I woke up this morning with a scratchy irritated throat. My first thought was I hope it doesn’t turn into a bad sore throat, like strep! What horrible timing too, I was supposed to leave town for a ski trip this weekend. I did some research to find out more about strep. Read on to learn what I found out.
What is strep throat?
Strep throat is a bacterial infection in the throat and tonsils causing the throat to become inflamed and irritated. Symptoms of strep are usually more severe than a viral throat infection. Strep throat is caused by streptococcal bacteria. There are several types of strep bacteria, and some cause more serious illness than others.
Many people are quick to jump to the conclusion that their sore throat is strep, but most sore throats are actually caused by a viral infection, not strep bacteria. Only a small portion of sore throats are strep.
From the time you come into contact with strep, it normally takes about 2-5 days before you experience symptoms. The most common symptoms are:
- A sudden and severe sore throat
- Pain while swallowing
- Fever over 101°F
- Tender, swollen lymph nodes and tonsils
- White or yellow spots on the back of a bright red throat
- Headache
- Belly pain
Less common symptoms include a red skin rash, vomiting, and body aches.
Diagnosing Strep Throat: Your doctor will examine you for signs and symptoms of strep throat. Because appearance alone doesn’t indicate whether the infection is viral or bacterial, your doctor will likely do a rapid strep test or throat culture to diagnose strep throat.
Treatment: Doctors normally treat strep with antibiotics. Although antibiotics may not make you well faster, they significantly shorten the time that you are contagious. Most people stop being contagious 24 hours after they begin antibiotics. Without antibiotics you may be contagious for 2 or 3 weeks! To lower your fever and reduce pain, your doctor may also recommend that you take over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). If strep throat is left untreated, more serious problems can develop such as kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever.
Prevention: Keep your distance from anyone who may have strep. When a person infected with strep throat coughs, sneezes, or even breathes, tiny droplets with the strep bacteria release into the air. Somebody else can breathe in these droplets and get strep. You can also pick up the bacteria from a doorknob, water faucet or other surface and transfer them to your nose or mouth. Don’t forget to wash your hands often!
At Home Remedies: Check out these tips from WebMD on what you can do to relieve symptoms at home. Strep Throat-Home Treatment
Have you ever had strep throat? What did you find helpful for symptom relief?
Sources: WebMD, Mayo Clinic Health Manager
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