Viral pharyngitis is a sore, inflamed throat caused by a virus.
The following viruses are most likely to cause a sore throat:
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.
Risk factors include:
Symptoms include:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. Most viral sore throats are diagnosed based on the symptoms and examination of the throat. Often, the throat will be swabbed to make sure that the sore throat isn't due to strep infection, which requires treatment with antibiotics.
There are no treatments to cure a viral sore throat. Most cases of viral pharyngitis heal on their own within about a week's time. A sore throat may be the initial symptom of an HIV infection.
Treatments to relieve symptoms until the infection heals, include:
Sore throat pain can be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Note: Aspirin is not recommended for children with a current or recent viral infection. Check with your doctor before giving a child aspirin.
To reduce your chance of getting a viral sore throat:
Viral sore throat is a “diagnosis of exclusion” made when sore throat is present and strep is regarded as unlikely. Even in the absence of strep, some types of sore throats need further tests or treatment.
Be sure to seek care if your sore throat is worsening, is associated with new, or serious symptoms, especially difficulty breathing, weakness, chills, or is not resolving within the time frame that your doctor predicted.
RESOURCES:
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org
American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery
http://www.entnet.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Family Physician
http://www.cfpc.ca/cfp/
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
http://www.cfpc.ca/
References:
American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org .
Coco A, Kleinhans E. Prevalence of primary HIV infection in symptomatic ambulatory patients. Ann Fam Med . 2005;3(5):400-404.
Griffith's 5-Minute Clinical Consult . 2001 ed. Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins; 2001.
Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases . 5th ed. Churchill Livingstone, Inc.; 2000.
Recognizing primary HIV-1 infection. Infect Med . 1999;16(2):104-108,110.
Last reviewed November 2008 by Elie Edmond Rebeiz, MD, FACS
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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