Feel like you’re swallowing glass? You might have strep throat. MainStreet Family Care shares all the details you need about the cause, treatment, and prevention of strep throat.

What is Strep Throat?

Strep throat is a highly contagious bacterial infection of your throat and tonsils. The bacteria that cause strep throat are Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as Group A Streptococcus (GAS). There are more than 120 different known strains of GAS.

Most sore throats are viral infections, but GAS is the most common cause of bacterial throat infections. Nearly 30 percent of sore throats in children are strep throat, and 10 percent of sore throats in adults are strep throat.

The bacteria that cause strep can be easily spread from person to person through airborne respiratory droplets when someone with a strep infection coughs or sneezes. This infection can also be spread when you touch surfaces where infected respiratory droplets have landed, such as countertops, doorknobs, and faucet handles, and then touch your eyes, face, mouth, or nose.

Strep throat is a common illness in the fall when children return to school, and we all participate in more indoor activities. It is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15. Adults who have school-aged children or are in close contact with children, such as childcare providers, healthcare providers, and teachers, are at higher risk of becoming infected with strep throat.

Strep Symptoms

When you are exposed to GAS, it may take 48 hours to five days before you develop symptoms of strep throat, which may include:

  • Chills
  • Decreased appetite
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Pain with swallowing
  • Red and swollen tonsils
  • Sudden sore throat
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth (petechiae)
  • White patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils

You may experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or a rash. These symptoms are more common in children than adults.

Strep throat symptoms usually do not include a cough, hoarse voice, pink eye, or runny nose, which are more common in viral infections.

Diagnosing Strep Throat

If you have symptoms of strep throat, you should see your healthcare provider. Your provider will review your symptoms, examine your throat and tonsils, and test you for strep throat.

There are two tests for strep throat – a rapid strep test and a throat culture. Both tests involve a quick swab of your throat and tonsils.

A rapid strep test checks your throat swab for the presence of GAS. As the name implies, it’s a fast test with results usually available in 20 minutes or less. If GAS is present on the rapid strep test, your provider can confirm you have strep throat and treat you.

Rapid strep tests can give a false negative result. If your rapid strep test result is negative, but you have signs and symptoms of strep throat, your healthcare provider will likely send your throat swab to a laboratory for a throat culture test.

A throat culture takes 24 to 48 hours to determine whether GAS grows in the laboratory from your throat swab. Although the throat culture test takes longer to result, it is more accurate than the rapid strep test.

MainStreet Family Care urgent care services offer strep throat testing! Register online and let us help you feel better fast!

Strep Throat Treatment

Strep throat will not get better without treatment. It is a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics to kill the Group A streptococcus bacteria.

The most common antibiotics used to treat strep throat are amoxicillin and penicillin. Azithromycin may be used if you are allergic to penicillin antibiotics. Always remind your healthcare provider of your known medication allergies and let them know if there is any chance you could be pregnant.

Some antibiotics are administered as a one-time shot in the office, but most are prescribed as pills for 7 to 10 days. You will likely start to feel better 24 to 48 hours after starting antibiotics. All of your symptoms should be resolved within 7 to 10 days. As long as you do not have a fever, you can return to school and work after the first 24 hours of antibiotics.

Tips for Taking Antibiotics

Follow the instructions on your prescription carefully and complete the entire prescription. You may be tempted to stop taking your antibiotics once your symptoms are gone, but this can lead to your infection returning with worse symptoms than you originally had and can lead to antibiotic resistance.

You may be tempted to stop taking your antibiotics early because of bothersome side effects such as nausea or diarrhea. Here’s how you can beat these annoying side effects and complete your course of antibiotics:

  • Take your antibiotics with food to prevent nausea or upset stomach.
  • Take a probiotic or increase your yogurt intake while taking antibiotics to prevent diarrhea.

Home Treatments for Strep Throat Symptom Relief

While the antibiotics are fighting off the bacteria, there are a few things you can do at home to help relieve your strep throat symptoms:

  • Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Some people prefer warm liquids such as broth, tea, or warm water with lemon; others find cold liquids more soothing.
  • Gargle salt water to ease throat pain. (1/4 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water)
  • Get plenty of rest to help your body fight your bacterial infection.
  • Eat soft foods such as applesauce, pudding, and yogurt to prevent aggravating your throat pain.
  • Take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil®) or acetaminophen (Tylenol®) for headaches and throat pain.
  • Try ice chips, popsicles, and throat lozenges to relieve throat pain.

Complications of Strep Throat

As mentioned earlier, strep throat will not go away without treatment. Untreated strep throat can lead to considerable complications. For example:

  • Bacteremia can develop if the bacteria spread to your blood.
  • Ear infections may develop if the bacteria in your throat spread and cause ear inflammation.
  • Meningitis can develop if the bacteria spread to the membranes covering your brain and spinal cord.
  • Peritonsillar abscesses, pockets of infected pus, can form around your tonsils. This is dangerous because the abscesses can grow large enough to block your airway. The abscesses can also rupture into the throat and cause pneumonia if it travels to the lungs.
  • Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis is a disease that causes inflammation in your kidneys.
  • Rheumatic fever can affect the valves in your heart and cause involuntary body movements, painless sores, and arthritis in your joints.
  • Scarlet fever is a sandpaper-like rash that can occur with strep throat.
  • Sinus infections may develop if the bacteria in your throat spread and cause inflammation in your sinuses.

Call your doctor immediately if you develop symptoms of any of these complications.

Preventing Strep Throat

Strep throat can be painful and interrupt your daily routine for a few days. It can spread quickly throughout your household, your kiddo’s daycare or school, and your place of employment. Check out our top tips to help prevent the spread of strep throat:

  • Wash your hands! And teach your kiddos to wash their hands. Hand washing is the single most effective intervention to prevent the spread of bacterial infections like strep throat. Remember to wash your hands –
  • After you cough or sneeze.
  • After you use the restroom.
  • After you touch unclean surfaces.
  • Before and after you prepare meals and eat.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, face, mouth, or nose unless you have washed your hands.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces in your home and office, such as countertops, doorknobs, faucet handles, keyboards, light switches, and toilets, to prevent the spread of bacterial infections.
  • Do not share drinks, food, or toothbrushes with people who are sick.

There is no specific vaccine for strep throat, but you can help boost your immune system and reduce your risk of illness with the following healthy practices:

  • Drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated.
  • Eat a healthy diet rich in whole, unprocessed foods.
  • Engage in regular physical activity.
  • Manage stress with deep breathing, meditation, mindfulness, or yoga.
  • Prioritize quality sleep every night.
  • Stay current with all recommended vaccines.
  • Visit your primary care partner at least once a year for an annual exam to maintain your overall health.

Turn to MainStreet Family Care

Concerned you may have strep throat? MainStreet Family Care urgent care services can get you treated fast!

Register online to visit one of our clinics near you. You can wait from the convenience of your home or car until we’re ready to see you. We’ll text you when it’s time to head to the clinic.

We also accept walk-ins! However, please be aware that walk-ins join the same queue as those who register online and may experience longer in-clinic wait times.