Sakit tekak (sore throat) is very common, is usually caused by a virus such as a cold or flu, and normally gets better on its own within a week. Gargling with warm salt water, drinking plenty of water, eating cool or soft foods, resting, and taking paracetamol or ibuprofen or medicated lozenges can ease the pain. Antibiotics are not usually needed: in a Cochrane review, 82% of people who did not take them were free of sore throat within a week. Swollen tonsils (tonsil bengkak) are usually tonsillitis, which tends to settle in 3 to 4 days. Get urgent help if you cannot swallow, have trouble breathing or are drooling.
Punca sakit tekak: what causes a sore throat?
According to the NHS, sore throats are usually caused by viruses, such as colds or flu, or by smoking. Very occasionally they are caused by bacteria. Common causes include:
| Cause | Typical clues |
|---|---|
| Cold or flu (virus) | Sore, scratchy throat with a blocked or runny nose, sneezing and a cough; the sore throat usually gets better within a week |
| Tonsillitis | Red, swollen tonsils, pain when swallowing, high temperature, sometimes white patches on the tonsils |
| Strep throat (bacteria) | Sore throat with high temperature, swollen glands and aches; more common in children |
| Laryngitis | Hoarse voice or losing your voice, irritating cough, always clearing your throat; usually goes in 1 to 2 weeks |
| Glandular fever | Sore throat with high temperature, swollen glands and tiredness that can last for weeks; mostly in people aged 15 to 24 |
| Smoke, haze and dry air | Dry, irritated throat after smoking, being around smoke, during haze, or after long hours in air-conditioning |
| Acid reflux | Heartburn, a hoarse voice or a cough that keeps coming back |
Symptoms of a sore throat can include a painful throat, especially when swallowing, a dry or scratchy throat, redness at the back of the mouth, bad breath, a mild cough and swollen neck glands.
During haze season, protecting your throat and lungs matters; see our haze survival guide. If you often have heartburn with a hoarse voice or cough, read our guide to gastrik and acid reflux.
Cara hilangkan sakit tekak: what helps at home
The NHS suggests these steps to soothe a sore throat and help it get better sooner:
- Gargle with warm salt water (adults only): dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, gargle, then spit it out. Do not swallow it.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat cool or soft foods, such as porridge (bubur) or yoghurt.
- Suck ice cubes, ice lollies or hard sweets, but do not give young children anything small and hard because of the risk of choking.
- Avoid smoking and smoky places.
- Rest.
If your throat feels dry after long hours in air-conditioning, the NHS advice for laryngitis is to keep the air moist, for example by putting out a bowl of water, and to rest your voice.
What about vitamin C? A Cochrane review found that taking vitamin C regularly did not prevent colds in most people, though it slightly shortened them. See our vitamin C guide for the details.
Ubat sakit tekak: pharmacy treatments and antibiotics
A pharmacist can recommend treatments to relieve pain, which you can usually buy without a prescription:
- Paracetamol or ibuprofen.
- Medicated lozenges (gula-gula sakit tekak) containing a local anaesthetic, an antiseptic or an anti-inflammatory medicine.
- Anaesthetic throat sprays, although there is little proof they help when used on their own.
Some medicines are not safe for everyone, for example during pregnancy, so always read the leaflet or ask a pharmacist.
Do you need antibiotics? Usually not. The NHS says antibiotics will not usually relieve symptoms or speed up recovery, and they are only given if you could have a bacterial infection. A Cochrane review of 29 trials with 15,337 cases found:
- 82% of people who did not take antibiotics were free of sore throat within a week;
- antibiotics reduced sore throat and headache at day 3, but the benefit was modest: about 18 people would need antibiotics for one extra person to be free of sore throat at one week;
- antibiotics lowered the risk of some complications, such as ear infections and quinsy, which were uncommon to begin with.
Taking antibiotics when they are not needed adds side effects and contributes to antibiotic resistance, so let your doctor or pharmacist decide.
Tonsil bengkak: swollen tonsils and tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the sides of your throat. It is common in children, but teenagers and adults can get it too. According to the NHS, it usually feels like a bad cold or flu, and symptoms can include:
- a sore throat and problems swallowing;
- red, swollen tonsils;
- a high temperature, cough, headache, earache and tiredness;
- in more severe cases, swollen, painful neck glands, pus-filled spots or white patches on the tonsils, and bad breath.
Tonsillitis is usually caused by a virus, but sometimes by bacteria such as strep. Symptoms usually go away after 3 to 4 days. Most people recover with rest, cool drinks, paracetamol or ibuprofen, and salt water gargles. A doctor may take a throat swab and prescribe antibiotics if it is bacterial.
Pantang larang tonsil (food rules). There is no strong evidence that you must avoid specific foods. The NHS advice is simply to choose cool drinks and soft foods that are easy to swallow, and to drink enough. Spicy, very hot or crunchy foods may hurt, so avoid them if they make the pain worse.
