Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

6/29/2016

Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat Do you feel like swallowing needles while eating meals? Do you have fever over 101°F? If you have above symptoms, then these are probably the warning signs of strep

throat and not sore throat. You may think that you have common sore throat and just follow simple home remedies to get rid of it. But, just wait for a while before you jump to this conclusion!

Strep throat is more dangerous than a sore throat because if left untreated, it can have dangerous repercussions. You may feel better automatically after a few days without taking medications. But, it can lead to serious problems later in your life, which will be discussed later in the article.

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What Is Strep Throat & How Does It Differ From Common Sore Throat?

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

Don’t misinterpret Strep Throat as Sore Throat

Strep throat is a bacterial infection that causes pain and inflammation in the throat and the tonsils. You’ll have a sudden sore throat along with a fever over 101°F. Mostly school going children and teenagers suffer from this bacterial infection.

Many of you must be having a question in your mind – What is the difference between sore and strep throat? Am I right? For those who don’t know – Common sore throat is caused due to viral infections while strep throat is caused due to bacterial infection.

Sore throat will usually be fine on its own within a week and you may have minor or no fever. However, if you have strep throat, you’ll be suffering from high fever, loss of appetite and swollen tonsils.

Some of you might have taken antibiotics without getting it diagnosed by your doctor.

I have also done it many times when I was a teenager. I would like to inform you that antibiotics don’t work on viral infections. You may become antibiotics resistant if you take them without any need. http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

What Causes Strep Throat?

Strep throat is caused due to streptococcal bacteria. There are different types of streptococcal bacteria, but your culprit is GAS (Group A Streptococcus) bacteria, specifically Streptococcus pyogenes.

This bacterial infection will invade your pharyngeal tissue, leading to inflammation and irritation in tonsils and throat. The infection is usually spread via air passage when an infected person sneezes or coughs. You may also get infected if you touch any object that came in contact with the infected individual.

What Are The Signs Of Strep Throat?

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

These are some common symptoms of strep throat

1. Sudden & Severe Sore Throat Along With Painful Swallowing If you have sore throat due to GAS bacteria, then it’ll take only a few hours to develop.

It is one of the early signs of strep throat and is more painful than normal sore throat.

You may feel like swallowing sandpaper while drinking water or eating meals.

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

2. Fever Over 101°F If you have sudden sore throat along with a fever over 101°F (38.3°C,) you’re most probably suffering from strep throat. Usually, viral sore throat doesn’t come with a raging fever.

3. Red & Swollen Tonsils With White Patches When you’re suffering due to Group A Streptococcus, then you may see red and swollen tonsils with white patches or streaks of pus. You may also have above signs with tonsillitis, but then you won’t be suffering from a fever.

4. Swollen & Tender Lymph Nodes Another symptom of strep throat is swollen and tender lymph nodes in your neck.

5. Skin Rashes or Body Aches If you’ve developed sudden unusual rashes on your skin and your whole body is aching, you should seek for medical help regardless of whether you’re infected with strep throat or not. These symptoms could be linked with a variety of other medical conditions.

6. Headache, nausea or vomiting These are the common symptoms with the flu and cold, making it difficult for the doctor to determine whether you have strep throat signs or not. Your doctor will usually perform a throat swab culture to test if its GAS bacteria which is bothering you.

Your doctor will prescribe you medications only after the result of this laboratory test.

Is Strep Throat Contagious?

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

Strep throat is highly contagious

A lot of people have asked this question on various health related forums and websites. You may also have Googled queries like – How contagious is strep throat?

Well, I would like to inform you that according to various studies and research, it has been found that strep throat is moderately contagious. Normally, it is spread by the passage of saliva or airborne droplets from the infected person to another individual.

How do you get strep throat?

You may have caught the Group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacteria from your family member, classmate or by sharing utensils or drinking cups. It has been found that the risk of contracting a strep throat infection is nearly 40 percent in household environments.

How Long Does Strep Throat Last?

If you don’t take antibiotics, then strep throat can be contagious for about 2-3 weeks.

However, if you have taken antibiotics, then normally you’ll not be contagious after 24 to 36 hours of initiating antibiotic therapy. http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

Antibiotics For Strep Throat

You’ll have to take antibiotics if you’re infected with strep throat

According to a research, nearly 15 million people in the United States visit the doctor for a sore throat annually. It has been found that more than 70 percent of them received antibiotics, although only 20 to 30 percent of them actually had strep throat.

Strep throat is caused by streptococcus bacteria and not by a virus. People who are suffering from sore throat due to virus shouldn’t be treated with antibiotics. According to the published guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.

Before taking any over-the-counter antibiotics, you should get yourself diagnosed for

Group A Streptococcus. Normally, you’ll be given Penicillin for strep throat unless you’re allergic to it. Amoxicillin, cephalexin and erythromycin are some other common antibiotics, which may be given to you during the treatment for strep throat.

