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Yesterday, your child was joyful and active, but this morning he woke up feeling unwell, with a fever, and complaining about his throat. Is it a sore throat or strep throat? What sets them apart, and why is it important for us to distinguish between the two? What can you do to help your child?
Understanding Strep Throat
Strep throat is an infection caused by bacteria in the throat and tonsils. The condition is marked by a high fever of over 38.0°C, a moderate to severe sore throat, extremely sensitive swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck, no cough or runny nose, and red and/or pus-filled tonsils.
Why does this happen? Strep throat comes from getting infected with streptococcal (strep) bacteria. There are different types of strep bacteria, and some can give you worse symptoms than others. The main culprit behind strep throat is this group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABS). Groups C and G strep bacteria can also cause throat infections.
Strep throat is highly contagious. When someone with it breathes, coughs, or sneezes, they release tiny droplets with the strep bacteria that others can breathe in. Symptoms usually show up 2 to 5 days after being around the bacteria.
If you don't take care of strep throat, it can lead to some serious issues like kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever. This could mean dealing with achy and swollen joints, a specific kind of rash, or harm to your heart valves.
How about sore throat?
A sore throat can result from viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. Not all cases of a sore throat suggest strep throat. Viral infections like the common cold or flu can produce comparable symptoms. Viral origins typically clear up without intervention, whereas bacterial and fungal infections often require antimicrobial therapy.
The Strep Throat Test
Our prescribing pharmacist in Whole Health Pharmacy Edmonton can make an assessment and perform a rapid strep test.
A rapid strep test quickly checks for strep bacteria in your throat using a cotton swab, providing results in about 10 minutes. It may not always detect strep when present, but a positive result eliminates the need for a throat culture.
There is another strep test which involves a throat culture to find strep bacteria. A culture takes 1 or 2 days, but it's better at finding all cases of strep. A sample of cells from the back of your throat is added to a substance that promotes the growth of bacteria. If no bacteria grow, the culture is negative. If strep bacteria grow, the culture is positive.
Treatment Options
If rapid strep throat test is positive, our pharmacist can prescribe an antibiotic. It can shorten the time you spread the disease and lower the risk of infecting other body parts, helping you recover faster.
You can spread the infection as long as you have symptoms. Typically, people cease to be contagious within 24 hours of starting antibiotics. Without antibiotic treatment, you might remain contagious for 2 to 3 weeks, even if your symptoms disappear.
Supportive measures like rest, hydration, warm tea with honey, and gargling with salt water can help ease discomfort from strep throat, in addition to antibiotics.
Wrapping Up
In short, strep throat is a common bacterial infection that can be pretty uncomfortable, but you can deal with it by getting diagnosed early and following the right treatment. Knowing your symptoms, getting tested, and sticking to your treatment plan are key to getting over strep throat and feeling better. Get in touch with our pharmacist who can prescribe medication for you, helping you to start feeling better sooner.
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