Strep throat is a bacterial infection in the throat that can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. It is caused by streptococcal bacteria, and it’s contagious and spreads quite easily.
Symptoms of strep throat
Fever
Headache
Difficulty swallowing and/or painful swallowing
Swollen lymph nodes in neck
Painful/sore throat
Swollen tonsils that appear red
Red spots on the roof of the mouth
White patches towards the back of your throat
Fatigue
Nausea
Stomachache
People with strep throat usually do not have symptoms of a cold, such as sneezing or coughing.
Strep throat can look like other illnesses too, such as mononucleosis, so to be sure of what you have you need to visit a doctor. The doctor will do a rapid strep test or a throat culture to find out if you do have strep throat. If you do have strep throat, your doctor will give you antibiotics to stop the spreading in your body or to anyone else.
Go to your doctor if you have signs of strep throat.
You should see a doctor when
A fever that lasts more than two days that is above 101 degrees Fahrenheit
You have been around someone who has strep throat, and now have a really bad sore throat
Problems with breathing occur
You have a sore throat without other cold symptoms that isn’t going away.
You develop a rash
If strep throat is untreated, you can develop other problems such as ear infections, tonsillitis, inflammation of the kidney, sinusitis, and rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease, and can cause everlasting damages to your heart, which can lead to heart failure or other heart conditions.
Symptoms of Rheumatic Fever are
Fever
Fatigue
Heart palpations
Pain moves from one joint to another
Painless rash
Uncontrolled body movements, such as jerking of the hands, feet, etc.
Random unusual behavior, such as random spurts of crying.
Getting tested and getting the right treatment for strep throat will prevent rheumatic fever.
Some at home treatments to help you feel better while having strep are(After getting tested and getting the proper medication)
Drinking hot liquids, such as tea, and eating hot soup will help your throat feel much better. It will decrease the inflammation and relieve some of the pain. Eating foods that are easy to eat and swallow are a great idea. Some foods that are easy are soups, mashed potatoes, yogurts, etc. Eating cold foods will also help to sooth your painful throat.
Try not to eat acidic foods.
You should drink a lot of liquids to keep your throat from getting dry. This will prevent dehydration and help swallowing. Having a humidifier will add moisture to the air, which will help dry throats a lot. Breathing in dry air will irritate and make your throat feel worse. You will feel much better with a humidifier!
Get lots of sleep, and make sure you are eating enough food. This will help your body a lot to fight the infection.
Avoid being around smoke or anything with strong odors because they can irritate the throat.
You can go to any store and purchase cough drops or lozenges that will numb the throat, which will definitely ease the pain. They work like a charm.
Some ways to prevent strep throat are
Always wash your hands, especially after being in public, going to the bathroom, or being around anyone who is sick. Wash your hands before putting anything in your mouth!
Do not go around anyone who has strep throat or anyone who thinks they could have it. It is not worth the pain you will go through!
It is good to keep a humidifier in your home, especially during the cold months, because having more moisture in the air helps your body resist bacteria better.
