Severe tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils), a peritonsillar abscess (a pocket of pus and infection) around the tonsils or epiglottitis (inflammation of the epiglottis) can cause swelling that impairs the upper airway.

Contact your doctor immediately, or seek emergency medical care.

If you are having trouble breathing or talking, or you are drooling because you cannot swallow, you should call your local emergency number for immediate attention.

If you have severe throat pain, call your doctor to be seen the same day.

Some viruses will cause a more prolonged sore throat along with fever and body aches. Infectious mononucleosis caused by the Epstein-Barr virus can do this.

Contact your doctor.

Infectious mononucleosis is diagnosed by a blood test. If you have infectious mononucleosis, you will likely take a longer time to feel better. It may be several days to a couple weeks before you are ready to go back to school or work.

If mononucleosis is suspected, your doctor will carefully examine your spleen for signs of enlargement, a potential complication of "mono." If your spleen is enlarged, you will need to avoid contact sports for a few months to avoid serious injury to your spleen.

Contact your doctor. You want to make sure you don't have a serious condition causing your sore throat, especially if you have been a smoker.

Try to clear the nasal congestion with a nasal saline spray. If you have allergies, consider buying an over-the-counter oral antihistamine with or without a decongestant. You can use a decongestant nasal spray for a few days. However, nasal decongestant sprays should not be used on a continuous basis.

If the sore throat does not improve over the next week, contact your doctor.

Contact your doctor. Meanwhile, you can try an over-the-counter antacid or oral stomach acid blocker to see if the symptoms resolve.

We have reviewed the more common and worrisome causes of a sore throat that has lasted two weeks or more. Although it is unlikely that you have a serious medical condition, it is time to contact your doctor.

Keep your throat moist with lozenges and warm salt water gargles to help decrease the discomfort.

Acid reflux can cause a sore throat. Usually there are other symptoms besides a sore throat. Heartburn, indigestion and a sour taste in the mouth would suggest acid reflux as a possibility.

Do you have acid reflux symptoms or heartburn?

Yes, I think I have acid reflux.

No, I don't have symptoms of acid reflux.

Normally most of our breathing is through our nose. The nose adds moisture to the air that goes into our lungs. With persistent nasal congestion, you will have more mouth breathing that dries the surfaces of the mouth and throat. This can cause a prolonged sore throat.

Also post nasal drip from the nose or sinuses can irritate the back of the throat.

A sore throat caused by nasal congestion or post nasal drip is often worse in the morning when you first wake up. You might also notice a tickle at the back of the throat and coughing.

Do you persistently have two or more of the following symptoms:

• nasal congestion

• runny nose

• cough

• a tickle at the back of the throat?

Yes, these symptoms apply to me.

No, I do not have these symptoms.

So far your answers indicate that your sore throat has lasted more than two weeks and you don't have other symptoms suggestive of an infection.

A prolonged sore throat with weight loss, a hoarse voice or noticing a lump in the neck might be a sign of a more serious problem.

Do you have one or more of these symptoms:

• sore throat with unexplained weight loss

• a hoarse voice

• a lump in your neck?

Yes, I have one or more of these symptoms.

No, I do not have these symptoms.

An active infection of your throat is less likely, especially if you do not have other symptoms of an infection such as fever, body aches, or unusual fatigue.

Do you one or more of these symptoms as well as a sore throat:

• fever

• body aches

• unusual fatigue?

Yes, I have these symptoms.

No, I do not have these symptoms.

Call your doctor's office today. If strep throat is suspected, your doctor will either perform a throat culture or just proceed directly to treatment with an antibiotic.

Infectious mononucleosis is diagnosed by a blood test. If you have infectious mononucleosis, you will likely take a longer time to feel better. It may be several days to a couple weeks before you are ready to go back to school or work.

If mononucleosis is suspected, your doctor will carefully examine your spleen for signs of enlargement, a potential complication of "mono." If your spleen is enlarged, you will need to avoid contact sports for a few months to avoid serious injury to your spleen.

Try to clear the nasal congestion with a nasal saline spray. If you have allergies, consider buying an over-the-counter oral antihistamine with or without a decongestant. You can use a decongestant nasal spray for a few days. However, nasal decongestant sprays should not be used on a continuous basis.

