Most sore throats are caused by an infection which treatment with antibiotics cannot cure. But with simple remedies the patient normally gets better in 4 or 5 days. Sore throats are common. Most of the time the soreness is worse in the morning and improves as the day progresses. Like colds, the vast majority of sore throats are caused by viral infections. This means most sore throats will NOT respond to antibiotics. Many people have a mild sore throat at the beginning of every cold. When the nose or sinuses become infected, drainage can run down the back of the throat and irritate it, especially at night. Or, the throat itself can be infected. With a sore throat, sometimes the tonsils or surrounding parts of the throat are inflamed. Either way, removing the tonsils to try to prevent future sore throats is not recommended for most children. Tonsillitis, however, usually starts with a sore throat which causes pain on swallowing. With children — and some adults — there may be a fever and the patient is obviously not feeling well. It may be possible to see white spots on the back of the throat. The neck may also swell, both of which are the normal response to infection. Sometimes a sore throat may occur with the common cold, and with influenza there may be dryness of the throat, pain on coughing and loss of voice. TREATMENT: Aspirin: To help relieve the pain on swallowing and (if there is one) the fever. Use aspirin tablets dissolved in water so that the patient can gargle before swallowing. Repeat the treatment every 4 hours. Drink: Encourage the patient to drink plenty. Food: Food should not be forced on a patient who does not want to eat. Steam: If there is pain in the throat on coughing, breathing in steam may help. CHILDREN: Young children, who may not be able to gargle, should be given aspirin dissolved in water every 4 hours in the right dose for their age. At one year: A single junior aspirin. At five years: Half an adult aspirin. At eight years: One whole adult aspirin. WHEN TO SEE THE DOCTOR. If the sore throat is still getting worse after 2 days. If the patient complains of earache. If the patient's fever increases. If the patient or parent is very worried. According to the passage, it would appear that most sore throats______.