Antibiotic Awareness: Sore Throat or Pharyngitis скачать в хорошем качестве

Antibiotic Awareness: Sore Throat or Pharyngitis

Seattle Mama Doc shares how to tell the difference between sore throats caused by a virus or bacteria, and how they can be treated. Transcript: Sore throats or what we call pharyngitis are typically caused by common colds and don’t usually need antibiotics Hi, I’m Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health; I’m here to talk about sore throats, also called pharyngitis. The main thing that you need remember is that most sore throats will get better all on their own and won’t need the treatment with antibiotics. This is because most pharyngitis, or sore throats, are caused by viruses that don’t respond to antibiotics. How can you tell the difference between a sore throat due to a virus or a bacteria? Sore throats that are due to a virus and don’t require antibiotics often cause cold-like symptoms. Things like- • coughing and sneezing • a runny nose and watery eyes • a hoarse voice • and sometimes a fever Sore throats caused by bacteria also called strep throat usually come on suddenly and cause a really bad sore throat along with - • tonsils that are red and swollen, and sometimes with patches of pus • small red spots on the roof of the mouth • fever, higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit. • tender, swollen lymph nodes under the jaw and on the front of the neck • and sometimes vomiting and a rash. How do you treat a sore throat? Most sore throats can be treated at home, by taking it easy for a few days, gargling with salt water, drinking warm liquids, and taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed for fever and pain. If you’re concerned you or your child have strep throat, check with your healthcare provider to find out whether you should come in to be tested for strep throat. Antibiotics should not be prescribed without a positive strep test. Thanks for listening to this information about sore throats and pharyngitis. I’m Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson with the Washington State Department of health.