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Suggest Treatment For Sore Throat With Bad Taste In Mouth
Question: I have a very bad sore throat on one side of my throat. Swollen gland, and a bad taste in my mouth. Go to doctor or will it heal with self remedies?
Brief Answer:
Might be good idea to get a throat swab.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
If your sore throat is due to a virus, best to treat it at home with self remedies. But sometimes it can be due to strep, which usually causes a very sore throat, fever, and swollen gland(s). So it might be a good idea to go in and have a rapid strep test done with a throat swab. If it is negative, they can also send the swab to a lab for a culture (which takes 24-48 hours). But the rapid strep test is fairly accurate so you will know if it is strep quickly and if it is, can be treated with an antibiotic. Strep is still sensitive to penicillin and amoxicillin so there is no need for newer broader spectrum antibiotics. And if it isn't strep, do your self remedies.
I hope this information helps. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
Might be good idea to get a throat swab.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
If your sore throat is due to a virus, best to treat it at home with self remedies. But sometimes it can be due to strep, which usually causes a very sore throat, fever, and swollen gland(s). So it might be a good idea to go in and have a rapid strep test done with a throat swab. If it is negative, they can also send the swab to a lab for a culture (which takes 24-48 hours). But the rapid strep test is fairly accurate so you will know if it is strep quickly and if it is, can be treated with an antibiotic. Strep is still sensitive to penicillin and amoxicillin so there is no need for newer broader spectrum antibiotics. And if it isn't strep, do your self remedies.
I hope this information helps. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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