To practice good hygiene, you should:. You should also wash glasses, utensils, and plates after someone who is sick uses them. These items are safe for others to use once washed. Take the prescription exactly as the doctor says to. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.
Minus Related Pages. On This Page. The most common symptoms of strep throat include: Sore throat that can start very quickly Pain when swallowing Fever Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus Tiny, red spots petechiae — pronounced pi-TEE-kee-eye on the roof of the mouth the soft or hard palate Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck Other symptoms may include a headache, stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting — especially in children.
The following symptoms suggest a virus is the cause of the illness instead of strep throat: Cough Runny nose Hoarseness changes in your voice that makes it sound breathy, raspy, or strained Conjunctivitis also called pink eye It usually takes two to five days for someone exposed to group A strep to become ill.
Children and Certain Adults Are at Increased Risk Anyone can get strep throat, but there are some factors that can increase the risk of getting this common infection. Adults who are at increased risk for strep throat include: Parents of school-aged children Adults who are often in contact with children Close contact with another person with strep throat is the most common risk factor for illness. These settings include: Schools Daycare centers Military training facilities.
Strep Throat: More Common in Children. Up to 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat About 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat has strep throat. Top of Page. Protect Yourself and Others People can get strep throat more than once. Wash your hands often to help prevent germs from spreading. Antibiotics Help Prevent Spreading the Infection to Others People with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or daycare until they: No longer have a fever AND Have taken antibiotics for at least 12 hours Take the prescription exactly as the doctor says to.
Related Pages. Related Links. Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. CDC is not responsible for Section compliance accessibility on other federal or private website. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Strep throat is a bacterial infection that can make your throat feel sore and scratchy. Strep throat infection Open pop-up dialog box Close.
Strep throat infection Strep throat usually causes throat pain and difficulty swallowing. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Strep throat: All you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed Dec. Pichichero ME. Complications of streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis. Sore throats. Treatment and prevention of streptococcal pharyngitis. In teenagers, mononucleosis can cause a severe sore throat that looks like and has symptoms similar to those of strep throat.
For more information, see the topic Mononucleosis Mono. It is easy to tell when you have a sore throat or a cold. It is harder to know when you have strep throat. Typically, sore throats are caused by a viral infection and not strep bacteria.
Strep throat usually does not occur with cold symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a runny or stuffy nose. The more cold symptoms you have, the less likely it is that your sore throat is a strep infection. In some cases of strep infection, a skin rash develops and spreads over the neck and chest and eventually over the whole body. The rash feels rough like sandpaper.
This condition is called scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is treated with antibiotics. This usually leads to a quick recovery. Scarlet fever is not dangerous if treated.
Symptoms of strep throat usually begin within 2 to 5 days after you come in contact with someone who has a strep infection. Strep throat usually goes away in 3 to 7 days with or without antibiotic treatment.
In contrast, if allergies or irritants are the cause of your sore throat, it will usually last longer unless the cause is eliminated. If strep throat isn't treated with antibiotics, you will continue to be contagious for 2 to 3 weeks even if your symptoms go away. You are much less contagious within 24 hours after you start antibiotics and are less likely to develop complications of the strep infection.
Complications of strep throat are rare but can occur, especially if your throat infection isn't properly treated with antibiotics.
Complications can occur when the strep infection spreads to other parts of the body and causes other infections, such as an ear or sinus infection or an abscess near the tonsils peritonsillar abscess. Complications can also result in your immune system attacking itself and causing serious conditions such as rheumatic fever.
Treating strep throat can greatly reduce your risk for rheumatic fever and its complications. It is not clear whether treating the strep infection with antibiotics reduces your risk for inflammation of the kidneys acute glomerulonephritis.
Your risk of getting strep throat increases if you come in close contact with others, especially children, who have a strep infection. The size of a child's tonsils isn't a risk factor for throat infections.
Children or adults who have had their tonsils removed can still get strep throat. Call a doctor if the following symptoms develop 1 to 2 weeks or longer after a strep throat infection. These symptoms may indicate rheumatic fever. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 2 days of treatment with an antibiotic. Watchful waiting is appropriate if your sore throat occurs with symptoms like those of a cold, such as sneezing, coughing, and a runny or stuffy nose.
In general, the more of these symptoms you have, the less likely it is that your sore throat is caused by a strep infection. You can try home treatment if your sore throat is not severe and you have other symptoms of a cold.
For more information on what to do if you have sore throat symptoms, see the topic Sore Throat and Other Throat Problems. Your family doctor or general practitioner can evaluate a sore throat, do throat cultures or quick tests, and prescribe antibiotic treatment if needed. You may be referred to a specialist, such as a pediatrician for your child, or an otolaryngologist ear, nose, and throat specialist.
