Strep Throat
From WebMD.com

Several conditions can cause a sore throat.

Sore throats may be caused by a viral illness, such as:

• The common cold, the most common type of viral infection.
• Infection of the voice box (laryngitis ).
• Mononucleosis (mono, "the kissing disease"), a viral infection that tends to cause a persistent sore throat.
• Other viral infections, such as mumps, herpangina, or influenza.

A bacterial infection may also cause a sore throat. This can occur from:

• Strep throat, which usually does not occur with congestion or a cough.
• An inflammation or infection of the tonsils (tonsillitis) and sometimes the adenoids (adenoiditis).
• An infection of the tissues around the tonsils (peritonsillar abscess).
• Inflammation of the epiglottis (epiglottitis).
• Inflammation of the uvula (uvulitis).
• In rare cases, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. If you have engaged in high-risk sexual behavior, consider whether you may have gonorrhea or chlamydia. For more information, see the topic Sexually Transmitted Infections.

A sore throat that lasts longer than a week is often caused by irritants or an injuries, such as:

• Throat irritation from low humidity, smoking, air pollution, yelling, or nasal drainage down the back of the throat (post nasal drip).
• Breathing through the mouth when you have allergies or a stuffy nose.
• Stomach acid that backs up into the throat, which may be a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although GERD often occurs with heartburn, an acid taste in the mouth, or a cough, sometimes a sore throat is the only symptom.
• An injury to the back of the throat, such as a cut or puncture from falling with a pointed object in the mouth.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome a condition that causes extreme tiredness.

Because viral illnesses are the most common cause of a sore throat, it is important not to use antibiotics to treat them. Antibiotics do not alter the course of viral infections. 

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