Canada Drug Guide

So you have a
Sore Throat
...now what do you do?

Download this
document as a PDF

This information is to help you have an informed discussion with your doctor or pharmacist.

What causes a sore throat?

A virus or bacteria can cause a sore throat. Viruses cause most sore throats.

	When a virus causes a sore throat there is no antibiotic medication that will help. The sore throat will go away by itself.
	When bacteria causes a sore throat, it is often called Strep throat. Antibiotic medications may help to relieve strep throat.

For 90% of adults and 70% of children, sore throats are caused by a virus.

No medication is needed to treat a virus.

How do I know if I have a virus or bacteria?

A throat swab by your doctor can tell the difference. To do this, a special cotton swab is touched to the back of your throat. The swab is then put in a special tube and tested. Your doctor will tell you if you have a virus or bacteria. If you have strep throat your doctor may advise you to take antibiotic medication.

When should I see my doctor about my sore throat? You should see your doctor when you have a sore throat and any 2 of these things:

	a temperature more than 38°C/100.4°F
	tender glands around your throat
	swollen tonsils
	pus on your tonsils
	3 to 14 years old
	do not have a cough

Try these things to help a sore throat:

sip water or juice

suck cough candies, cough drops or lozenges

gargle with a teaspoon of salt mixed in 1 cup of warm water

take acetaminophen (Tylenol®) for pain and fever

How well do antibiotics work for strep throat?

Benefits of Antibiotics

	Penicillin is often the antibiotic used for Strep throat. For most people, a 10-day course is recommended. If you are allergic to penicillin, erythromycin is generally used.
	Strep throat lasts 5 to 7 days with or without antibiotics. People taking antibiotics have relief of their symptoms about 8 hours sooner than people who do not take antibiotics.
	About 2 out of 10 people taking antibiotics gain relief from symptoms such as fever and headache.
	Antibiotics prevent 2 to 4 people out of 100 from getting more serious problems such as an ear infection or abscessed tonsils.
	There is a very small chance that antibiotics lower chances of getting rheumatic fever: 1:40,000.

Risks of Antibiotics

	For every 100 people who take penicillin, 5 to 10 will develop skin rash, nausea or diarrhea.
	For erythromycin, the chance of skin rash is less, but the chance of nausea and diarrhea is higher. For every 100 people, 20-40 will experience these problems.
	It is very rare to have an allergic reaction to an antibiotic that threatens your life: 1:40,000 people.

Other Resources To learn more about the information on this sheet contact:

	Your Doctor
	Your Pharmacist

The Canada Drug Guide Project, funded by Health Canada, aims to test the use of consumer-friendly information drawn from the best available studies.

Production of this document has been made possible by a financial contribution from the Health Transition fund, Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the official policy of Health Canada.