How to Deal With Strep Throat
See a doctor., Take antibiotics., Consider surgery.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: See a doctor.
If you suspect you have strep throat, you will want to visit your doctor for a definitive diagnosis.
Strep throat is treated differently than sore throats caused by colds and other viruses because it is caused by bacteria, which is treatable with antibiotics.
Your doctor will most likely perform a rapid strep test or a throat culture to determine if your sore throat is caused by Streptococcus bacteria.Symptoms of strep throat can include some, or all, of the following: pain when swallowing, red tonsils and white spots on your tonsils or the back of your throat, fever, swollen glands in your throat, loss of appetite, headache, and abdominal pain.
If you are experiencing several of these symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to confirm it is strep throat.Ask your doctor questions like: “What are other possible causes of my symptoms?” “What tests are needed to determine if I have strep?” “What treatment do you recommend?” “How soon can I expect my symptoms to go away?” These questions will help you get a better idea of what you’re dealing with and how quickly you can expect to feel better. -
Step 2: Take antibiotics.
Once your doctor has confirmed you have strep throat, they will likely start you on antibiotics.
While antibiotics will not necessarily cause your symptoms to go away much faster, they can help reduce the severity of your symptoms, as well as the amount of time you are contagious and able to pass strep throat along to others.
Antibiotic treatments generally last for about 10 days.
You should start seeing improvement after a day or two.
You will not be contagious approximately 24 hours after starting antibiotics for strep throat.
Although rare, strep throat can cause complications like sinus and tonsil infections and rheumatic fever, if left untreated.
Antibiotic treatment can help prevent these complications.Antibiotics can have side effects, including stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
If these side effects continue once you have completed antibiotic treatment, contact your doctor.Always follow your doctor’s directions and finish taking all of the medicine you are prescribed.This is especially important due to the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Not taking all of the medicine may lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. , Surgery is considered when, despite antibiotic treatment, you have more than one occurrence of strep throat in a year.
During this surgery, called a tonsillectomy, a surgeon will remove your tonsils and hopefully reduce the number of strep throat occurrences you experience or stop them all together.Though there are rarely any serious complications experienced with a tonsillectomy, there are always risks associated with surgery.
Some of the complications you could experience with a tonsillectomy include a negative reaction to the anesthetics, breathing problems caused by swelling of the tongue and roof of the mouth, bleeding from the wound during surgery or while you are healing, and infection.Ask your doctor the following to help you prepare for surgery: “Will I be under any dietary restrictions before surgery?” “Do I need to stop taking prescription medications before the surgery? If so, how far in advance?” “What is a typical recovery time?” “What kind of restrictions should I expect in my activities or diet after the tonsillectomy?” -
Step 3: Consider surgery.
Detailed Guide
If you suspect you have strep throat, you will want to visit your doctor for a definitive diagnosis.
Strep throat is treated differently than sore throats caused by colds and other viruses because it is caused by bacteria, which is treatable with antibiotics.
Your doctor will most likely perform a rapid strep test or a throat culture to determine if your sore throat is caused by Streptococcus bacteria.Symptoms of strep throat can include some, or all, of the following: pain when swallowing, red tonsils and white spots on your tonsils or the back of your throat, fever, swollen glands in your throat, loss of appetite, headache, and abdominal pain.
If you are experiencing several of these symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to confirm it is strep throat.Ask your doctor questions like: “What are other possible causes of my symptoms?” “What tests are needed to determine if I have strep?” “What treatment do you recommend?” “How soon can I expect my symptoms to go away?” These questions will help you get a better idea of what you’re dealing with and how quickly you can expect to feel better.
Once your doctor has confirmed you have strep throat, they will likely start you on antibiotics.
While antibiotics will not necessarily cause your symptoms to go away much faster, they can help reduce the severity of your symptoms, as well as the amount of time you are contagious and able to pass strep throat along to others.
Antibiotic treatments generally last for about 10 days.
You should start seeing improvement after a day or two.
You will not be contagious approximately 24 hours after starting antibiotics for strep throat.
Although rare, strep throat can cause complications like sinus and tonsil infections and rheumatic fever, if left untreated.
Antibiotic treatment can help prevent these complications.Antibiotics can have side effects, including stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
If these side effects continue once you have completed antibiotic treatment, contact your doctor.Always follow your doctor’s directions and finish taking all of the medicine you are prescribed.This is especially important due to the increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Not taking all of the medicine may lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. , Surgery is considered when, despite antibiotic treatment, you have more than one occurrence of strep throat in a year.
During this surgery, called a tonsillectomy, a surgeon will remove your tonsils and hopefully reduce the number of strep throat occurrences you experience or stop them all together.Though there are rarely any serious complications experienced with a tonsillectomy, there are always risks associated with surgery.
Some of the complications you could experience with a tonsillectomy include a negative reaction to the anesthetics, breathing problems caused by swelling of the tongue and roof of the mouth, bleeding from the wound during surgery or while you are healing, and infection.Ask your doctor the following to help you prepare for surgery: “Will I be under any dietary restrictions before surgery?” “Do I need to stop taking prescription medications before the surgery? If so, how far in advance?” “What is a typical recovery time?” “What kind of restrictions should I expect in my activities or diet after the tonsillectomy?”
About the Author
Janet Barnes
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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