Sore Throat

Only about 15% of the people who go to a doctor with a bad sore throat have a bacterial (strep) infection - most episodes of a sore throat are due to a virus. You only need antibiotics if a test shows you have strep throat.

Symptoms of sore throat can include:

fever for more than 2 days;
severe throat pain; and
trouble breathing.

What you can do:

Drink more water. Honey and lemon in hot water is good too.
Gargle with warm salt water or use a throat lozenge.
Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) to relieve pain. Read the label for a child's dose.

Call your doctor or nurse if:

you have a fever of higher than 39 degrees Celsius or 102 degrees Fahrenheit;
you have trouble breathing;
after several days, you start feeling worse instead of better; or
you think there is something seriously wrong with your baby.