A sore throat is painful, takes days go away and can be expensive because of lost work, medication purchases and doctor visits. Repeat sore throats are even more of a nuisance. If you are experiencing chronic sore throats (more than five or six times a year), you may want to have your tonsils checked for more serious infection.
A common source of infection in the tonsils is from a bacteria called streptococcus commonly referred to as strep throat. Strep comes on quickly and gives symptoms like painful swallowing, a high fever, body aches and white or yellow spots on the back of a red throat.
The streptococcus bacteria can only be confirmed with a test done in the office with a swab test. A culture of the back of the throat is taken and brought to a lab.
“Taking a test is really the best way to positively identify strep throat,” said Dr. Anderson. “There is a lot we can to do help people feel better with a correct diagnosis.”
If a patient has a positive result for streptococcus, doctors will usually prescribe a regimen of antibiotics.
Most times antibiotics clear up the strep bacteria making the patients feel a lot better. However, if the throat pain returns after the prescribed doses of antibiotics, it might be time to take a closer look at the chronic problem.
Another solution to recurring strep throat is to have the tonsils surgically removed. Tonsillectomies are performed under general anesthesia so patients don’t feel any pain during the procedure. Recovery time after the surgery can last up to two weeks while the throat heals. With the tonsils gone, the risk of recurrent tonsil infections is cut down significantly.
If you suffer from chronic sore throats, come see us at South Valley Ear, Nose & Throat.