Allergies Don’t Cause a Fever — At Least, Not Directly
8 Reasons Your Throat Is Sore On One Side And How To Treat It
Waking up with a tickle in your throat could be a telltale sign you're getting sick. But sometimes the soreness may happen on only one side. That can mean something as minor as a cold or more severe like a tumor.
Here are eight medical conditions that can cause a sore throat on just one side and how to treat each case.
1. A cold or the fluA viral infection, like a cold or the flu, can cause lymph nodes on one side of your neck to swell, triggering pain on that side of the throat, says Dr. Sabina Rebis, a primary-care doctor for Northeast Medical Group Internal Medicine.
Diagnosis: Symptoms of a cold or flu can be similar, but some key signs you may have the flu include a high fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, body aches, and chills. A cold, on the other hand, will typically involve a sore throat, stuffy nose, and sneezing.
Treatment: A sore throat from an infection like a cold or the flu typically takes up to 10 days to resolve on its own. To help your throat heal, try drinking warm fluids, taking a hot shower, and gargling saltwater.
2. COVID-19A sore throat is one of many COVID-19 symptoms, and just like any other viral infection it can trigger swollen lymph nodes and postnasal drip that can cause soreness on one side of the throat, Rebis says.
Diagnosis: The best way to determine whether you have COVID-19 is to take a coronavirus test. Antigen tests, aka rapid tests, can be purchased at your local pharmacy and performed at home. They are less accurate than molecular tests, in which the results are sent to a laboratory for analysis. Since the US declared an end to the public health emergency on May 11, 2023, COVID-19 tests aren't free anymore. Some insurance companies may still choose to cover at-home or molecular tests, but they don't have to, so you may need to pay for tests out-of-pocket.
Treatment: Treatment for a sore throat from COVID-19 is similar to treatment for the flu. This includes:
Tonsillitis occurs when your tonsils become inflamed and swollen and is typically more common in children than in adults. About 70% of cases of tonsillitis are from a virus such as the flu virus. But bacteria can also be the culprit.
If you feel pain on only one side of your throat, it may mean only one of your tonsils is infected.
Diagnosis: Symptoms characteristic of tonsillitis are white patches or redness at the back of your throat where your tonsils are found.
Treatment: Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics to get rid of tonsillitis caused by a bacterial infection. But if tonsillitis is from a viral infection, you may need to wait for it to pass on its own meanwhile soothing your sore throat with the following strategies:
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Canker sores are small shallow wounds that usually form around the mouth but can also sometimes appear in the back of the throat, near the tonsils, says Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh, an otolaryngologist and laryngologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center.
If a canker sore forms on or near your tonsils, it can cause severe sore throats. And if it's on only one tonsil, that can lead to a sore throat on one side.
Causes of canker sores include:
Diagnosis: A canker sore appears as a half-inch to 1-inch white-yellowish ulcer with surrounding redness. Canker sores are painful when eating or talking.
Treatment: "Typically, the treatment for canker sores [revolves around] pain control and hydration. Occasionally, topical medications can help soothe the area," Mehdizadeh said.
You can reduce the pain by taking over-the-counter pain relievers and rinsing your mouth with either saltwater or mouthwash without alcohol.
The pain from a canker sore should resolve in a few days, while the ulcer itself will take one to two weeks to disappear.
5. GERDGastroesophageal reflux disease is a chronic disease that affects about 20% of Americans. It occurs when stomach acid travels back up through the esophagus, triggering symptoms such as heartburn, chest pain, and occasionally a sore throat on one side, depending on how you sleep.
"Sometimes the sleep position we're in can make stomach acid travel a little bit farther up in our esophagus. Microscopic droplets can actually irritate the back of the throat without us actually knowing it because we don't feel it when we sleep," Rebis says.
While Rebis explains that GERD commonly happens on both sides of the throat, it is possible to irritate just one side if you tend to sleep mainly on one side.
Treatment: To prevent acid reflux during sleep, Rebis recommends elevating the head of the bed at least 6 to 8 inches using bed risers. Other options include elevating your shoulder blades when sleeping, stopping meals 2 hours before bed, and limiting chocolate, coffee, and alcohol late at night. For immediate relief, your doctor may prescribe Protonix or Pepcid or you may try over-the-counter medications such as Tums or Rolaids.
6. Peritonsillar abscessPeritonsillar abscess is a pus-filled nodule of bacteria and cellular debris found near the tonsils. If the pus collects on one side, it can cause soreness on that side of the throat.
Note: Peritonsillar abscess occurs in 1 out of every 10,000 people. While anybody can develop peritonsillar abscess, it's more common among people between the ages of 20 to 40.
Diagnosis: Doctors may provide a diagnosis of peritonsillar abscess if they see swelling on the roof of your mouth as well as one side of your throat. In addition to a sore throat, symptoms include:
Treatment: An abscess may grow large enough that it can obstruct your airways making it harder to breathe. Therefore, if you think you have a peritonsillar abscess, you should see a doctor who will use a needle to drain the pus.
