You wake up one morning with a sore, scratchy throat. Is it a cold, allergies, the flu or strep throat?
More often than not, a sore throat is usually caused by allergies or a viral infection that will usually go away on its own. But some sore throats are the result of the bacteria streptococcus and are more serious.
It's important to identify strep throat because unlike other sources of sore throat, strep throat is treatable. It can also lead to more serious complications. Bacteria that causes strep throat will usually respond quickly to antibiotics. The medication should stop the infection from spreading to other people. According to the CDC, treating strep throat with an antibiotic for 24 hours or longer will usually eliminate spreading of the bacteria.
Causes of Strep Throat
The bacteria that cause strep throat are highly contagious and spread through saliva or mucous droplets. Being around anyone who is infected and who is coughing or sneezing makes you susceptible. Strep bacteria can live on surfaces, anything from a doorknob to utensils, a bathroom towel or a remote control or cell phone. It's important to regularly disinfect these things if someone is contagious.
Common Symptoms of Strep Throat
How do you know if it's strep throat? The most common symptoms are
- Sore, painful throat
- Fever
- Headache
- Swollen tonsils and lymph glands in the neck
- White spots, streaks or pus on the throat
- "Strawberry Tongue" (Surface of the tongue resembles a strawberry, also a symptom of Scarlet Fever and other illnesses)
- Vomiting (especially in children)
- Sometimes strep throat has no noticable symptoms
- Usually little or no upper respiratory symptoms
Diagnosing Strep Throat
The only way to know for sure if your sore throat is strep is to see your physician. In fact, sore throats are one of the most common reasons for doctor appointments. Your doctor can diagnose strep by noting physical symptoms, but will almost always do a throat culture to determine whether the infection is viral or bacterial.
A throat culture is done quickly with a swab over the back of the throat. It's not painful but may make a person gag. There are two types of throat cultures:
- Rapid Strep Test, which can detect strep bacteria by locating antigens in the throat, but this test can miss some strep infections. This test is usually done first, but if it is negative, many doctors still run the second test.
- Throat Culture, often sent to a lab and may take between 24-48 hours but this test is approximately 99% accurate.
Accurate diagnosis before using antibiotics is the safest and most cost effective way to treat sore throats, according to a study by Tufts University Medical School.
Treating Strep Throat
Your doctor will usually prescribe an oral antibiotic like amoxicillin, azithromycin or cephalosporin. He may also give the antibiotic as an injection. Pain relievers and fever reducers (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) can make a sore throat more tolerable.
In addition to prescription antibiotics, there are home remedies that will help ease symptoms of a sore throat.
Once strep throat is diagnosed and treatment begins, you should start to feel better within a day or two. You can also go back to school or work and not worry about being contagious after that time. If you're not feeling better within a few days, contact your doctor to reconsider the prescribed medication and diagnosis.
