Loss of appetite
• Pain swallowing
• Red tonsils

Sore throats caused by a bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics.

There is no treatment for a sore throat caused by viral infections, but there are ways to relieve irritability which include:

• Drinking lots of liquids (soup, tea, water, etc)
• Eating nutritious foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein)
• Gargling warm salt water
• Resting
• Sucking on ice chips
• Taking over the counter cold medicine

You should see a doctor if you experience:

• A high fever — 38.3 C (101 F)
• A lump in your neck
• A sore throat that lasts longer than a week
• Difficulty swallowing and/or breathing
• Earaches
• Hoarse speech for more than two weeks
• Joint pain

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A visit works a lot like an in-person appointment. A doctor or nurse practitioner will ask about your symptoms, review your health history and recommend a treatment plan that's right for you. Not every visit leads to a prescription. Sometimes, you might need to see someone in person. When that happens, we'll help you figure out what comes next.

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