Strep Throat is a bacterial infection caused by the group A Streptococcus bacteria. It primarily affects the throat and tonsils, leading to a range of symptoms.
Most common symptoms: sore throat (but not always), headache, fever, sandpaper like rash on abdomen or other places, enlarged lymph nodes, red throat (sometimes pus may be seen on tonsils, sometimes not), enlarged tonsils, nausea and/or vomiting, sometimes “tummy hurts”, for adults, often body aches and feel bad as well. Often cough is NOT present. It could present just with behavior changes, stomach pain, and headache. If it is present, strep is less likely, although it is possible and common to get flu and strep at the same time.
How to Diagnose and Treat Strep Throat
Strep throat is most prevalent among children aged 5 to 15 years. Many pediatricians will tell you that children younger than 3 do not get strep throat, but this is not true. If you have concerns for strep throat, always consider testing them for it and treating accordingly. However, at least half of sore throats that people are seen for are not caused by strep at all, they are viral in origin and will not get better with antibiotics.
Diagnosis typically involves a physical examination and may include a rapid strep test AND throat culture. The rapid test can provide results in minutes, while a throat culture may take a day or longer to confirm the presence of the bacteria.
