Fever and sore throat together can occur due to various reasons. Read on to find the different causes that lead to this condition, along with the treatment methods.
Fever can be defined as an increase in bodily temperature due to several reasons. The type and degree of fever helps in diagnosing certain diseases. However, it is not a reliable means as it is a fairly common symptom observed in many diseases. Therefore, in order to diagnose any disease, the doctors look for other symptoms that accompany fever. Sore throat is one such symptom that is observed along with fever in a variety of diseases.
Causes
These symptoms are commonly found if you suffer from any respiratory disorder. The following are the causes of fever and sore throat observed in adults and children.
Common Cold
Common cold is the most common medical condition in the world. Common cold is a mild infection caused by virus, and is characterized by sore throat, low-grade fever, cough, sneezing, and runny nose. Common cold is very contagious and commonly seen in infants and children.
Influenza (Flu)
Influenza, also known as flu, is a highly contagious acute viral infectious disease. Many people get confused between common cold and flu. Influenza is characterized by runny nose, cough, sore throat, high fever, chills, headache, body ache, and weakness. In extreme and rare cases, flu can even lead to death.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is another respiratory disease caused due to viral or bacterial infections. This disease occurs when the branches or the bronchi of the trachea get inflamed due to invasion of harmful virus or bacteria in the respiratory tract. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic, and the symptoms vary accordingly. Sever violent cough, fever, sore throat, wheezing, and shortness of breath are the common symptoms of bronchitis.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia can be defined as the inflammation of the tissues of one or both lungs (excluding bronchi) due to viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. Symptoms of pneumonia include chills, fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and sore throat.
Strep Throat
Strep throat is throat infection caused due to streptococcus bacteria or other viral infections. Strep throat caused due to viral infections is very contagious can spread from close contact or even touching the infected person’s articles. Apart from fever and throat pain, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, skin rash, and joint pain are the other symptoms of strep throat.
Treatment
Symptoms of common cold usually subside within 1-2 days of the onset on their own. Nearly all the above mentioned diseases can be treated effectively if timely treatment is undertaken. Bacterial infections can be treated with the help of antibiotics, on the other hand, viral infections need to be treated using other drugs and medications. Pneumonia and influenza should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible as they can be fatal if left untreated.
The diseases causing these symptoms can be prevented up to some extent by maintaining good hygiene. Similarly, having a balanced diet and regular exercise helps in boosting immunity and keeping infectious diseases at bay.
Disclaimer: This article is purely for informative purposes, and should not be treated as a replacement for professional medical advice.
