A raging sore throat is winter's most common health complaint. Here at West Coast ENT Head and Neck Surgery in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks, CA, your team of seven ENT doctors see sore throats all the time. They'll uncover the cause of yours and give you the right treatment.

 

The causes of sore throats

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that the cold virus is the most frequent cause of sore throats. Additionally, tobacco usage, strep bacteria, mononucleosis, or the flu virus precipitate the scratchy feeling, painful swallowing, and hoarse voice that acutely affect both children and adults. Severe and persistent allergies, shouting, and environmental irritants such as outdoor pollution (car exhaust) may lead to painful throats, too.

Furthermore, there are some additional causes that may be more worrisome, and that's where the professional team here at our offices in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks, CA, come in. The CDC explains that sore throats which persist for more than seven days require medical evaluation, as do accompanying symptoms such as:

• Problems with swallowing and breathing
• Blood in saliva or phlegm
• Drooling
• Joint pain
• Skin rash
• A lump on the side of the neck
• Weight loss which cannot be explained

 

What you should do

If these severe symptoms arise, call a primary care physician here at West Coast ENT Head and Neck Surgery. You may need a strep culture test—a simple swabbing of the back of the throat that can confirm the presence of dangerous strep A bacteria. The doctor may prescribe antibiotic medication to quell a strep infection.

For concerns other than infectious disease, your ENT doctor may do an in-office examination with a lighted laryngoscope. This allows him to view the interior of the throat, including the vocal cords, and any structural abnormalities or tumors.

 

Contact us

Sore throats can be more than annoying. They can be deceptive and even dangerous to your systemic health. If you have one which persists or seems unusual in intensity and length, please contact one of our four locations in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks, CA. Phone us at (805) 379-9646 to schedule an appointment with an ENT doctor today.