If the sore throat does not improve over the next week, contact your doctor.

You may have an infection or inflammation of your vocal cords known as laryngitis. In most cases, laryngitis is caused by a virus and antibiotics will not speed recovery.

In some cases, laryngitis is caused by stomach acid leaking back up the esophagus toward the throat (called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD). Other reasons for laryngitis may be overuse of voice such as prolonged loud talking or shouting, or smoking, especially when combined with drinking alcohol.

See your health care professional if your sore throat and hoarse voice do not go away after a couple of weeks. A hoarse voice that doesn't go away could be a sign of a tumor. People who smoke or have smoked in the past are at higher risk for a throat tumor.

Most likely, you have a mild viral infection or allergies. In the next few days, you may develop new symptoms that help make a diagnosis. In that case, you should try going through this tool again from the start. If you do not feel better by the end of two weeks, make an appointment to see your health care provider. While you may just have a viral infection or a mild case of allergies, you want to make sure you don't miss other more serious causes of a sore throat. Especially, if you are a smoker or have ever been a smoker, you want to make sure you do not have a tumor or throat cancer.

So far, you do not have any symptoms pointing to an infection or allergies as the cause of your sore throat.

Another common cause of a sore throat is laryngitis, inflammation of the vocal cords.

Symptoms of laryngitis include

• a hoarse or scratchy voice

• losing your voice

• discomfort in the throat and neck when you talk.

Do you have some of these symptoms?

Yes, I have some of these symptoms.

No, I do not have these symptoms.

Most likely, you have a mild viral infection (a cold) or allergies.

Normally most of our breathing is through our nose. The nose adds moisture to the air that goes into our lungs. With nasal congestion, you will have more mouth breathing that dries the surfaces of the mouth and throat. This can cause a prolonged sore throat. You bypass the normal adding of moisture to the air that the nose provides. This can make your throat dry and sore. Also post nasal drip from the nose or sinuses can irritate the back of the throat.

A sore throat caused by nasal congestion or post nasal drip is often worse in the morning when you first wake up. You might also notice a tickle at the back of the throat and coughing.

Do you have two or more of the following symptoms:

• nasal congestion

• runny nose

• cough

• a tickle at the back of the throat?

Yes, I have some of these symptoms.

No, these are not my symptoms.

You may have an infection. The symptoms of a bacterial infection, such as strep throat, usually start abruptly and quickly get worse over a day or two. Mononucleosis tends to come on more gradually over several days to a week.

Strep throat and mono almost always have additional symptoms, not just a sore throat.

Do you have one or more of the following symptoms with your sore throat

• fever over 101F

• painful or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck

• white or light yellow spots on your tonsils

• extremefatigue

• significant headache?

Most likely, you have a mild viral infection or allergies. In the next few days, you may develop new symptoms that help make a diagnosis. In that case, you should try going through this tool again from the start. If you do not feel better by the end of two weeks, make an appointment to see your health care provider. While you may just have a viral infection or a mild case of allergies, you want to make sure you don't miss other more serious causes of a sore throat. Especially, if you are a smoker or have ever been a smoker, you want to make sure you do not have a tumor or throat cancer.

Yes, I have some of these symptoms.

No, I do not have these symptoms.

Most sore throats last only a few days and rarely continue beyond two weeks. Throat infections and nasal congestion from a cold or allergies are common reasons to have a sore throat.

A sore throat that persists for longer than two weeks usually means that a throat infection is unlikely.

Have you had a sore throat for more than two weeks?

Yes, my throat has been sore for more than two weeks.

No, my sore throat started more recently

Sore throats are very common and usually resolve without specific treatment.

Of the infections that cause sore throat, viral infections are most common. Less often, you may have a bacterial infection called strep throat.

Infections are not the only cause of sore throats. Allergies causing nasal congestion with mouth breathing and acid reflux are two non-infectious causes of sore throat.

Rarely, a sore throat can be a sign of a serious disorder that needs immediate medical attention. Certain causes of a sore throat could block off your airway and stop your breathing if left untreated.

Do you have one or more of the following symptoms:

• shortness of breath

• such severe pain that you cannot swallow

• drooling?

Yes, I am experiencing one or more of these symptoms.

No, I do not have these symptoms.