Draining the pus should clear up your symptoms and give you instant relief. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics after drainage to ensure the infection doesn't spread.
7. LaryngitisLaryngitis is when your voice box becomes inflamed typically because of a viral or bacterial infection. But smoking, vaping, a dry cough, and dehydration can also cause the condition.
If your laryngitis is due to an infection, then swollen lymph nodes on one side of your neck and a heavy postnasal drip to one side can cause a sore throat on that same side.
Diagnosis: A hallmark feature of laryngitis is losing your voice or a change in your voice. Beyond irritated or swollen vocal cords, laryngitis can make it hard to swallow and make it painful to speak. You might also feel a scratchy or dryness in the back of your throat.
Treatment: Laryngitis should go away on its own after two weeks. During that time, you can soothe an irritated sore throat by drinking plenty of fluids, taking a cough suppressant, and turning on the humidifier in your room. If your symptoms last longer than 2 weeks, see a doctor as it may be a sign of something serious like nerve damage or cancer.
8. TumorIf a tumor is growing on one side of your throat, it can cause pain on just that one side, Mehdizadeh says. In fact, one of the first signs of throat cancer is a sore throat.
Note: In 2021, there were 12,620 new cases of laryngeal cancer. The majority of cases, 9,940, were in men.
Diagnosis: The only way to diagnose, or rule out, a tumor is to see a doctor who can check for any growing lumps or other symptoms. A doctor can also perform a laryngoscopy, in which a small camera is inserted through the nose or mouth to look for polyps, tumors, or other signs of inflamed growths inside your larynx and hypopharynx.
Treatment: For immediate relief, you can try pain medication. However, your doctor may decide that you need surgery to remove the tumor depending on factors including its size and growth. If the tumor was cancerous, radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be necessary to prevent it from coming back.
When to see a doctorMehdizadeh says there's no urgent need to see a doctor if your sore throat lasts less than five days and there's no significant changes in breathing, swallowing, or neck swelling.
"Just keep an eye on it. Staying hydrated and taking pain medications as needed is generally advisable," Mehdizadeh says.
If your sore throat lasts longer than five days or worsens over the five-day period, he advises seeking further care to rule out a bacterial infection that may need antibiotics or something more serious like a tumor.
Insider's takeawaySore throats on one side have numerous causes, with viral infections being the most common.
Many sore throats are manageable at home with warm liquids, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, and breathing in steam to reduce swelling and pain.
"Sore throats on one side are common and it's important not to be nervous about them. But if you find it worsening, it's important to see your doctor and get that evaluated," Rebis says.
Medications And Drugs For Treatment Of Tonsillitis
In Tonsillitis the tonsils are inflamed and swollen and it usually occurs due to bacterial or viral infection.
DequaliniumDequalinium is an antiseptic which helps in killing many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi.
Brand Names :DequadinMore ...
What Those White Spots On Your Tonsils Mean And How To Get Rid Of Them
Imagine waking up with a sore throat. Maybe it hurts to swallow, or maybe your throat feels a little "off." You go to the mirror and open wide. There, way in the back of your throat, you see white spots on your tonsils. They may be small and pimple-like, or they could be lumpy patches or streaks.
These tonsil spots typically don't hurt, but they can definitely look concerning. They're part of your body's immune response. They often appear during an infection or as a reaction to a foreign object lodged in your tonsils.
"White spots on tonsils are most likely to disappear on their own after a few days," says Kire Stojkovski, MD, a doctor and medical consultant at Farr Institute. "Treating the underlying or primary medical condition will help get rid of the white spot more quickly."
Learn more about the various reasons why these white spots appear and how to deal with them.
TonsillitisTonsillitis occurs when your tonsils become inflamed due to an infection. White spots are a common symptom of tonsillitis along with:
Medical term: Your tonsils are dimpled lumps in the back of your throat. The most well-known and visible pair lay on the left and right sides of your mouth, called the palatine tonsils. But you also have two pairs of tonsils on the top and bottom of your mouth.
When you see spots on your tonsils, often you are witnessing the aftermath of a microscopic battle between your immune system's white blood cells and the infectious germs they're fighting. The dead white blood cells and germs collect together in a liquid called pus.
The pus may swell under the lining of your mouth like a zit, or it could become a creamy patch that sits on the surface. This is called chronic caseous tonsillitis (CCT). These white spots generally are harmless.
Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics to get rid of tonsillitis caused by a bacterial infection. But if tonsillitis is from a viral infection, you may need to wait for it to pass on its own. In the meantime, you can soothe your sore throat by gargling salt water or drinking warm liquids.
Peritonsillar abscessHowever, there are rare cases when the white spots can pose a danger. If the infection gets too severe, or your body is fighting off multiple pathogens at once, those spots can grow into a large lump. This is called a peritonsillar abscess (PTA).
In addition to causing severe tonsillitis symptoms, a peritonsillar abscess can:
Fortunately, PTAs are rare, only affecting .03% of Americans a year.
