Is That Scratchy Throat Really A Cold? The Case Against Strep Throat (Part 1)

June 17, 2010

Here's a typical patient that I see 2-3 time every day in my practice: A young woman comes in complaining of waking up Sunday morning with a sore and scratchy throat. She thinks she may have caught her husband's cold, since she is also experiencing some sweats, low-grade fever and unrefreshing sleep. I ask repeatedly if she did something out of the ordinary a few days prior to the onset of her symptoms, and she says no. She denies any traveling, flying, eating or drinking late. She normally sleeps on her stomach, and her father snores like a train. She's worried that she has Strep throat.

Her general exam, as expected, is normal. No throat inflammation, redness or swollen glands. Looking via a flexible endoscope, the back of her voice box is slightly inflamed and swollen, but there's absolutely no evidence of infection? What would you do?

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog
Tagged: ,colds, scratchy throat, snoring, strep throat, throat pain