Student Health Center
Strep Throat
- MaryAnne Cristodero
Strep throat is a bacterial infection in the throat and the tonsils. The throat gets irritated and inflamed causing a sudden severe sore throat.
What causes strep throat?
Strep throat is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria. There are several different types of strep bacteria. Some cause more serious illness than others. * See below
Although some people are quick to think that any painful sore throat is strep, many sore throats are caused by a viral infection and not strep bacteria. A sore throat caused by a virus can be just as painful as strep throat. Strep throat cannot be diagnosed just by the appearance of your tonsils. A viral sore throat can produce virtually the same symptoms as a bacterial sore throat, including the famous “white patches”. If you have cold symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a runny/stuffy nose you probably do not have strep throat.
The most common symptoms of strep throat are:
A sudden, severe sore throat.
Pain when you swallow.
Fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit
Swollen tonsils and lymph nodes
White or yellow spots on the back of a bright red throat
You may also have a headache and abdominal pain. Less common symptoms are a skin rash, vomiting, not feeling hungry, and body aches.
How is strep throat spread?
Strep throat can be passed from person to person. The strep bacteria are spread through contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. If you drink from the same glass as a sick person, you can also become ill. If you come into contact with strep, it will take 2-5 days before you start to have symptoms.
How is strep throat diagnosed?
The Student Health Center will do a physical exam, ask you about your symptoms and past health, and may do a rapid strep test to diagnose strep throat and/or another test, called a throat culture. To obtain these tests a swab from the back of your throat will be obtained. * Rapid tests are quite accurate for diagnosing strep Group A, but not the other strains (Group C and G). All strains of strep throat will eventually resolve on their own, with or without antibiotics. However, Group A is the most problematic and therefore the strain that needs to be treated with antibiotics. This is because, left untreated, Group A strep can later infect the kidneys and heart valves.
If your rapid strep test turns out to be negative, the provider will sometimes send a swab out to the lab to be cultured. This is to be sure that your sore throat is not caused by a different strain of bacteria that would benefit from treatment. If your throat culture grows out of strep Group C or G, and you have not started to get better on your own, your provider may offer a trial of antibiotics to see if it makes a difference. Usually, Group C and Group G strep do not need to be treated with antibiotics.
How is it treated?
Group A Strep throat is treated with antibiotics. It is important to finish your antibiotic prescription as directed. Antibiotics shorten the time you can spread the disease to others (are contagious) and lower the risk of spreading the infection to other parts of your body. Antibiotics may also help you feel better faster. Although rare in the U.S., antibiotic treatment can prevent complications such as acute rheumatic fever (an inflammatory disease) that can affect the heart, joints, skin, and brain.
You are contagious while you still have symptoms. Most people stop being contagious 24 hours after they start antibiotics. If you don’t take antibiotics, you may be contagious for 2-3 weeks, even if your symptoms go away.
Make sure you get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Throw away your infected toothbrush 24-48 hours after you start your antibiotic. Take Tylenol or Ibuprofen as directed for fever and discomfort.
Return to the Student Health Center if you do not feel better after a few days of your diagnosis or if your symptoms worsen.
