What Is Strep Throat?

Causes Causes and Risk Factors of Strep Throat Anyone can get strep throat. But you’re more likely to become sick if:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f8680990-9d38-4dc6-b142-18387823c188 You’re between 5 and 15 years old It’s winter or early spring, when large groups of people tend to crowd together in enclosed environments, spreading bacteria Since strep throat is contagious, you’re much more likely to catch it if you’re in close contact with someone who is infected.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d75ce6b7-a842-4c1d-a56f-3bcaaf35c065 According to Nipunie S. Rajapakse, MD , a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, strep infections commonly spread in households with more than one child, as well as in schools and childcare centers. “Within a household, you may be sharing utensils or drinks,” Dr. Rajapakse notes. “It’s not uncommon that we’ll see two kids from the same family with similar symptoms at the same time.” While it’s less common for adults to catch strep throat, it’s not impossible — especially if they work in a school or childcare setting. “We do know that adults that work closely with kids tend to be exposed and get infected more commonly than the general population,” Rajapakse says.
Prevention of Strep Throat Strep throat is highly contagious. When people with the infection cough or sneeze, they spread the bacteria through airborne droplets. You can get strep throat by touching surfaces that carry the bacteria, like door handles, and then transferring this bacteria to your eyes, nose, or mouth.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293dc0ae3a-5d11-4f9e-99f1-a93ea6236763 To stay healthy, you should wash your hands and your child’s hands regularly, particularly after coughing or sneezing and before you prepare food or eat. Carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you to kill bacteria when you’re on the go. You should also wash glasses, utensils, and plates after someone who is sick uses them.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f6ab9814-2b97-4b2b-b494-7cec2f7005b3 If you are sick, taking antibiotics prescribed by your doctor reduces the risk of transmission.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e17c2e61-2ce3-4c3c-b978-4d2328255f25 “We know that it takes about 24 hours of antibiotics before you cannot transmit strep anymore, so be especially careful during that period of time,” says Rajapakse. In practice, this means staying home from school, day care, or work until you no longer pose a risk to others.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e17c2e61-2ce3-4c3c-b978-4d2328255f25 While you are contagious, remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands frequently, and avoid kissing.
Strep throat is a bacterial infection that can cause a sore, scratchy throat. While strep throat is prevalent in school-age children, it’s not the most common cause of a sore throat .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629329566ae-a72e-437f-ae62-7e52f1ad05ce Infections caused by a virus are much more likely to be the culprit. While a sore throat may resolve itself without treatment, it’s important to get tested for strep if you suspect it might be causing your symptoms.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d4be34a3-ca12-468d-98a7-392f2f21b26c If strep throat isn’t treated promptly with antibiotics , it can lead to complications, including abscesses near the tonsils, infected lymph nodes, or a serious inflammatory condition called rheumatic fever.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d4be34a3-ca12-468d-98a7-392f2f21b26c
The Takeaway Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus bacteria . It causes a scratchy throat along with fever, swollen lymph nodes, and white patches on the tonsils. It’s treated with antibiotics — typically penicillin or amoxicillin — which help clear the infection and reduce the risk of complications. Left untreated, strep can lead to serious complications including rheumatic fever, so prompt treatment is important.
