Strep throat season is here. While strep throat can occur year-round, it is most common between the months of December through April. As we get deeper into strep throat season, learning more about the symptoms and treatment is essential.
What is strep throat?
Strep throat is a bacterial infection. Specifically, strep throat is an infection of the throat and tonsils.
What are the symptoms associated with strep throat?
Strep throat has several symptoms. These symptoms usually take 2 to 5 days from the point of exposure to show themselves.
Some of the most common strep throat symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Swollen and red tonsils
- Rapidly onset sore throat
- White patches on the tonsils
- Pain when swallowing
- Red spots on the roof of the mouth
- Swelling of the lymph nodes on the front of the neck
Other, rarer, symptoms may also be observed.
These less common symptoms may include:
- Nausea
- Stomach Pain
- Rash
- Headache
Because the symptoms of strep throat are similar to the symptoms of a viral sore throat, it is important to understand when you may be suffering from strep throat as opposed to a viral sore throat.
The following symptoms suggest a virus as the cause of sore throat, as opposed to strep throat:
- Runny nose
- Cough
- Raspy or strained voice
- Conjunctivitis
Why should I get tested for strep throat?
If you are exhibiting the mentioned symptoms, getting tested can open up doors to not only decrease symptoms, but also decrease how long you are sick, prevent the spread of the bacteria to others, and also prevent complications which can arise from untreated strep throat.
These complications may include:
- Ear infections
- Sinus infections
- Abscesses around the tonsils or in the neck
- Rheumatic fever
- Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis
There are generally two types of strep test. These include a rapid strep test as well as a throat culture. In most cases, healthcare providers will perform a rapid strep test first before deciding if a throat culture is needed.
Rapid Strep Test
A rapid strep test involves using a swab to gather samples from the throat and then running a test on the swab. This test will quickly show if strep bacteria is a likely cause of the illness.
Throat Culture
As opposed to the rapid strep test, a throat culture takes more time to see is strep bacteria is growing from the swab. While this test does take more time than the alternative, it can sometimes find infections or bacteria that the rapid strep test may miss.
What does treatment for strep throat look like?
Treatment for strep throat is done with antibiotics. If you are not feeling any better after 48 hours of treatment, you should call a healthcare provider. Patients should stay home from school, daycare, or work until fever has subsided. If you believe you or a child may be suffering from symptoms associated with strep throat, you may visit a MedWise Urgent Care near you for testing and treatment options.