Fever and Sore Throat

We all experience fever, accompanied with sore throat or throat infection, sometime in our lives. However, these symptoms are more commonly seen in infants and children. Fever can be defined as an increase in bodily temperature due to several reasons. Most of the time, a disease is diagnosed depending on the type and degree of fever. 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 which is observed along with fever in a variety of diseases.

Causes of Sore Throat and Fever
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 which 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 an acute viral infectious disease which is highly contagious. 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 yet another respiratory disease caused due to viral or bacterial infections. This disease is caused 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 and fungal infection. Pneumonia appears similar to bronchitis as the 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. However, strep throat, also known as sore throat, can also be caused due to constant yelling, shouting, loud singing, etc. 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.

Treating Fever and Throat Infection
Common cold is the only medical condition that hardly needs any treatment as the symptoms subside, within 1-2 days of the onset, on their own. On the other hand, the other diseases need some treatment. If one observes these symptoms, he should consult the doctor as early as possible. 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 by maintaining hygiene. Similarly, having a balanced diet and regular exercise helps in boosting immunity and keeping infectious diseases at bay!