Strep throat is a highly contagious bacterial infection that leads to a sore or a painful throat. It is different from the regular sore throat as it is caused by bacteria and not viruses. Strep throat is caused by bacteria called ‘Streptococcus Pneumoniae’.
It is very common among children aged 5-15 years. It is rarely observed in adults and therefore, it rarely leads to any serious complications. The symptoms and effects of strep throat vary from person to person.
The symptoms might be diverse in one person and some might experience mild or even no valid symptoms. However, in some cases, strep throat can lead to severe complications in the lungs, kidneys, and liver.
Strep throat is caused by the streptococcus bacteria and is considered to be very contagious. The infection is easily spread by droplet nuclei through sneezes and coughs.
It can be shared by shared drinks, foods, and things. And it is important to maintain hygiene and sanitize your hands before eating. It is also important to refrain from touching your face often to contain the spread.
Symptoms:
Some of the common symptoms of strep throat are:
- Chills
- Headache
- Painful throat
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Sudden fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
The above-mentioned symptoms may at least take 3-5 days to develop fully.
Diagnosis:
The symptoms can become serious if not treated. It is important to consult a doctor and get properly diagnosed. You must consider consulting a doctor if you experience continuous trouble swallowing, ear pain, throat pain, headache, cough, and fever.
You can get diagnosed just by a regular check-up and the doctor will examine your throat for a proper diagnosis.
Treatment:
Treatment is important to relieve and reduce symptoms. Getting yourself thoroughly diagnosed and consult a doctor for treatment. It is important to consider treatment if you want to reduce any further complications.
The most common way to treat bacterial infections is by using antibiotics. The doctor will prescribe some antibiotics such as penicillin, amoxicillin, cephalexin, and azithromycin.
These antibiotics are given along with analgesics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Prevention:
- You can prevent contracting strep throat by practicing the following:
- Avoid touching your face often especially when you are out
- Maintaining hygiene
- Covering your mouth when you sneeze and cough.
- Don’t share foods and drinks with anyone who is likely to have such infections.
- Use a hand sanitizer.
Home remedies for instant relief:
Some of the simple home remedies that can help with instant relief is:
- Gargling with warm salt-water
- Drinking warm liquids such as ginger and lemon tea
- Turn on cool-mist humidifiers
- Drink cool liquids.
Take care and stay safe!
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