Strep Throat
Strep Throat
Strep throat is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation and pain in the throat and tonsils. Strep throat is highly contagious and can be spread through airborne droplets when someone coughs or sneezes, or through shared drinks or food. It’s important to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear. Strep throat can be easily diagnosed with a throat culture and treated with antibiotics and medications to reduce pain and fever. Antibiotics can speed up the healing process, and you should start to feel better within a day or two of beginning treatment. Most symptoms should be gone within seven to 10 days. If left untreated, strep throat can lead to complications such as kidney inflammation, rheumatic fever, stroke, or permanent damage to the heart.
Experiencing a sore throat? It could be more than just a common cold. Strep throat is a bacterial infection that can cause significant discomfort and lead to more severe health issues if left untreated. At Park Urgent Care, we offer quick and reliable strep testing to diagnose and treat your symptoms promptly.
Common symptoms may include
- Fever
- Pain when swallowing
- Red and swollen tonsils
- Sore throat that started very quickly and may look red
- Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck
- Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth, called petechiae
- White patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils.
Testing
A healthcare provider can perform a strep throat test using a rapid strep test or a throat culture:
Rapid strep test
A quick test that can show results in 10 to 15 minutes and we perform here in office. We use a swab to collect a sample from the throat by lightly brushing the back of the throat, around the tonsils, and over any sore areas and runs a test on it to look for antigens that indicate the presence of strep bacteria. If a rapid strep test is negative but the provider still suspects strep throat, they may perform a throat culture or treat off symptoms and exam.
Treatment
Strep throat treatment includes antibiotics to help you recover faster and prevent more serious health problems. It’s important to finish the entire course of antibiotics to make sure the infection is gone and to reduce the risk of complications.
To help you feel better while you’re sick, you can try:
- Drinking lots of cool liquids, especially if you have a fever, to avoid dehydration. Avoid acidic drinks like orange juice and lemonade, which can irritate your throat.
- Eating frozen foods like ice cream or popsicles to numb throat soreness.
- Drinking warm liquids like soups, tea with honey, or hot chocolate.
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as recommended by your doctor.