Stiff neck and sore throat can be caused by viral or bacterial infections, including strep, mononucleosis, and mumps. Antibiotics are needed to treat strep, and it’s important to seek medical attention within 10 days to prevent complications. Hand washing can help prevent transmission, but these illnesses are highly contagious.
While a stiff neck and sore throat can be the result of a person holding their head in an awkward position, along with snoring or breathing through the mouth while sleeping, the causes can also be viral or bacterial. They can be symptoms of viral meningitis, mumps or mononucleosis, which are viral diseases. Strep is a bacterial cause of these two symptoms.
It is not uncommon for children to suffer from strep throat infections, and adults are also susceptible. Streptococcus (streptococcus) bacteria can easily be passed on to others through coughing or sneezing, as the bacteria from an infected person is found in the nose and mouth. Hand washing can help prevent transmission, but strep throat is highly contagious. Young children may refuse food because of pain when swallowing and this may be accompanied by fever, vomiting and headache, as well as muscle soreness, stiff neck and sore throat.
A sore throat from strep usually feels more severe than one caused by a cold or another virus. Since the cause is bacterial, antibiotics are needed to treat it. It’s especially important to get children who are thought to have strep to a doctor within 10 days of the onset of symptoms or who may be developing acute rheumatic fever, which is thought to lead to heart disease. Adults should also receive antibiotic treatment for sore throats, even if they are not as likely as children to develop the more serious disease.
Mononucleosis (mono) is another common cause of pain in the neck and throat. In this condition, often caused by the Epstein Barr virus, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck can become quite painful. Mono is called the “kissing disease” as it is often passed on to others by germs in the mouth. It can also be transmitted by coughing or sneezing. Adolescents in particular are susceptible to mononucleosis which can start with tiredness, headache and fever.
Symptoms of mumps often include difficulty swallowing and often causes nausea, body aches, stiffness and even earaches. One of the complications of mumps is viral meningitis, a brain infection that can cause sore throat, fatigue, headache, stiff neck and fever. Although anyone can get viral meningitis, it is another of the most common medical conditions in children. In addition to a complication of mumps, viral meningitis can also be caused by intestinal viruses.
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