A sore throat has many causes. Sometimes it is caused by mucus from your sinuses draining into your throat. Breathing smog or smoking also can cause the throat to be sore. A sore throat may be a symptom of hay fever or allergies. This may be done by using a swab for a throat culture or a rapid strept test.
Many illnesses have sore throat as a symptom.
You should first treat your sore throat with salt water or other gargles and Tylenol or ibuprofen for a couple of days. If it does not go away in a couple of days, call the doctor. He or she may need to run tests to determine the cause so you can get proper treatment. It can be diagnosed with a throat culture or rapid strept test. Occasionally, staph can get into the body and cause an infection.