• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Brain Foggles

Home and Health Blog

  • Home
  • About
  • Food
  • Health & Fitness
  • House
  • Vacation
  • Finance
  • Games
  • Contact

How Do You Know if You Have Strep Throat or Just a Sore Throat?

April 27, 2020 by admin Leave a Comment

FacebookTweetPinPrintLinkedIn

A fast and easy examination at UrgentMed family medicine can tell you for sure about whether you have strep throat or a sore throat. Sore throats are caused by a variety of factors, including viruses, bacteria, allergens, and dry air, and they are treatable with home care. On the other hand, a strep throat requires a physician’s diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms of a Sore Throat

Allergens, such as pollen, dust or food, as well as bacterial infections can lead to a sore throat. However, the most common triggers are the flu and viral infections, which are resistant to antibiotics.

The following are some common symptoms of a sore throat:

  • An inflamed, scratchy throat and tonsils
  • Earache
  • Runny nose
  • A lump on the neck
  • A cough or the common cold
  • Moderate fever
  • Mild rash
  • Congestion
  • Trouble breathing

Fortunately, you can get rid of a sore throat with the help of some home remedies, such as:

  • Gargling warm salt water to help decrease swelling and alleviate the discomfort
  • Drinking warm liquids, like honey and lemon tea, or chicken broth soup
  • Taking throat lozenges
  • Using a throat spray with phenol
  • Taking over-the-counter pain medication to relieve possible body aches and pains

If you experience recurrent sore throats or your throat feels sore for more than one week, you should visit a doctor. Your physician can prescribe something to alleviate your throat discomfort.

Symptoms of Strep Throat

Strep throat is more common among children, but it can also affect adults. Its symptoms are usually more severe in comparison to those of a sore throat, and they include:

  • White patches at the back of the throat
  • A sore throat without common cold symptoms, like a cough, runny rose, and congestion
  • Red, swollen tonsils, at times followed by white patches or streaks
  • Inflamed lymph nodes
  • Small red spots at the back of the mouth’s roof
  • Problems with swallowing or breathing
  • An infection in the ears
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Headaches
  • Rash
  • Loss of appetite
  • Pain in the abdomen

If left untreated, a strep throat can lead to complications, like rheumatic fever, kidney inflammation, scarlet fever, or post-streptococcal reactive arthritis. Therefore, seeing a doctor as early as possible is critical.

Strep Throat Diagnosis and Treatment

Your doctor can conduct a quick strep test to check for antigens belonging to the Streptococcus A bacterial strain. If the test turns negative, the doctor may still perform a throat culture to confirm the accuracy of the diagnosis.

If the test gives a positive result, you have a strep throat, and the doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics. You should complete the whole course of treatment, as advised by the doctor. If you don’t, you’ll allow any remaining harmful bacteria to mutate and gain more resistance to antibiotics.

Ibuprofen or acetaminophen can also help to soothe throat discomfort and fever.

Since strep throat is highly contagious, getting urgent medical care is important, so that you can reduce the risk of infecting your family members and friends.

If your child has signs of a strep throat, you can take them to an urgent care facility for proper diagnosis and treatment. Also, keep them home from school or other activities until they recover. Fortunately, after 24 hours of treatment with antibiotics, a strep infection becomes less contagious.

FacebookTweetPinPrintLinkedIn

Filed Under: Health & Fitness

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Us

Hello! Hello! My name is Jack, and I am a health enthusiast. I used to live a life full of guilty pleasures and control was not in the list. It was a dark time for me to lose confidence and make bad decisions about my health.

LET’S CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Newsletter

Getting Powersports Battery Insurance For Your Vehicle

May 5, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

For many owning their very own powersports … [Read More...] about Getting Powersports Battery Insurance For Your Vehicle

Where You Can Buy A Loft Ladder Kit

May 5, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

When you are thinking about fitting ladders in to … [Read More...] about Where You Can Buy A Loft Ladder Kit

WordPress Accessibility Requirements Around the World – accessiBe WordPress

April 27, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

Wordpress is the most popular content management … [Read More...] about WordPress Accessibility Requirements Around the World – accessiBe WordPress

How to Test an Accessibility Overlay: A Step-by-Step Guide

April 27, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

If you're looking for a way to improve the … [Read More...] about How to Test an Accessibility Overlay: A Step-by-Step Guide

The ADA and Your Website: How to Make Your Website Compliant – accessiBe

April 27, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

If you're a business owner, it's important to know … [Read More...] about The ADA and Your Website: How to Make Your Website Compliant – accessiBe

How to Boost Your Kid’s Brain Function without Medications?

April 20, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

Ensuring proper brain functioning is crucial for … [Read More...] about How to Boost Your Kid’s Brain Function without Medications?

3 Reasons to Not Do DIY Pest Control

April 19, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

Doing your own pest control can be a good idea in … [Read More...] about 3 Reasons to Not Do DIY Pest Control

Living alone? 5 tips for home security in single-person households

April 6, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

As liberating as living alone can be, let’s face … [Read More...] about Living alone? 5 tips for home security in single-person households

Footer

About Us

Hello! Hello! My name is Jack, and I am a health enthusiast. I used to live a life full of guilty pleasures and control was not in the list. It was a dark time for me to lose confidence and make bad decisions about my health.

Recent Posts

  • How to Get Started on Your Crypto Journey With Earnity, Explain Dan Schatt and Domenic Carosa
  • All You Need to Know About a Bowie Knife
  • What Type Documents Are Needed for No Fault Divorces in Alabama?
  • TIPS TO SAFELY BUY YOUR FAVORITE ORIFLAME PRODUCTS ONLINE
  • The Benefits of Taking Biotin Supplements

Newsletter

Copyright © 2022 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in