Sore throat

Sore throat is a common symptom. Especially in the cold season, sore throats are a frequent reason for consultation in the family doctor’s practice. The causes of sore throat are in most cases harmless viral infections in the area of the throat (pharyngitis).

In the course of the year, a real cold often develops with rhinitis and coughing. Such a viral infection is treated symptomatically. Anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen) can be taken to combat fever and pain.

A particularly persistent virus is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It causes whistling glandular fever, which is often accompanied by severe sore throat. Another cause of sore throat can, however, be a bacterial infection, e.g. tonsillitis or lateral strangulation.

In this case, an antibiotic is needed to treat the sore throat. The classic childhood diseases such as measles, mumps or scarlet fever can also manifest themselves as sore throats. It is therefore advisable to consult your family doctor if the sore throat does not improve under the usual household remedies and over-the-counter medicines.

Pain in the chest

Chest pain (chest pain) can have numerous causes. Some are harmless, others life-threatening. Therefore, if you experience chest pain, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

After a short medical history and a physical examination, the doctor will usually have an ECG. This way he can determine whether a heart attack or cardiac arrhythmia is present. Besides cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases can also cause chest pain.

During the physical examination, for example, one could get indications of pneumonia or pleurisy. A collapsed lung (pneumothorax) can also lead to acute chest pain. These potentially life-threatening causes should therefore be excluded.

Very often, musculoskeletal diseases are the cause of chest pain. These can usually be treated well with heat and painkillers. The fourth category is diseases of the oesophagus and stomach, for example if the patient states that the complaints are related to food intake or reports other accompanying symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. In summary, it can be said that the causes of chest pain are very diverse. Since some of them are life-threatening, one should always consult a physician if chest pain occurs.