Tonsil removal (tonsillectomy) is rarely needed; it is usually only considered for severe tonsillitis that keeps coming back.
Quinsy is a rare complication where a collection of pus forms beside a tonsil. Call 999 or go to the emergency department if you have a severe sore throat that quickly gets worse, swelling inside the mouth and throat, difficulty speaking, swallowing, breathing or opening your mouth.
Tonsil grade 1 to 4: what does it mean?
Doctors often describe tonsil size using the Brodsky grading scale, which measures how much of the space at the back of the throat the tonsils fill:
| Grade | How much of the throat space the tonsils fill |
|---|---|
| 0 | Tonsils removed, or sitting inside the tonsil pocket |
| 1 | Up to 25% |
| 2 | 25% to 50% |
| 3 | 50% to 75% |
| 4 (tahap 4) | More than 75% |
Large tonsils are not always a problem. What matters is whether they cause symptoms. In a study of adults having surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea, a higher tonsil grade was linked to more severe sleep apnoea. Loud snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing at night, especially in children with large tonsils, should be checked by a doctor; see also our guide to susah tidur.
When to see a doctor
Call 999 or go to the emergency department if you or your child, according to the NHS:
- have difficulty breathing or cannot swallow;
- are drooling, which can be a sign of not being able to swallow;
- are making a high-pitched sound when breathing (stridor);
- have severe symptoms that are getting worse quickly.
Get an urgent appointment if you have a sore throat and a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery, signs of dehydration such as peeing less than usual, a weakened immune system (for example from diabetes or chemotherapy), pus-filled spots on your tonsils, or pain so bad it is hard to eat or drink. A high fever with a severe headache, pain behind the eyes and muscle or joint pain may be demam denggi (dengue) rather than a throat infection.
See a doctor if your sore throat does not improve after a week, you often get sore throats, or you have a lump in your mouth or neck, or a mouth ulcer that lasts more than 3 weeks. A child under 5 with a sore throat should be seen by a doctor. In young children, a sore throat and fever followed by mouth ulcers and spots on the hands and feet may be HFMD.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What causes sakit tekak (sore throat)?
Most sore throats are caused by viruses, such as a cold or flu, or by smoking. Less often they are caused by bacteria, such as strep throat. A sore throat can also come from tonsillitis, laryngitis or glandular fever. Dry air, smoke and haze can irritate the throat too.
What is the best ubat sakit tekak?
For most sore throats, paracetamol or ibuprofen and medicated lozenges containing a local anaesthetic, antiseptic or anti-inflammatory medicine can ease the pain. Throat sprays have little proof of working on their own. Antibiotics are not usually needed, because most sore throats are caused by viruses and get better within a week.
How can I get rid of a sore throat fast (cara hilangkan sakit tekak)?
Gargle with warm salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, then spit it out), drink plenty of water, eat cool or soft foods, suck ice cubes or hard sweets, rest, and avoid smoking and smoky places. Children should not gargle with salt water.
Do I need antibiotics for a sore throat?
Usually not. A Cochrane review found that 82% of people who did not take antibiotics were free of sore throat within a week. Antibiotics only modestly reduce symptoms and are used when a doctor or pharmacist thinks the infection could be bacterial.
What causes tonsil bengkak (swollen tonsils)?
Swollen, painful tonsils are usually caused by tonsillitis, an infection of the tonsils that is most often caused by a virus such as a cold, and sometimes by bacteria such as strep. Symptoms usually go away after 3 to 4 days. Get urgent advice if there are pus-filled spots on the tonsils or it is too painful to eat or drink.
What does tonsil grade 4 (tonsil bengkak tahap 4) mean?
Doctors often grade tonsil size from 0 to 4 using the Brodsky scale. Grade 4 means the tonsils fill more than 75% of the space at the back of the throat. Very large tonsils can contribute to loud snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, so a doctor will consider your symptoms, not just the grade, when deciding on treatment.
When is a sore throat an emergency?
Go to the emergency department or call 999 if you have difficulty breathing, cannot swallow, are drooling, are making a high-pitched sound when breathing, or have a severe sore throat that quickly gets worse with swelling in the mouth or difficulty opening your mouth, which can be signs of quinsy.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment from a doctor or pharmacist. Health supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
References
- Sore throat — NHS
- Tonsillitis — NHS
- Strep A — NHS
- Glandular fever — NHS
- Common cold — NHS
- Laryngitis — NHS
- Heartburn and acid reflux — NHS
- Spinks A, Glasziou PP, Del Mar CB. Antibiotics for treatment of sore throat in children and adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021;12(12):CD000023.
- Jara SM, Weaver EM. Association of palatine tonsil size and obstructive sleep apnea in adults. Laryngoscope. 2018;128(4):1002.
- Kumar DS, et al. The reliability of clinical tonsil size grading in children. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;140(11):1034-1037.
