some advice please!!?

Question

i am a 16 year old girl. since thursday i have had an extremly sore throat constantly. it stops me from sleeping and it is so painful that i can't swallow which means i have to spit (which i despise). i am not a big eater anyway but i have eaten next to nothing or drunk next to nothing since thursday. it is a saturday so can't go to the doctors as they are closed at weekends. anyone have any ideas what this could be and how serious it is? or is it nothing? also, i have started getting very nasty headaches right behind my eyes which tablets don't relieve.

thank you in advance.

ps. i dont no if this is relevent but i had my last GCSE exam on wednesday (the whole exam time was quite stressful)

willow and logan: no it couldn't be an STD

she knows: i live in brighton

Answer 1

Ignore any twats making offensive remarks.
It sounds like you may have a throat virus or infection which can make you feel very unwell. You do need to drink water otherwise you will become dehydrated and then you will be even more poorly.
Your headache is indicative that you are dehydrated. lease drink some water. if you really cannot drink then you need to see a GP this weekend. Go to the out of hours GP service.
You could also be run down from your exams perhaps.

Go and see GP. I don't believe this is serious but you do need to start taking oral fluids otherwise you will become very ill. Take some soluble paracetamol and get some antiseptic throat spray/pastels.
Hope you get better soon x

Answer 2

My advice is to go to the doctor and get it checked out. If you have a viral infection you will have to let it run its course which is usually 7 to 10 days, but to help you get relief try a hot lemon drink and panadol or something similar. If you have a bacterial infection your doctor can prescribed a course of antibiotics which you take for 7 days and you must complete the course even if you feel better after a few days to prevent a relapse. The headaches you are getting sounds like stress. And with your exams this is most likely to be the cause.

Answer 3

To ease the pain you can get Merocaine lozenges from a pharmacist, Dequacaine are good as well but have been unavailable for a while. Sipping warm Chamomile tea with honey will also soothe your throat.
If you are unable to swallow at all you need to call NHS Direct and ask their advice. Not getting enough fluids can be dangerous and is not something you can deal with on your own.
If you can manage to swallow use the Merocaine and Chamomile tea and make an appointment to see your GP on Monday.
Since you are still 16, tell one of your parents how you are feeling, they should be able to help.

Answer 4

Everyone knows what a sore throat feels like. It is one of the most common health complaints, particularly during the colder months of the year, when respiratory diseases are at their peak. Typically the raw, scratchy, burning feeling at the back of your throat is the first sign you'll have of a cold or the flu on the way. But a sore throat can also be the first symptom of more serious conditions, so you should watch how it develops and call your doctor if there are any signs that you have more than the run-of-the-mill type.

What Are the Treatments?
Since most sore throats from infections are due to viruses, antibiotics -- used for bacteria -- are not usually needed to speed recovery from a sore throat. Some sore throats, such as that with strep throat, do require an antibiotic. Check with your doctor to be sure.

At-Home Remedies:

-Get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids.
-Take Tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen for pain relief.
-Suck on a zinc lozenge. The jury is still out, but some studies show zinc can relieve sore throats and other cold symptoms.
-Gargle with warm salt water (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of water).
-Suck on throat lozenges or hard candy.
-Suck on frozen treats (such as Popsicles).
-Use a humidifier.
-To help relieve the pain, apply a warm heating pad or compress to your throat. You can also try a warm chamomile poultice: Mix 1 tablespoon dried chamomile flowers into 1 or 2 cups boiling water; steep for five minutes, then strain. Soak a clean cloth or towel in the tea, wring it out, then apply to your throat. Remove the cloth when it becomes cold. Repeat as often as necessary.
-A salt plaster may also help provide relief. Mix 2 cups sea salt with 5 to 6 tablespoons lukewarm water. The salt should be damp, but not wet. Place the salt in the center of a dishtowel, then roll the towel along the longer side. Wrap the towel around your neck; cover it with another dry towel. Leave on for as long as you wish.
-Try steam inhalations to ease the pain. Run very hot water in a sink. With a towel draped over your head to trap the steam, lean over the sink while the water is running. Breathe deeply through your mouth and nose for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat several times a day.

Hope some of these ideas helped. Also, when it comes to the lozenges, I suggest Cepacol. It has a numbing agent that will relieve your pain briefly.

Answer 5

Gargle with TCP and water (about 1:1 mix) for 15 seconds. This should be long enough to kill most of the bacteria that are causing your sore throat!

It doesn't taste too good but do it once a day til you can see a doctor.

Answer 6

i hve no idea how people would ask such seriuos questions on here !!! if it was about the colour of ur new jeans u can ask here people might help u decide !! now you are talkin about a clinical case which u never know might be life threatning .. go speak to a doctor .. exams dont cause extreme sore throats for 4 days !!

go the a.e in ur nearest hospital (i think its royal sussex county hospital) it is open everday ..

might be a serious infection or anything else u wont know unless u go speak to a doctor ..

Answer 7

You could just be developing a heavy cold. Sometimes I can have these symptoms for days before I get the runny nose etc. If you are worried give NHS direct a call and they will advise you. If they think you need to see a doctor you can arrange an out of hours appointment.
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/

Answer 8

if you cant swallow due to the pain, then you have tonsilitis, which is an inflammation of the tonsils in the back of the throat. It is caused by bacteria, and can only be treated by taking antibiotics, either in the form of medicine or tablets.

as the doctors surgery is closed, my only advice is to eat ice cream or ice cubes which may help to numb the pain. try and eat some soup if this is possible. dont eat anything like meat which can scratch and irritate your tonsils.

Answer 9

That sounds like strep throat. It's pretty serious, so get to a doctor quickly or it could get infected. It has nothing to do with stress, either. It's a (for lack of a better word) a 'bug' that travels on people's hands. So get yourself to a doctor on Monday, okay?

Answer 10

You probably have a simple bacterial throat infection (tonsilitis or pharyngitis, or something similar) which may need antibiotics to clear it up. Your body needs sleep in order to heal itself and you need to consume plety of liquids even if it hurts to swallow. Get to the docs first thing Monday morning and get it sorted.