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What Causes Pain While Swallowing?
Question: It is very painful to swallow. Strong cold symptoms of runny nose, no chest pain, lasting five days.
mucous usually clear, a couple deep coughs showed some blood, or redness.
mucous usually clear, a couple deep coughs showed some blood, or redness.
Brief Answer:
Suggestions:
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr. XXXXXXX
I am sorry you are having such a painful throat.
If your throat is very painful, and if you have swollen tender lymph nodes in your neck area, or a fever or chills, then I recommend you go in to see a doctor (perhaps at an urgent care clinic now) to get your throat swabbed for strep. If you have strep, that will require an antibiotic.
If it is not strep throat, it is most likely a virus, and here are some things you can do that might make your throat feel better:
1. Take a decongestant such as pseudoephedrine. This does not require a prescription, but is kept behind the counter because of abuse potential. Are you taking any medications daily for health problems? Please let me know what drugs and for what health problems, and I can check to make sure there aren't drug interactions.
Pseudoephedrine can be somewhat stimulating, so you may want to avoid taking a dose of it within 4 hours of going to bed.
2. Nasal saline wash - such as either using a nettipot, or you can buy prepared products such as Simply Saline. Tip your head to the right (or bend to the right over the sink) and spray a stead stream in your left nostril. Allow your nose to drain. Don't blow hard. Repeat, switching sides.
It is ok to cough up a little blood when there is a lot of coughing from an upper respiratory infection. It is not ok to cough up a lot of blood, and it is not ok if you cough blood when you don't have an obvious reason for it. But right now the bleeding is likely from an irritated or broken small blood vessel.
I hope you are feeling better soon. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Suggestions:
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr. XXXXXXX
I am sorry you are having such a painful throat.
If your throat is very painful, and if you have swollen tender lymph nodes in your neck area, or a fever or chills, then I recommend you go in to see a doctor (perhaps at an urgent care clinic now) to get your throat swabbed for strep. If you have strep, that will require an antibiotic.
If it is not strep throat, it is most likely a virus, and here are some things you can do that might make your throat feel better:
1. Take a decongestant such as pseudoephedrine. This does not require a prescription, but is kept behind the counter because of abuse potential. Are you taking any medications daily for health problems? Please let me know what drugs and for what health problems, and I can check to make sure there aren't drug interactions.
Pseudoephedrine can be somewhat stimulating, so you may want to avoid taking a dose of it within 4 hours of going to bed.
2. Nasal saline wash - such as either using a nettipot, or you can buy prepared products such as Simply Saline. Tip your head to the right (or bend to the right over the sink) and spray a stead stream in your left nostril. Allow your nose to drain. Don't blow hard. Repeat, switching sides.
It is ok to cough up a little blood when there is a lot of coughing from an upper respiratory infection. It is not ok to cough up a lot of blood, and it is not ok if you cough blood when you don't have an obvious reason for it. But right now the bleeding is likely from an irritated or broken small blood vessel.
I hope you are feeling better soon. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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