When to Seek Medical Care

When to call the doctor

• When these conditions point to the possibility of a bacterial infection, you should see the doctor.
  
  
  • Severe sore throat without much of a cough
    
    
  • Fever over 101°F
    
    
  • Associated headache, abdominal pain, or vomiting
    
    
  • Another family member recently diagnosed with a strep throat
  
  
• If you seem to be dehydrated (dry mouth, sunken eyes, severe weakness, or decreased urine output), an urgent doctor's appointment is indicated. Symptoms of dehydration in adults may be different from symptoms of dehydration in children.
  
  
• If you can't get good pain relief from over-the-counter medications or you can't get to sleep because of pain, you should see the doctor.

When to go to the hospital

If swallowing hurts enough that drooling occurs, you should go to a hospital's emergency department. Difficulty breathing from a sore throat can also be a symptom of a more serious illness. Significant dehydration associated with inability to drink fluids is often best treated at the hospital.

Because doctor's offices vary in their ability to treat serious conditions in the office or see people on an urgent basis, you might want to call your doctor to get advice on whether you should come to the office or go to the emergency department. Keep in mind that urgent care centers are generally poorly equipped for treatment of serious conditions.