Take along a family member or friend, if possible, to help you remember the information you're given. If you think you or your child might have a strep infection, take steps to relieve symptoms and avoid spreading infection:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, look for signs and symptoms of strep throat, and probably order one or more of the following tests: Rapid antigen test.
Your doctor may perform a rapid antigen test on a swab sample from your throat. This test can detect strep bacteria in minutes by looking for substances antigens in the throat.
If the test is negative but your doctor still suspects strep, he or she might do a throat culture. Molecular polymerase chain reaction, or PCR test. This test is also done using a swab sample from your throat. Throat culture.
If you do not receive treatment for strep throat with antibiotics, you will remain contagious for two to three weeks. You will be much less contagious if you begin treatment with antibiotics — even after 24 hours. Here are 10 things to know about when therapy can help. If you've never had an online psychiatry visit before, you might have some questions about how the process works.
How do we find a way to carry our grief for our loved one and find joy in the present? This question is one that I often get asked. I am very open about the fact that I lost a son to cancer 20 years ago, and that loss has shaped me into the person and clinician I am today. It is easy to tell when you have a sore throat or a cold. It is harder to know when you have strep throat. Typically, sore throats are caused by a viral infection and not strep bacteria.
Strep throat usually does not occur with cold symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a runny or stuffy nose. The more cold symptoms you have, the less likely it is that your sore throat is a strep infection.
In some cases of strep infection, a skin rash develops and spreads over the neck and chest and eventually over the whole body. The rash feels rough like sandpaper. This condition is called scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is treated with antibiotics.
This usually leads to a quick recovery. Scarlet fever is not dangerous if treated. Symptoms of strep throat usually begin within 2 to 5 days after you come in contact with someone who has a strep infection.
Strep throat usually goes away in 3 to 7 days with or without antibiotic treatment. In contrast, if allergies or irritants are the cause of your sore throat, it will usually last longer unless the cause is eliminated. If strep throat isn't treated with antibiotics, you will continue to be contagious for 2 to 3 weeks even if your symptoms go away. You are much less contagious within 24 hours after you start antibiotics and are less likely to develop complications of the strep infection.
Complications of strep throat are rare but can occur, especially if your throat infection isn't properly treated with antibiotics. Complications can occur when the strep infection spreads to other parts of the body and causes other infections, such as an ear or sinus infection or an abscess near the tonsils peritonsillar abscess. Complications can also result in your immune system attacking itself and causing serious conditions such as rheumatic fever.
Treating strep throat can greatly reduce your risk for rheumatic fever and its complications. It is not clear whether treating the strep infection with antibiotics reduces your risk for inflammation of the kidneys acute glomerulonephritis.
Your risk of getting strep throat increases if you come in close contact with others, especially children, who have a strep infection. The size of a child's tonsils isn't a risk factor for throat infections. Children or adults who have had their tonsils removed can still get strep throat. Call a doctor if the following symptoms develop 1 to 2 weeks or longer after a strep throat infection. These symptoms may indicate rheumatic fever. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 2 days of treatment with an antibiotic.
Watchful waiting is appropriate if your sore throat occurs with symptoms like those of a cold, such as sneezing, coughing, and a runny or stuffy nose. In general, the more of these symptoms you have, the less likely it is that your sore throat is caused by a strep infection. You can try home treatment if your sore throat is not severe and you have other symptoms of a cold.
For more information on what to do if you have sore throat symptoms, see the topic Sore Throat and Other Throat Problems.
Your family doctor or general practitioner can evaluate a sore throat, do throat cultures or quick tests, and prescribe antibiotic treatment if needed. You may be referred to a specialist, such as a pediatrician for your child, or an otolaryngologist ear, nose, and throat specialist. If surgery to remove chronically enlarged or infected tonsils or adenoids is suggested, you may be referred to an otolaryngologist.
Strep throat is diagnosed from your medical history, a physical examination of your throat, and a lab test, such as a throat culture. Sometimes a rapid strep test is used to check for strep. Your doctor may confirm the results of the rapid strep test with a throat culture.
Current treatment guidelines recommend that your doctor confirm strep throat with a lab test, such as a throat culture, and not just diagnose strep throat from your symptoms. But your doctor may begin treatment for strep throat before the result of your throat culture is back if you have three or four of the following symptoms:. One or both of the following tests are used to confirm that you have strep throat.
If symptoms of strep throat are present, it is important to be tested for strep infection. Prompt treatment will reduce the spread of strep throat and may reduce the risk of complications , such as the infection spreading to other parts of your body causing ear or sinus infections or an abscess behind or around your tonsils peritonsillar abscess. The rapid strep test is not used in many parts of Canada. If you need to be tested for strep throat and the rapid strep test is available, it may help to discuss with your doctor the advantages and disadvantages of each test.
For instance, results from a rapid strep test are available within 10 to 15 minutes, and results from a throat culture may take 1 to 2 days. A throat culture is more accurate. It is possible for a person to carry the strep bacteria and not have any symptoms. If a number of infections occur in the same family, or if there have been severe complications such as rheumatic fever or toxic shock syndrome , it may be helpful to test family members to learn whether they are carriers of strep infection.
But it is unusual for a person to catch strep throat from a carrier. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cephalexin, or penicillin are used to treat strep throat. Antibiotics work only against bacterial infections such as strep throat. They will not help sore throats caused by allergies or viral infections such as colds. Antibiotic treatment can begin immediately if a strep infection is confirmed by a rapid strep test.
But there is no harm in waiting for the results of a throat culture to confirm strep throat before starting antibiotic treatment. In fact, it is better to wait until strep throat has been confirmed so that antibiotics are not used unnecessarily. Overuse of antibiotics can make them ineffective. Although waiting to treat strep throat may prolong the time you have the illness, delaying treatment for a few days doesn't increase the risk of rheumatic fever or other complications.
Your doctor also may recommend non-prescription medicines such as acetaminophen or anesthetic throat sprays to help relieve the pain and discomfort caused by strep throat.
Acetaminophen will also reduce fever. Wash your hands often when you are around people with colds or viral or bacterial illnesses. Do not share toothbrushes or eating and drinking utensils.
Keep up your body's resistance to infection with a good diet, plenty of sleep, and regular exercise. Managing stress can also strengthen your body's ability to fight off illness, such as strep throat.
Humidify your home during the dry winter months or year-round if you live in a dry climate. Moisture in the air humidity helps keep your mucous membranes moist and more resistant to bacteria. You can use a humidifier in the bedroom while you sleep. But use care if a person in the home has asthma or allergies, because mould or other particles that collect in the humidifier can make these conditions worse. Clean humidifiers on a regular basis. Strep throat is a contagious bacterial infection.
Learn more about how contagious it is, the incubation period, and how antibiotics affect it here. Is it possible to have strep throat if you do not have a fever? Find out in this article, and learn more about strep throat symptoms and treatment. Tonsillitis and strep throat share many symptoms and can sometimes occur due to the same bacteria. Learn about some of the differences here.
Group B strep is a type of bacteria that occurs naturally in some adults and can pass from pregnant women to babies. It often produces no symptoms…. Strep throat is a common bacterial infection that typically leads to a sore, scratchy throat. Sometimes, it can also cause a rash. Several other…. How long does strep throat last? Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. How contagious? Is treatment needed?
Treatment Symptoms Cause Diagnosis Risk factors Prevention Complications Seeing a doctor Summary Once a person has contracted the group A Streptococcus bacteria, they can become ill after roughly 2—5 days.
How long is a person contagious?
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