View Full Version : Sore throat for 2+ weeks?...
Hi everyone,
I have recently gotten my ear pain/TMJ dysfunction stuff under control with a dental splint but the last few weeks my health anxiety has been crazy high with a new symptom. I have had a sore throat on and off for over a few weeks. The first few days I thought maybe it was just tight muscles but then it began feeling like a real sore throat. The sore throat isn't terrible - maybe a 2-4ish pain-wise, but has really been bothering me anyway. I don't have any other viral symptoms besides maybe super mild congestion. I've also been feeling tired. Sometimes the sore throat isn't that bad but other times it seems to get worse, especially toward the end of the night. No history of reflux or allergies or anything. Oh and I don't see any redness on the back of my throat. Is it normal for a viral infection to last this long? My mind is going to crazy places :( any response would be really great.
Three things come to my mind:
One, it's possible you have a stubborn virus that is hanging on. I work in a school so I see the latest in contagious bugs, and last year I and a number of our students had this - sore throat, tiredness, lingering on longer than you would expect.
Two, I had something like this one summer, the mild nagging sore throat that wasn't too bad but wouldn't go away. Turns out I had strep. I only figured it out and got tested when I noticed everyone around me was getting strep (they were catching it from me!).
Third, I get this from acid reflux. This nagging sore throat is a sign for me to cut back on the caffeinated fizzy drinks.
Thanks so much for your reasonse Sparky! It helps to hear that non-danerous sore throats can last for so long. I'm really hoping it's the first one, as I'm a student and it's close to finals time so lots of stress and sickness. I've just personally never experienced anything like this, especially a sore throat that comes and goes. I'm sure worrying about it so much doesn't help though :(. I doubt it's reflux since it doesn't seem to fit any of the characteristics but I'll keep that in mind. I've been to the doctor and dentist so much recently that I'd really prefer to wait this out a while and hope it disappears on its own, but of course that's tricky when you're so damn anxious. Blehhhh
Tonight I feel more sick :(. I've also had a few scattered itchy areas on my stomach/back/upper arms that I thought were maybe flea bites (I foster kitties) but now I'm not so sure.
katielovespizza
19-02-18, 04:23
Hmm, I had a mild sore throat and slight congestion for weeks and I really think it had to do with the extremely dry weather. Mine finally started going away this week. What would the scattered itchy areas have to do with the mild sore throat? It seems like if your sore throat were something more serious then it would've gotten worse, not just stayed mild for this long...
It could also be post-nasal drip. If you have the tube issues in the ear and TMJ, that's very common.
Thanks so much for the responses, guys. I haven't noticed much post-nasal drip but I'm sure it's always a possibility. I guess I'm glad I don't feel worse but feel crazy again for having a sore throat forever and a normal looking throat. I guess waiting it out and trying not think about it is the best I can do. Just wondering why it's so difficult - if my boyfriend had a sore throat for this long he probably wouldn't think twice about it, yet I feel like it's driving me crazy. Just wanna feel healthy.
Sore throat still there. Can viruses really last that long? I can't even think of something terrible that it could be (was scoped by an ENT a few months ago for a different issue - it was normal. and I know that throat cancer rarely affects non-smoking females in their 20s anyway, and that it wouldn't even present with a sore throat). I still feel mostly normal/healthy besides the throat, yet I'm still anxious and worried out of my mind. I don't have any of the classic signs for strep and know that going to a doctor wouldn't make much sense. I either want to be more sick (and get an actual diagnosis like strep) or not sick at all. Not just some random sore throat forever without anything else. Health anxiety suckssssss.
Went to the doc today, negative strep swab :(. Throat hurts worse than ever now. It's been such a long time, I've never had a sore throat for this long.... scared it will never go away
Anyone? My throat has definitely been more painful the last 3-4 days, especially at night. Like maybe a 6/10 and I'm totally wiped out earlier than usual
Throat feels sore and tight and weird and it feels like it's more difficult to swallow/things are going down slower than normal.
Go back to the doctor and ask them what else could be causing the issue. They ruled out strep. Did they look into your throat to see if it was red or infected? What was their prognosis?
She said I had some "cobblestoning" in the back of my throat but that it otherwise looked normal. It sounded like she thought it was viral or caused by post nasal drip, but I haven't been very congested. I think it's likely viral but what makes me worried is how long I've had it :( and how it's not like a usual cold with cough and congestion and all that
I've had a sore throat for awhile. I have felt very low level virusy, ever so slight rhinitis, my voice was really hoarse but is getting a little better, and just this rawness that won't go away. I had a lymph node pop that has gone way down but I can still feel ever so slightly. I also have the feeling of a lump in the throat but on the far right side, maybe lymph nodes, maybe globus.
IDK. I am so tired of all this and not knowing. I can't afford to run to the doctor for every little thing, but the persistent soreness and lump in throat feeling is making me feel like I've gotta go.
Anyway, going through the same thing. Maybe there's a virus doing this.
NervUs,
Yeah that sounds pretty darn close to what I'm going through :(. Sucks. It probably is a virus because it's the time of year when everyone is sick. I'm also sick of going to the doctor so much (I've been more in the past year than in my entire life), and going yesterday did nothing but make me feel like I wasted time and money. My throat gets worse as the day goes on so every night I'm convinced it's going to be painful and bleh forever. I'm glad that at least your voice and lymph node has improved - that's a good sign. And of course viruses can stay around a while, but I feel like in the past my symptoms have been much worse (obvious fever) or much more tolerable. Not this in-between where I can still function but feel like crap all day. So yeah, I definitely understand your pain.
Oh yeah and the itchy red patches that occurred at the same time as my throat are still happening -___-.
Strep culture negative, still have the sore throat :(. And itchy red patches on stomach and arms.
Throat still hurts whyyyyyyy
Still there. Hurts. Going crazy. :(
Sorry I'm just annoyingly bumping my own thread but throats and itchy spots worse than ever today. Also feeling exhausted. My throat doesn't look awful - no pus - just kind of inflamed. No fever or cough or swollen lymph nodes or anything. It's like some cruel joke.
Still got mine too. I feel like it was better two days ago, but the next day was back. I also felt like the lump in throat went down but is also back.
IDK. GUess I need to go to the doctor, but I do feel like this has happened to me other years. We've had weather up and down here, I do have some PND. Sick.of.it.
NervUs, did you end up seeing the doctor? I hope the past few days you've been feeling better. Mine also still hasn't gone away, and I've actually been feeling more fatigued, so I went to the doc and got a mono test. He saw that I had a history of anxiety and was pretty dismissive, and didn't do anything to help with the rash. Don't know the results of the test yet. Just want to be able to function normally and not hurt and not be tired and not feel super itchy.
I haven't been to the doctor yet.
I noticed the rawness is much milder today, so I think it fluctuates. I also had to wake up in the middle of the night for water, and I am wondering if the dry air combined with mothbreathing is causing the throat pain? Plus, I have PND and the weather is all over the place.
I am more worried about the lump in throat feeling I have on the far right side. THis is gross and embarassing, but I put my finger down there to try and feel a lump, and I don't think it feels too different from the other side. I am wondering if hyperfocus is part of my throat problem as well.
Anyhoo, I can't decide about the doctor since this will probably be another $5-600 bill (scope). I can't afford this all the time. I really don't know what to do.
Yeah I'm still dealing with it too :(. So painful all the time. Ugh
My throat and worries are driving me CRAZY. Can anyone help? :(
---------- Post added at 19:02 ---------- Previous post was at 18:00 ----------
Just got the rest of my blood test results back and they were positive for mono... so it would seem like that mystery is solved
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