Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Streptococcal pharyngitis is a contagious bacterial infection of the throat, with an estimated 30 million cases occurring each year.Children and people with weak immune systems are more susceptible to strep infection than healthy people, but you can spread it at any age. The only way to know for sure if you have strep throat is to see a doctor and get medical tests. However, there are disease-specific symptoms that you can spot before seeing a doctor.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Assessment of Oral and Throat Symptoms

1. 

   Determine the degree of throat pain. Severe sore throats are the first sign of strep throat. You may still be sick if your throat is only mildly sore, but if the pain is mild and easily cured or soothed, it is almost impossible to cause it.
   • Provided that this sore throat must appear independently, no need to speak or swallow to hurt.
   • Pain that can be alleviated by taking medications or using cold foods or drinks is still likely linked to streptococci, but it's very difficult to get rid of the pain completely without having to take the medication your doctor prescribes.

2. 

   
   
   Try swallowing saliva. If your throat hurts only moderately but becomes very painful each time you swallow, then you likely have strep. A sore throat that makes it difficult to swallow is especially common in people with strep throat.

3. 

   
   
   Smell your breath. Streptococcal infections often cause a noticeable bad breath, although not all patients will. The reason for this phenomenon is due to the growth of bacteria in the mouth.
   • The breath smells badly but is difficult to describe, some say it smells like metal or a hospital smell, others it smells like rotten meat. But no matter what the smell, "streptococcal breath" will smell heavier and smelly than normal breath.
   • Because "bad breath" depends on the subjective judgment of each person, this is not really a way of diagnosing the disease, just a common related sign.

4. 

   
   
   Feel the glands in your neck. Lymph nodes are the place to capture and destroy pathogens. Lymph nodes are often swollen and painful to the touch if you have strep throat.
   • Although lymph nodes are located in different parts of the body, the ones closest to the infection will swell first. So with strep throat, the lymph nodes located in the throat or in the surrounding area become swollen.
   • Use your fingertips to gently feel the area directly in front of your ear, then move your finger in a circular motion behind the ear.
   • You should also check the throat area just below the chin. With this disease, the most often swollen lymph nodes are under the jawbone, somewhere between the chin and ear. Move your fingertips back and up to your ear, then down down the neck below the ear.
   • Finish examining on the collarbone and repeat the same on the other side.
   • If you feel a significant swelling or swelling in the area you were looking at, the lymph nodes may be swollen from streptococci.

5. 

   Tongue test. People with strep throat often have many red tiny particles covering the tongue, especially the area in the throat. Many people describe this painful tiny seed as the outer peel of a strawberry.
   • They are bright red or crimson, and appear swollen overall.

6. 

   Check the back of the throat. Patients with strep throat develop red petechiae on soft and surprisingly stiff (on the palate, located near the back).

7. 

   Check the tonsils if you haven't removed the tonsils. This type of sore throat causes the tonsils to swell, a bright red or darker red color than usual, and a noticeably larger, larger color. Also notice that the tonsils are covered with a white layer, which can be located directly on the tonsils or simply deep in the throat, and is likely to be yellow instead of white.
   • It doesn't just appear as a white coating, you can see long, white pus streaks covering the tonsils. This is the symptom of strep throat.
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Part 2 of 4: Evaluation of Other Common Symptoms

1. 

   Notice if you've been around someone with strep throat. This is an infection that can be spread through direct contact with the bacteria. It is unlikely that you will have the disease without having had direct contact with someone who has the bacteria before.
   • It is difficult to know who is carrying strep. Unless you have been completely isolated before, it is only possible that you have come into contact with someone who is sick.
   • Many people can carry the germ and spread it to others even if they don't show symptoms themselves.

2. 

   Consider the rate at which the disease progresses. Sore throat caused by strep throat usually develops very quickly without warning signs. If the sore throat has progressed for several days then it's most likely due to another cause.
   • But this sign alone is not enough to rule out streptococci.

3. 

   Check your body temperature. Strep throat is often accompanied by a high fever (38.3 degrees C) or higher. A lower fever could still be caused by strep, but it's more likely a symptom of a viral infection.

4. 

   Pay attention to headache symptoms. Headache is another common symptom of strep throat. It ranges from mild to very painful.

5. 

   Observe the digestive system. If you don't have a good appetite or feel nauseous, this could be another symptom of strep throat. Worst of all, this disease can cause vomiting and abdominal pain.

6. 

   Watch for fatigue. Like any other infection, strep throat makes you more and more tired. That situation makes you not want to wake up in the morning, it is difficult to have enough energy for daily activities.

7. 

   Look for signs of hives. Severe streptococcal infections can lead to condition pink thermos crystals or often called scarlet fever. The erythematous rash looks and feels very similar to the surface of sandpaper.
   • Scarlet fever usually occurs about 12 to 48 hours after the first symptoms of strep throat appear.
   • The rash begins to float around the neck before growing down the chest, even down to the abdomen and groin. In rare cases a rash on the back, arms, legs, or face.
   • When you take antibiotics, scarlet fever quickly goes away. So if your rash has this characteristic, you should see your doctor as soon as possible, regardless of whether other streptococcal symptoms appear.

