Introduction
Sore throats can be caused by various factors. Therefore, the duration until the symptoms subside also differs. In most cases the sore throat is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. However, they can also be caused by allergies, burns, acid burping or in rare cases by tumours. Sore throats that persist for more than three weeks or recur at short intervals should always be clarified by a doctor.
Duration of sore throat
In most cases, infectious sore throats are over after 3 to 5 days and are often the first symptom of a cold. Further symptoms such as a cold or cough usually follow. Infectious sore throats can, however, persist for up to two weeks, especially in the case of bacterial infections.
If a burn, e.g. caused by too hot food, is the cause of the pain, it will disappear after a few days because the mucous membrane regenerates quickly. If acidic belching (reflux) is responsible for the sore throat, it can occur from time to time. However, with appropriate treatment, for example with a proton pump inhibitor, these disappear again after a few days. How you can distinguish whether your sore throat is caused by bacteria or a virus is explained in our article about the viral cold.
Duration of the accompanying symptoms
Accompanying symptoms may include a cold, stuffy nose, cough, loss of voice (aphonia), hoarseness, fever, swollen lymph nodes and other cold symptoms. Viral infections usually have a shorter duration than bacterial infections, but some – such as EBV-induced mononucleosis – can last longer than 10 days. If the disease is well treated and cured from the beginning, the symptoms usually disappear completely within the first 7 to 14 days.
The symptoms can also remain for more than two weeks, especially if the body has been exposed to too much effort again too early. In some cases, the symptoms may recur (relapse), for example if the disease has not been completely cured. Therefore it is also true here that sparing the body is very important for the healing of a cold.
Duration of sick leave
The duration of sick leave depends on the severity of the illness. If it is a simple viral infection that causes the sore throat, sick leave is usually sufficient for 3 to 5 days. If it is a bacterial infection with fever and chills or if the patient feels very weak, a sick note can also be prescribed for 7 to 14 days. In general, however, the duration of a sick leave should be decided individually and if the symptoms worsen or fail to improve, a sick leave should generally be extended and further diagnosis and therapy changes should be made in order to achieve healing.
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