In most cases, your doctor will prescribe you to take antibiotics for nearly 10 days.

Your doctor may also give you a single shot of penicillin. http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

I have often seen people who stop taking medications after seeing signs of improvement. Even, I have done this many times when I was a kid. Have you ever done this?

If yes, then I would advise you to not ditch your medications before the full course of treatment is completed. You may have to face dangerous consequences for premature halting of your dosage.

In some cases, untreated strep throat has led to complications like kidney disorder and rheumatic fever. You better finish the entire prescription of antibiotics, so that you don’t have to face repercussions.

7 Home Remedies For Strep Throat That Can Ease Your Symptoms If you have common sore throat caused due to virus, then only home remedies could help you to get rid of it. However, if you’re infected with strep then you need to undergo strep throat treatment to avoid aforementioned complications.

According to National Institutes of Health, following home remedies may help you to ease your symptoms.

1. Delicious Honey May Knock Out Strep Bacteria

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

Honey can combat strep bacteria

Honey has amazing health benefits and is known to treat various skin problems like pimples, blackheads, acne scars and lot more. Honey is also helpful in treating common sore throat due to viral infections.

According to the NIH, if you drinking warm tea with honey, it can help you reduce the signs of strep throat and give you relief. Some preliminary studies have shown that honey may possess bacteria-fighting properties. However, it’s not known whether it can combat Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria or not.

I have tried drinking ginger tea mixed with honey and a teaspoon of lemon juice and it has worked for me in easing the pain.

2. Gargle With Inflammation

Warm

Salt

Water

To

Soothe

Your

Gargling with warm salt water is the most common home remedy for a sore throat.

My Mom used to advise me to gargle when I had strep throat after taking antibiotics http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

to ease pain in throat. It did provide me some relief.

When you’re infected with strep throat, the mucous membranes get inflamed and swollen. Gargling with salt water will help in decreasing the swelling as the major function of salt is to draw out water.

As water will be drawn out, your swollen cells will shrink and you’ll be relieved from the pain. You may think that this home remedy for strep throat is any old wives’ tale, but it can work wonders in providing relief.

3. Suck On Some OTC Throat Lozenges

OTC Throat Lozenges Can Give You Temporary Relief From Painful Throat

You can easily get OTC throat lozenges from the nearby chemist shop. These herbal throat lozenges contain analgesics like honey or lemon that can provide you soothing effect. You can also consume lozenges containing anesthetics to treat strep throat.

I’ll advise you not to consume lozenges containing anesthetics for more than 2-3 http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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days. If you think you only have a sore throat and consume them, it could mask infection due to strep bacteria that require medical intervention.

You can also buy throat sprays containing ingredients similar to the lozenges.

NOTE: You shouldn’t give lozenges to young children as they can choke on them.

4. Use Cool-Mist Humidifiers To Get Rid Of Strep Throat Using cool-mist humidifiers moisten the air and can help in relieving dry and painful throat. I’ll advise you to properly clean it on a regular basis as bacteria and molds can thrive in them.

5. Use OTC Pain Medications

You can use OTC medications to reduce pain and fever

If you want to reduce the signs of strep throat (fever and throat pain,) use some of the OTC pain medications. Acetaminophen is a common medication that is available in the http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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pharmacy shop.

However, you should make sure that you don’t consume it in excess because consuming too much of it can cause liver damage. Ibuprofen is another effective medicine available OTC that can help in relieving pain.

CAUTION: Don’t take these OTC medications for more than 2-3 days and carefully read the instructions. You can consult doctor or pharmacist regarding its dosage.

6. Drink Herbal Teas To Soothe Your Painful Throat You may drink herbal teas containing ingredients such as licorice to relieve your painful, inflamed throat and reduce the signs of strep throat. According to a 2009 study, patients who gargled with licorice felt relief in their throats.

7. Gargle with Apple Cider Vinegar

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Apple Cider Vinegar for Strep Throat

Gargling with the diluted solution of Apple cider vinegar is believed to be effective due to its antibacterial properties. You can mix 1-3 teaspoons of ACV in 8oz of water. Use this mixture to gargle 3-4 times a day. If you’re interested in reading other health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, you can read our previous post.

Valuable Tips To Get Rid Of Strep Throat Fast

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

Stay hydrated during strep throat

1. Drink Lots Of Water Drinking lots of water will not only prevent dehydration, but will also keep your throat moist. Keeping your throat moist will help in relieving the pain while swallowing food.

It’s advised that you drink lukewarm water rather than water at room temperature.

2. Sleep For A Few Extra Hours In addition to your normal eight hours of sleep, you should aim to sleep for a few extra hours during the day. It’ll give your immune system enough time and resources to combat the streptococcal bacteria with the help of the antibiotics. When you’re sleeping, make sure you cover yourself with a blanket.