Types Types of Strep Infection The group A Streptococcus bacteria that cause strep throat are responsible for the most common type of streptococcal infection, but groups B, C, and G streptococcal bacteria can also result in illness. Group B streptococcal bacteria can be found in the vagina or rectum of pregnant women. Although infection is usually harmless in adults, one can be passed on to newborns during delivery and cause a serious illness, known as group B strep disease.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b7f20591-9a77-41d7-9e68-381a44cb9871 Groups C and G streptococci are not as common as strep A and B. These strains of strep are more likely to live in certain animals, such as horses and cattle. Humans can contract groups C and G strep by drinking raw milk or coming into contact with an infected animal.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292f5bc044-ac95-46dd-a891-2843f34cc118
Duration How Long Does Strep Throat Last? With proper treatment, strep throat usually goes away within 10 days.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290c5a9fe9-e528-4258-867a-66660c37cc90 Antibiotics typically relieve symptoms in a day or two.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f49f68c2-56fc-46bb-9220-6e8c7f159994
Diagnosis How Is Strep Throat Diagnosed? If you suspect that you or your child may have strep throat, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292a7895bb-bf9a-4738-a91c-3cc9835fa518 Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, looking for signs and symptoms of strep throat. The only way for your doctor to diagnose strep throat is to perform either a rapid antigen test or a throat culture. Both involve rubbing a sterile swab over the back of the throat and tonsils to get a sample of the secretions.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292a7895bb-bf9a-4738-a91c-3cc9835fa518 Usually your doctor will perform the rapid antigen test first. This test can detect strep bacteria in minutes by looking for substances (antigens) in the throat.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292a7895bb-bf9a-4738-a91c-3cc9835fa518 If the test comes back negative but the doctor still suspects strep, the next step might be a throat culture.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292a7895bb-bf9a-4738-a91c-3cc9835fa518 Some doctors will do both tests at the same time based on local protocols. Samples collected from the back of the throat are cultured in a laboratory to reveal the presence of bacteria. Results of a throat culture can take as long as two days.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292a7895bb-bf9a-4738-a91c-3cc9835fa518
Symptoms Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat Symptoms of strep throat include the following:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629add44bd0-106c-4b4b-8650-41f5270448b7 Sore throat Red, swollen tonsils White patches in the back of your throat Fever Nausea Headache Body aches Skin rash Many of these symptoms overlap with those of a viral infection. If you have any of these symptoms along with a runny nose or a cough, it’s more likely to be a viral infection, such as a common cold.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d9e166d0-9735-4d4b-899f-bce6ea2ec106 There can also be overlap between symptoms of strep throat and those of COVID-19 , which is caused by a type of coronavirus. When you experience a sore throat due to a cold, it often gets better or goes away after a day or two. With strep, the sore throat persists and is often more severe.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298b2a88f1-a397-4890-9b74-00c7848add5e Bronchitis, a lower respiratory infection caused by cold and flu viruses, can often be accompanied by a sore throat as well.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ee385da6-56d0-4c59-942c-6192d5ce5845 If you’re not sure what’s causing your symptoms, it’s best to see your doctor for a diagnosis.
Resources We Trust Mayo Clinic: Step ThroatCleveland Clinic: Strep Throat or Just a Sore Throat? Here’s How to Tell the DifferenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: About Strep ThroatAmerican Academy of Family Physicians: Strep ThroatHarvard Health Publishing: Strep Throat: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Treatment Treatment and Medication Options for Strep Throat Strep throat is highly treatable with prescription drugs. Over-the-counter medicines and home remedies can help relieve symptoms, but they can’t cure the underlying infection. Medication Options Since strep throat is a bacterial infection, it requires antibiotics. Common antibiotics include penicillin (Bicillin L-A) and amoxicillin (Amoxil), which can be taken orally or via injection.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290b27bc08-d437-4994-ac9b-03a6f214eeb6 Although symptoms will improve pretty quickly, it’s important to take the full course of medication to completely kill the bacteria and prevent complications.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290b27bc08-d437-4994-ac9b-03a6f214eeb6 Along with antibiotics, regular over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), can help to relieve pain. Sucking on throat lozenges also provides effective temporary relief.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629587aea81-693b-4689-aa8d-73c7dae4e646 Alternative and Complementary Therapies Home remedies can’t cure strep throat, but they can combat discomfort. Simple solutions, like drinking tea with honey and lemon or gargling with warm salt water, can soothe symptoms and even reduce swelling.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629587aea81-693b-4689-aa8d-73c7dae4e646 Cold foods, such as ice pops and ice chips, work to numb pain, too. You can also use a vaporizer or humidifier, which adds moisture to the air. This calms a dry, painful sore throat and eases congestion .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629587aea81-693b-4689-aa8d-73c7dae4e646
Complications Complications of Strep Throat While not very common, complications can occur from a strep throat infection. This can happen if the bacteria spread to other parts of the body, causing a so-called invasive infection. Complications can include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290ef9311e-a7d1-4f2a-bb0e-7b00654b6076 Abscesses (pockets of pus) around the tonsils Swollen lymph nodes in the neck Sinus infections Ear infections Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (a kidney disease) Untreated strep throat can also cause rheumatic fever, a rare but serious infection that can cause damage to the heart (rheumatic heart disease).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ab75e1ba-9c84-475e-a7a3-8a2d40a2373e The link between strep infection and rheumatic fever isn’t clear, but it appears that the bacteria trick the immune system. The body’s immune system, which normally targets bacteria, attacks its own tissue instead, particularly tissues of the heart, joints, skin, and central nervous system. This results in inflammation or swelling that can last from a few weeks to several months.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ab75e1ba-9c84-475e-a7a3-8a2d40a2373e