three and a half week sore throat

[littleone88]

I have had a sore throat for about 3 and a half weeks now. Sometimes it really bothers me. Sometimes it goes away. Sometimes my throat feels swollen or like there is a lump in my throat. Should I be concerned? Could this be allergies?

[littleone88]

Thank you very much. It has been really bad today and I actually feel feverish today as well =(

[momoftwo74]

Ouch. Doesnt sound like fun. You should definately see a doctor. It can be hard to tell what is causing a sore throat. If you have allergies, alot of times the post nasal drip/sinus drainage can cause a chronic sore throat. It can also give you that lump in the throat feeling too. That happens to me during allergy season sometimes. On the other hand, you could have a bacterial infection like tonsillitis or Strep. You can actually look at yourself in the mirror and say "ahhhh" and see your tonsils. If they look really red or if you see bumps on them then it may be your tonsils that are hurting. If they are infected you can also get that lump in your throat feeling. However, when I had tonsillitis I also felt really bad and had a fever. Strep is another possibility and one you dont want to ignore. Complications of strep can be dangerous. Also of people get fever and feel really sick with a strep inection but sometimes all you have is a chronic sore throat. If you let a strep infection go for a long time without treatment it can make you seriously ill and could even kill you.That is rare but it does happen. Go to the doc. A simple exam and maybe a throat swab should reveal the cause of your sore throat. Good luck, hope you feel better.