Sore Throat Symptoms

• Symptoms of sore throat throughout the body include fever, headache, nausea, and malaise. These may be present with either a viral or bacterial infection.

• Symptoms specific to the throat include pain with swallowing for pharyngitis and a hoarse voice when laryngitis is present. Cold viruses tend to cause more coughing and runny nose than strep throat.

• Signs of sore throat include the following:

• Pus on the surface of the tonsils (can happen with bacteria or viruses)
  
  
• Redness of the oropharynx (the pharynx viewed though the mouth)
  
  
• Tender neck glands (inflamed lymph nodes)
  
  
• Drooling or spitting (swallowing becomes too painful)
  
  
• Difficulty breathing (inhaling can be especially difficult when the passage through the pharynx or larynx becomes too narrow for a normal stream of air)
  
  
• Vesicles (bubbles of fluid on a red base) in the oral cavity or oropharynx may indicate the presence of Coxsackie virus or herpes simplex virus

• Two-thirds of people with strep throat have only redness with no pus on the tonsils.