Pharyngitis

Sore, dry, or scratchy throat;		Sneezing;	Runny nose;	Headache;
Cough;	Fatigue	Body aches;	Chills;	Fever

Symptoms of mononucleosis include:

• Sore Throat
• Severe fatigue
• Muscle Aches
• Loss of Appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever
• General Malaise
• Rash

Streptococcal pharyngitis (Strep Throat) Symptoms

Sore throat	difficulty in swallowing	Red Throat
with white or gray patches	Swollen Lymph Nodes	Nausea
Fever	Loss of Appetite	General Malaise
Un-usual Taste in the mouth

Course of Disease

• The length of the contagious period will also depend on your underlying condition. 
• If you have a viral infection, you will be contagious until your fever runs its course. 
• If you have strep throat, you may be contagious from the onset until you’ve spent 24 hours on antibiotics. 
• The common cold usually lasts less than 10 days. Symptoms, including fever, may peak around three to five days. 
• If pharyngitis is associated with a cold virus, you can expect your symptoms to last this duration of time.

How is pharyngitis diagnosed?

• Physical exam If you’re experiencing symptoms of pharyngitis, your doctor will look at your throat. They’ll check for any white or gray patches, swelling, and redness. Your doctor may also look in your ears and nose. To check for swollen lymph nodes, they will feel the sides of your neck.
• Rapid strep test This test will tell your doctor within a few minutes if the test is positive for streptococcus.
• Throat culture This involves using a cotton swab to take a sample of the secretions from your throat. the swab is sent to a lab for further testing and results are not available for at least 24 hours.
• Blood tests If your doctor suspects another cause of your pharyngitis, they may order blood work. A small sample of blood from your arm or hand is drawn and then sent to a lab for testing. A Mono test can determine whether you have Mononucleosis. A CBCtest may be done to determine if you have another type of infection.

Medical treatment

• In some cases, medical treatment is necessary for pharyngitis. This is especially the case if it’s caused by a bacterial infection. For such instances, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. 
• Amoxicillin and Penicillin are the most commonly prescribed treatments for strep throat. 
• It’s important that you take the entire course of antibiotics to prevent the infection from returning or worsening. An entire course of these antibiotics usually lasts 7 to 10 days.

Pharyngitis prevention

Maintaining proper hygiene can prevent many cases of pharyngitis. To prevent pharyngitis:

• avoid sharing food, drinks, and eating utensils
• avoid individuals who are sick
• wash your hands often, especially before eating and after coughing or sneezing
• use alcohol-based Hand sanitizers when soap and water aren’t available
• avoid Smoking and inhaling secondhand smoke.