Duration of medication intake | Duration of sore throat – what is normal?

Duration of medication intake

Freely available medications such as lozenges for sore throats should generally not be taken for more than 3 days. If there is no improvement after this period, a doctor should be consulted. Ibuprofen and paracetamol can be taken regularly for the first 3 to 5 days for sore throats.

Care should be taken to ensure that the maximum daily doses are not exceeded. – Treatment of sore throat

• Home remedy for sore throats. Especially when taking antibiotics, the duration depends on the antibiotic prescribed.

For example, if the sore throat is caused by streptococcal angina, penicillin V antibiotics are usually prescribed. This antibiotic is then taken 3 times a day for 7 days. Other antibiotics are prescribed if there is a penicillin allergy.

In this case, for example, erythromycin can be taken for 10 days. Clindamycin intake – especially in the case of recurring bacterial pharyngitis – is also recommended over 10 days. The prescribed time and number of antibiotic tablets should be strictly adhered to. If this is not observed, the bacteria may become resistant to the antibiotic. This means that bacteria develop mechanisms to switch off the antibiotic so that the infection persists and the antibiotic is no longer effective when taken again.

Duration of incubation period

The incubation period, which describes the period from infection to the appearance of the first symptoms, varies for different viruses and bacteria and can last from 1 day to several weeks. For example, the incubation period of the Eppstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) is 2 to 6 weeks, whereas the incubation period of the Adenovirus is only 5 to 8 days. If the pharyngitis with sore throat is caused by streptococci, the time from infection to the appearance of symptoms usually lasts between 2 to 4 days.