How to treat it: They are also very treatable. You can get the abscess drained at an outpatient center or by an ENT. After your doctor extracts the pus, they will likely prescribe you corticosteroids or antibiotics to speed up the healing process.
Bacterial InfectionBacteria cause 15% to 30% of acute tonsillitis cases. The most common culprit is a type of bacteria called group A strep, the same bacteria that cause strep throat.
Strep ThroatGroup A strep bacteria thrive in the nose and throat. If the bacteria get in your tonsils, you may develop milky white spots. You might also see a grayish patch coating your tonsils called a pseudomembrane.
Note: Strep throat is a very common disease, affecting millions of people per year. It is most common in kids ages 5 through 15. If you are a parent, teacher, or other adult who spends lots of time with kids in this age range, you also have a higher risk of catching it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other symptoms of strep throat include:
How to treat it: A doctor will prescribe you antibiotics and your tonsil spots and other symptoms should disappear in two to three days after starting the medication. It is important to take all the antibiotics you are given. If you stop too early, the white spots may return.
Viral InfectionViruses cause up to 70% of acute tonsillitis cases. Here are several viral diseases that can cause spots on your tonsils.
Infectious MononucleosisInfectious mononucleosis, called "mono" for short, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Mono is most common among adolescents and young adults. EBV spreads through saliva, hence why mono is sometimes called the "kissing disease."
Mono can look a lot like strep throat at first. Often doctors need to do an antibody test to tell which one is which.
Telltale signs of mono are:
Tonsils infected with mono will look slightly different than those fighting off bacteria. With mono:
How to treat it: Mono is caused by a virus, so antibiotics won't work on it. You just have to wait it out. Typically, it will take four to six weeks to fully recover.
During recovery, it is important to listen to your body and rest when you are tired. Your doctor may recommend you avoid vigorous exercise for a month. Mono can cause your spleen to swell, and there is a risk of it rupturing if you strain your body too much.
Oral HerpesIf you've ever had a cold sore, you can probably blame herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Don't worry, you aren't alone: Over half of US adults have had oral herpes.
Most people get oral herpes through non-sexual contact. You might have come into contact with infected saliva by sharing silverware or dipping your pretzels in communal dip. Since the virus is so common, the older you are, the more likely you are to have been exposed.
Oral herpes rarely causes tonsillitis. But if HSV-1 does reach your tonsils, you might see white or red spots in the form of cold sores. If those sores leak fluid they can cause shallow cavities called ulcers.
Once you've contracted HSV-1, the virus stays with you, usually lying dormant in your body. Some lucky people never develop symptoms. Others will have recurring outbreaks from time to time that may look like:
You're more likely to show symptoms during the first few outbreaks, when your body's immune system is still getting used to the virus.
How to treat it: Oral antiviral medications can help reduce herpes-related tonsil spots. Cold sores outside the body may respond well to topical ointments. You can take anti-inflammatory agents and pain relievers for other symptoms.
Yeast InfectionsYour body is naturally host to a community of bacteria and yeast called your microbiome. Normally these organisms live in harmony with your body and support your everyday functioning. But when something disrupts the microbiome in your mouth, white patches can appear.
Oral thrushThe most common yeast infection in the mouth is caused by Candida albicans. If this yeast grows too much in your mouth and throat, you can develop oral thrush (also called candidiasis).
Signs of oral thrush include:
In oral thrush, you'll probably see patches and streaks rather than defined spots. The patches often look creamy like cottage cheese. The patches are most likely to be on the tongue or the lining of your cheeks and lips, but they can show up on your tonsils, too.
You are more at risk for oral thrush if you:
How to treat it: You can treat oral thrush with antifungal medication. This might take the form of a pill, lozenge, or liquid. This treatment regimen usually takes one to two weeks.
Non-Infectious causesNot all tonsil spots are caused by infection. Sometimes they are caused by foreign objects.
Tonsil StonesSometimes food and debris can get caught in your tonsil's crevices. If the object stays there for too long, it will harden into a mineral deposit we call a tonsil stone.
Tonsil stones are very common, affecting up to 10% of people in their lifetime. They become more common as people get older, peaking between ages 50 to 69.
Usually, these tonsil stones are too small to see and cause no symptoms. Most people don't realize they have tonsil stones until they get a routine X-ray or CT scan at their dental office.
When tonsil stones are visible, they often look like white or yellow pebbles. They may attract bacteria, which may cause your breath to smell. Pus can also collect in the gap and harden, making the stone larger.
Unlike tonsillitis, tonsil stones generally don't cause fever. They won't make your tonsils red and swollen either. Often they cause no pain at all.
How to treat it: If you have a tonsil stone that's bothering you, gargling with salt water can help. You can swallow a tonsil stone without choking, but spitting one out is quicker than digesting it.
You can also try dislodging a tonsil stone with a water pick or cotton swab. Don't use your fingers to pick it out, since you could scratch your tonsils and cause further infection.
Insider's takeawayWhite spots on your tonsils can look scary, but they generally aren't dangerous. They're simply a sign that your immune system is doing its job to keep you safe.
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