Q:
Over the past year I have had a few instances of one-sided sore throat and ear pain that usually lasts from a few days to a week or so. Before this time period I previously had mono and strep throat on separate occasions. However, I actually tested negative for strep but the doctor gave me pills because he thought I had it anyway. My question then is...could this be something else like allergies?
A:
It could be allergies but not likely if it is one-sided. It is more typically due to inflammation of the tonsil due to viral or bacterial infection, and rarely is due to group A strep though if you had fever and pus on the tonsil you should have it ruled out. This should become less frequent as you get older and your tonsillar tissue starts to naturally regress and shrink.
~The Doc