If surgery to remove chronically enlarged or infected tonsils or adenoids is suggested, you may be referred to an otolaryngologist. Strep throat is diagnosed from your medical history, a physical examination of your throat, and a lab test, such as a throat culture.
Sometimes a rapid strep test is used to check for strep. Your doctor may confirm the results of the rapid strep test with a throat culture. Current treatment guidelines recommend that your doctor confirm strep throat with a lab test, such as a throat culture, and not just diagnose strep throat from your symptoms. But your doctor may begin treatment for strep throat before the result of your throat culture is back if you have three or four of the following symptoms:. One or both of the following tests are used to confirm that you have strep throat.
If symptoms of strep throat are present, it is important to be tested for strep infection. Prompt treatment will reduce the spread of strep throat and may reduce the risk of complications , such as the infection spreading to other parts of your body causing ear or sinus infections or an abscess behind or around your tonsils peritonsillar abscess. The rapid strep test is not used in many parts of Canada. If you need to be tested for strep throat and the rapid strep test is available, it may help to discuss with your doctor the advantages and disadvantages of each test.
For instance, results from a rapid strep test are available within 10 to 15 minutes, and results from a throat culture may take 1 to 2 days. A throat culture is more accurate. It is possible for a person to carry the strep bacteria and not have any symptoms.
If a number of infections occur in the same family, or if there have been severe complications such as rheumatic fever or toxic shock syndrome , it may be helpful to test family members to learn whether they are carriers of strep infection. But it is unusual for a person to catch strep throat from a carrier. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cephalexin, or penicillin are used to treat strep throat.
Antibiotics work only against bacterial infections such as strep throat. They will not help sore throats caused by allergies or viral infections such as colds. Antibiotic treatment can begin immediately if a strep infection is confirmed by a rapid strep test. But there is no harm in waiting for the results of a throat culture to confirm strep throat before starting antibiotic treatment. In fact, it is better to wait until strep throat has been confirmed so that antibiotics are not used unnecessarily.
Overuse of antibiotics can make them ineffective. Although waiting to treat strep throat may prolong the time you have the illness, delaying treatment for a few days doesn't increase the risk of rheumatic fever or other complications.
Your doctor also may recommend non-prescription medicines such as acetaminophen or anesthetic throat sprays to help relieve the pain and discomfort caused by strep throat. Acetaminophen will also reduce fever.
Wash your hands often when you are around people with colds or viral or bacterial illnesses. Do not share toothbrushes or eating and drinking utensils.
Keep up your body's resistance to infection with a good diet, plenty of sleep, and regular exercise. Managing stress can also strengthen your body's ability to fight off illness, such as strep throat. Humidify your home during the dry winter months or year-round if you live in a dry climate. Moisture in the air humidity helps keep your mucous membranes moist and more resistant to bacteria.
You can use a humidifier in the bedroom while you sleep. But use care if a person in the home has asthma or allergies, because mould or other particles that collect in the humidifier can make these conditions worse. Clean humidifiers on a regular basis. Stop smoking, and avoid breathing others' smoke. Smoke irritates the throat tissues and may make you more likely to get infection. Your doctor may have prescribed an antibiotic for strep throat.
Take all of the antibiotic exactly as prescribed. This will help prevent the infection from coming back and will prevent complications of infection that could occur if you do not take the medicine as prescribed. There are many ways that you can make yourself feel better while you are waiting for the strep infection to go away. For more information on non-prescription medicines and other ways to relieve sore throat symptoms, see the topic Strep Throat: Home Treatment.
For the first 24 hours after you start taking an antibiotic, you are still contagious. You can avoid passing the strep throat infection to others and reinfecting yourself by:.
Antibiotics are the treatment of choice for a confirmed strep throat infection. Antibiotics may be used in the following situations:. It is possible for you to carry the strep bacteria in the throat and not have any symptoms. Antibiotics for the carrier state are usually not needed unless you have a history of rheumatic fever or frequent infections or infections are occurring frequently in the family. Antibiotics such as amoxicillin, cephalexin, or penicillin are used to treat strep throat infection.
Immediate treatment with an antibiotic after a positive rapid strep test may not make you well faster. But it will shorten the time you are able to spread the disease to others.
Antibiotics also lower the risk of the infection spreading to other parts of your body. But there is no harm in delaying medicine treatment 1 to 2 days to wait for the results of a throat culture. Antibiotics will prevent rheumatic fever even if it is started up to 9 days after symptoms begin. If strep throat continues to recur, you and your doctor may decide that you need surgery to remove the tonsils tonsillectomy. Surgery is considered when you:.
0コメント