Sudden or short-term
Sore Throat Treatment in Southlake, TX
Strep testing in the office, antibiotics when the test earns them, and a real explanation when it does not.
We see patients age 16 and older.
Most sore throats are viral and get better on their own. The job of the visit is working out which ones are not, treating those properly, and making sure the dangerous handful get recognized.
What we look for
We use the clinical pattern to decide whether testing is worthwhile. Fever, tender swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck, exudate on the tonsils and the absence of a cough all point toward strep.
A cough, runny nose, hoarseness and conjunctivitis point away from it and toward a virus, and in that combination a test is rarely useful.
Rapid strep testing takes a few minutes in the office. If it is negative and suspicion remains high, we send a culture and call you with the result rather than treating on a hunch.
Mononucleosis
Worth considering in younger adults with a sore throat that has lasted more than a week, profound fatigue, swollen glands at the back of the neck and sometimes an enlarged spleen.
We test when the picture fits. It matters practically: mono means avoiding contact sports for several weeks because of splenic rupture risk, and it means amoxicillin will likely cause a dramatic rash.
When it is strep
Penicillin or amoxicillin remains first-line, and resistance is genuinely not a problem with strep.
Treatment shortens symptoms modestly and its main value is preventing rheumatic fever and reducing transmission. You are no longer contagious after about 24 hours of antibiotics, which matters for getting back to work.
If you are penicillin allergic, tell us what happened when you took it. Most reported penicillin allergies turn out not to be true allergies on testing, and that label leads to broader antibiotics with more side effects for the rest of your life. It is worth sorting out.
When it is not strep
Which is most of the time.
Salt water gargles, throat lozenges, honey and warm fluids all help. Ibuprofen tends to work better than acetaminophen for throat pain specifically. Anesthetic sprays help briefly. A short course of steroids is occasionally reasonable for severe pain, though we are selective about it.
Expect three to five days of real discomfort with gradual improvement.
The causes people miss
- Reflux. A throat that is worst on waking, with hoarseness and throat clearing, is often acid reflux rather than infection.
- Post-nasal drip from allergies or sinus disease.
- Dry air and mouth breathing, especially in winter or with untreated nasal obstruction.
- Thyroiditis, which causes anterior neck pain sometimes mistaken for a sore throat.
Red flags
Difficulty breathing, inability to swallow saliva, drooling, a muffled voice, severe one-sided pain with trouble opening the mouth, or swelling in the neck.
These suggest a deep space infection or abscess and need immediate evaluation. Trouble breathing means 911, not an appointment.
Same-day appointments are covered on our sick visits page. See our primary care Southlake practice overview.
Questions about your own case?
These pages describe how we treat this generally. What matters is your history, your labs and your medications, and that takes a visit. We are taking new patients now and most major insurance is accepted.
Questions patients ask
Do I need a strep test?
If your symptoms fit the pattern, yes. Fever, swollen tender neck glands, tonsil exudate and no cough raises the odds substantially. A cough and runny nose alongside makes strep unlikely and a test usually unnecessary.
How fast do I get results?
The rapid test takes a few minutes in the office. If it is negative but suspicion is high, we send a confirmatory culture and follow up with you.
Will antibiotics make it go away faster?
For strep, they shorten symptoms modestly and, more importantly, prevent rheumatic fever and reduce spread. For viral sore throats they do nothing at all.
When is a sore throat an emergency?
Trouble breathing or swallowing your own saliva, a muffled voice, inability to open your mouth fully, severe one-sided pain, or neck swelling. Those need to be seen immediately, and difficulty breathing means 911.
My throat hurts every morning. Is that different?
Usually yes. A sore throat that is worst on waking and improves through the day is often reflux or mouth breathing rather than infection, and antibiotics will not touch it.
Related care at Magnolia
2111 Kirkwood Blvd, Ste 110C, Southlake. Free parking directly in front.