With the seasonal change comes the probability either you or someone you know will be feeling under the weather. Many will experience common cold symptoms, while others will suffer more serious conditions such as strep throat. It is important to be able to differentiate between strep throat and the common cold. To do this, one must understand strep throat symptoms.
A severe sore throat is often confused with an individual having strep throat, this is not necessarily true. One of the key determining factors as to whether the symptoms you are experiencing are those of the common cold or strep throat, are the other symptoms (or in the case of strep throat symptoms you are not experiencing). Strep throat symptoms will not include coughing, sneezing, or a runny nose.
The symptoms that will present themselves in cases of strep throat include; a fever over 100 degrees, swollen lymph nodes, difficulty swallowing, white/yellow spots or coating on the throat, and dark red spots on the roof of the mouth near the throat. Keep in mind that if you are also experiencing any symptoms similar to those of the common cold, chances are it is not strep throat.
Treatment of strep throat includes the administration of an antibiotic. Although antibiotics will only help to shorten the time you are contagious, it is a common form of treatment for strep throat. Untreated strep throat will typically go away by itself within 3-7 days, although it is not advised to let strep throat untreated. Other treatment suggestions for strep throat include the use of acetaminophen to bring the fever down, and medicinal throat sprays such as Chloraseptic.
Contact your physician if the symptoms of strep throat are present. The sooner you begin taking antibiotics the shorter the duration of the strep throat. If you are experiencing drooling, a rash (often a symptom of scarlet fever), or difficulty breathing you need to seek medical attention. These can all be symptoms associated with complications caused by the strep throat infection.
You can prevent the contraction of strep throat by simply avoiding anyone that has strep throat. Strep throat is an airborne infection; this is how it is contagious. You can contract strep throat just by being in the same room with someone that has it. However, strep throat symptoms will not occur immediately following contact with an infected individual.
Symptoms of strep throat can take between 3-5 days to present themselves. The risk of contracting strep throat can also be minimized by utilizing proper hand washing techniques. If hand washing is not an available option, using hand sanitizer may help to prevent the contraction of strep throat.
