Acute Sore throats

Adults and Children 5 Years & Over

What is a sore throat?

Sore throats are a very common condition that have affected almost every person at some stage of their life, some more serious than others. A sore throat is often described as an itchy or scratchy sensation at the back of the throat often made worse when swallowing, which can make it difficult to eat and drink. It may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, swollen glands, cough and loss of voice. The most common causes of sore throats are viral, bacterial and injury from sharp food items or foreign bodies.

Book Acute Sore Throats

Name

Address

Postcode

Phone Number

Date of Birth

NHS Number

Day

Time

How Can We Help?

When home remedies are not enough, and the symptoms are causing considerable discomfort our pharmacist at Padiham Pharmacy will be happy to have a consultation with you where they perform a throat examination and discuss the best possible course of treatment.

Treatments range from the over-the-counter medications mentioned above to antibiotics should the pharmacist feel they are necessary.

Upon examination if the pharmacist feels that there are any underlying concerns they will promptly refer you to a GP or A&E where appropriate.

What Can You Do?

In the majority of cases a sore throat is self-limiting which means it will resolve on its own with little or no treatment, usually within 7 days. However, home remedies or medication can help provide relief and speed up recovery time depending on the severity of the symptoms. Some remedies you can try include:

• Salt-water gargling
• Drinking plenty of fluids, warm drinks in particular -avoiding caffeine
• Throat lozenges
• Antiseptic throat spray/rinse
• Painkillers such as Paracetamol and anti-inflammatories e.g. Ibuprofen