Sore throat and fever

Dear Ask The Doctor: My husband has a sore throat with some swelling..he has a slight fever with pain from his neck to his feet.its getting hard for him to breathe..what could be causing this?

Dear Melissa: Your husband is probably suffering form pharyngitis. This is caused due to inflammation of the pharynx by a viral or bacterial infection. Most sore throats are caused by viruses and needs no additional treatment. However since your husband has difficulty in breathing, I would suggest that he visit his doctor for further evaluation. He may require a throat swab and a chest x-ray. Antibiotics may be required in the presence of a bacterial infection.