Has your sore throat been lingering much longer than you hoped? Find out why!

A sore throat is always a nuisance but a sore throat that doesn’t seem to go away seems like a nightmare, right? There are many things that could be to blame for your sore throat. Luckily, our Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard and Camarillo, CA, otolaryngologists are here to help you get to the bottom of it.

If you have a sore throat that keeps coming back or doesn’t seem to go away after a week or more then this is certainly not something to ignore. This is your body’s way of trying to tell you that something is wrong.

A sore throat could be the result of a viral or bacterial infection. Perhaps you had a bout of strep throat that you never got treated or you have a bad case of tonsillitis (which could be the case if you notice pain on only one side of your throat).

If you also have swollen lymph nodes in the neck along with a sore throat this is something that our Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard and Camarillo ENT doctor will need to look at right away.

Other causes of a chronic sore throat include:

• Smoking
• Mouth breathing
• Dry air
• Allergies
• Environmental pollutants
• Influenza
• Mononucleosis
• STI (e.g. gonorrhea; chlamydia)
• GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• Chronic fatigue syndrome

As you can see, there are so many different things that could be responsible for your sore throat that it will be impossible to diagnose online. This is why you should come in for a proper diagnosis if your symptoms are severe, if your sore throat gets worse (even with at-home care), if you have a high fever or if you develop a rash.

How is a sore throat treated?

The course of action we take will depend on the cause of your symptoms. Of course, there are certain steps you can take to help minimize your sore throat. If dry air is to blame, consider putting a humidifier in your home (ideally, the bedroom). Avoid smoking and other tobacco products (even secondhand smoke), and gargle with salt water (which can ease swelling and discomfort).

If your sore throat is due to a bacterial infection (e.g. strep throat) then antibiotics will need to be prescribed in order to kill the bacteria. In the case of a viral infection, this condition will not require medication (it will usually just go away on its own).

If your sore throat is due to GERD then it’s important that you turn to a gastroenterologist who can recommend either an over-the-counter or prescription medication to help reduce stomach acid.

West Coast Ear, Nose and Throat provides the thorough ENT care you need in the Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, CA areas. If you are dealing with a sore throat that doesn’t go away then it’s time you called us to get some answers.