3. Keep An Eye On What You Eat You should avoid eating dry, rough foods and spicy foods because it’ll only irritate your inflamed throat. When the symptoms of strep throat are at its peak, you’ll not feel like eating. It is advised that you should eat soft foods like yogurt, soups, softcooked eggs, etc. because they’ll not much hurt your throat. http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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4. Stay Away From Throat Irritants If you come in contact with irritants like air pollution and cigarette smoke, it can worsen your sore throat symptoms. If you’re a regular smoker, then don’t smoke cigarettes until you recover. You should also avoid secondhand smoke because it can hurt your throat more than before.

TIP: Try to quit smoking if you’re a regular smoker.

5. Stay Isolated For At least A Day After Taking Antibiotics You may already know that Strep throat is extremely contagious. Your doctor will also advise you to stay at home and avoid going to school, college or work. People who are near you will be at risk of catching the infection.

After 24 hours of taking antibiotics, you’ll no longer be contagious and signs of strep throat will start decreasing.

How To Prevent Strep Throat?

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Prevention is better than cure

The best way to prevent strep throat from bothering you is to stay away from the person you know is infected with strep throat.

When you’re in a place where there is any infected person, you should wash your hands properly and frequently with soap or hand wash. If it’s possible, try to wash your hands with warm water because people frequently touch their faces or nose and bacteria can easily be transmitted.

It may sound rude, but don’t let any infected person to sneeze or cough without covering his or her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Normally, the bacteria are transmitted via air passage at this point.

Your mother may have told you that sharing is caring. It’s true in most cases, but if anyone has been infected with strep throat in your family, don’t share anything with them, including glass, plates, towels etc.

If the infected person is your family member, then you should always keep his/her eating utensils and drinking glasses separate from the rest of the family. Make sure that those utensils are washed properly in hot water.

Final Words After reading the article, you must have understood that you can’t ignore the warning signs of strep throat. Once again, I would like to remind you that please don’t ditch your medications before completing the antibiotics course.

If you find our article helpful, then don’t forget to share it with your friends because they can misinterpret strep throat as common sore throat. You can also share your experience of dealing this annoyance in the comments section below.

FAQs Related to Strep Throat For how long does strep throat last?

Read the answer here.

What does strep throat look like?

The symptoms or signs of strep throat are the indicators of what strep throat looks http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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Ultimate Guide To Combat Warning Signs Of Strep Throat

like.

How do you get strep throat?

Get your answer here.

Is it possible that I have sore throat but no fever?

Yes, it’s possible. As there are many possible causes of sore throat without other symptoms like fever, runny nose, and cough.

Because, sometimes throat can become irritated from eating too spicy food or smoking. If you can identify anything like this and eliminate it, the soreness should get better.

Another reason would be acid reflux or heartburn. When the acid in the stomach washes up into the throat, it might cause a mild chemical burn which leads to soreness.

This could be strep throat also, which is characterized by bad sore throat without accompanying cold symptoms. It is more likely if you also have swollen glands and enlarged tonsils in your neck.

Finally, this can be just the start of common cold. As sometimes, sore throat will proceed the other symptoms by a few days.

How to cure strep throat?

There are many home remedies to ease out the symptoms of strep throat. And if nothing works, seek the help of your doctor.

How contagious is strep throat?

It is moderately contagious.

What is the incubation period of strep throat?

The incubation period varies from person to person. However, it usually lasts between http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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1-5 days. Most of the people, during their incubation period, are not even aware that they’re contaminated.

How is strep throat spread?

Here is your answer.

Sore throat on one side, what does that mean?

I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’ve sore throat only on one side then you might be Peritonsillar Abscess or Quinsy.

Can you get strep throat without tonsils?

Yes and here is how: The main accused in this case is the structure inside your throat. There are 4 main clusters of lymph tissues in your throat – Eustachian tube tonsils, Pharyngeal tonsils, Lingual tonsils and Palatine toils.

When any of these tissues are infected by streptococcus bacteria, it can cause strep throat and you’ve to bear all the pain that goes with it.

Is strep throat dangerous during pregnancy?

No, it’s not dangerous while you’re carrying a baby but you’ve to do something about the fever. As it is not good for the baby, especially in first trimester when fetal organs are forming.

So, try to bring down your temperature ASAP.

How to know if I have strep throat?

You’ll get to know about it from its specific signs of strep throat.

Can allergies cause sore throat?

Of course yes. But when your throat is irritated by an allergic reaction to airborne http://thelifesquare.com/warning-signs-of-strep-throat-8571265/

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particles such as pollen, then its treatment becomes a little complicated.

Therefore,addressing the exact cause of your allergies can help you get rid of sore throat once and for all.

Is strep throat airborne?

Read the answer here.

Can wisdom tooth cause sore throat?

Yes, a wisdom tooth infection along with the pain, might also cause sore throat and swollen lymph glands under the jaw.

Is it normal to have sore throat after smoking weed?

Of course yes, as it is the effect of drawing in hot dry air down your throat. And this air irritates the mucous lining of your throat because you’re drying it out, thus causing a sore throat. Â

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