8. 

   Watch for symptoms that do not appear. While colds and strep throat share many common features, there are cold-like symptoms that people with strep throat don't have. When those symptoms don't show up, you have one more sign that you have strep throat instead of a cold.
   • Sore throats don't usually cause nasal symptoms. This means you will not have a cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, or red and itchy eyes.
   • Also, a sore throat can cause stomach pain, but it won't cause diarrhea.
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Part 3 of 4: Recent History Assessment and Risk Factor

1. 

   Consider your medical history. Some people seem to be more susceptible to strep infection than others. If you have had streptococcal infection before, it's likely that a new infection is due to strep.

2. 

   Evaluate whether age is the cause of your susceptibility to strep infections. While up to 20% -30% of sore throats in children are caused by strep throat, in adults only 5% -15% of sore throats are caused by this bacteria.
   • Older patients and those with another medical condition (such as the flu) are more susceptible to opportunistic infections.

3. 

   Determine if living circumstances increase your risk of strep infection. The chance of getting strep throat is higher when someone in the home has had it in the past two weeks. Living or living in collective places such as schools, kindergartens, dormitories, and military barracks is a condition for bacteria to multiply and spread widely.
   • Although children are at a higher risk of infection, infants under 2 years of age are very unlikely to spread the disease. However, they do not have the symptoms that are commonly seen in children and adults. Infants may have a fever, runny nose, cough, and loss of appetite.Ask your doctor about the possibility of your baby getting strep throat when he has a fever or other symptoms and has previously had close contact with you or someone with strep throat.

4. 

   Evaluate other health risk factors that make you more susceptible to strep infection. People with weakened immune systems, which are less able to fight off infections, are at a higher risk of getting this type of bacteria. Other diseases or infections also increase the risk of strep throat.
   • Your immune system can be reduced simply because of the fatigue of the body. Excessive exercise or overtraining (like a long-distance race) also causes the body to lose a lot of energy. When your body is only focused on the recovery process, the ability to fight infection will decrease. To put it simply, the body is mainly focused on restoring physical strength so it cannot effectively protect itself.
   • Smoking also damages the protective mucosa in the mouth and makes it easier for bacteria to settle.
   • Oral sex facilitates direct oral contact of the oral cavity more bacteria.
   • Diabetes reduces your ability to fight infections.
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Part 4 of 4: Seeing a Doctor

1. 

   Know when to see a doctor. Although it is not necessary to see your doctor every time you have a sore throat, you should make an appointment with your doctor right away if you develop typical symptoms of strep throat. If your sore throat is accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, hives, difficulty swallowing or breathing, a high fever or fever persists for more than 48 hours, you should seek medical attention.
   • You should also consult your doctor if your sore throat persists for more than 48 hours.

2. 

   Tell your doctor about your concerns. Tell them all the symptoms you are experiencing and you suspect the cause of strep. Usually the doctor will look for the most typical signs of this disease.
   • They take your body temperature.
   • Then the doctor shines a light into the throat, make sure they check the tonsils for swelling, tiny red particles on the tongue, or look for white or yellow streaks in the deep throat.

3. 

   The doctor reviews a clinical diagnostic process. This procedure is essentially an organized way for your doctor to evaluate your symptoms. For adults, they use the Principle of Clinical Prediction, an experience-based building principle that determines whether you will have a group A streptococcal infection. It is simply a list of criteria for determining whether treatment should be used for strep throat, and how to treat it.
   • The doctor scores (positive or negative) scores for the following signs and symptoms: +1 point for milky white beads on the tonsils (tonsil discharge), +1 point for swollen, painful lymph nodes (lateral lymphadenopathy) front of neck), +1 point for recent fever, +1 point for patients under 15 years old, +0 points for patients aged 15-45, -1 point for patients older than 45 years, and -1 point if have a cough.
   • If you score 3-4 points, then you get a positive predictive value (PPV) of approximately 80% you have a group A streptococcal infection. Basically, you are positive for strep. If this infection is treated with antibiotics, your doctor will prescribe the correct dose of medicine you need to take.

4. 

   Ask your doctor for a quick strep test. The criteria of the Principle of Clinical Prediction have shown to be ineffective in predicting an infection requiring antibiotic treatment in children. The rapid streptococcal antigen test can be done in the clinic and only takes a few minutes.
   • The doctor uses a cotton swab (similar to a Niva cotton swab) to take a sample of fluid in the back of the throat to test for bacteria. You should get results in 5 to 10 minutes when the liquid has been tested.

5. 

   Ask your doctor for a throat culture. If the rapid streptococcal test is negative but you still have other symptoms of the disease, then your doctor may do another test for a longer time, called a throat culture. A throat culture allows the bacteria to multiply outside the throat environment, in a dish. As the bacterial population grows, it is easier for the test to find group A streptococcus. It is likely that the doctor will use a combination of the Principle of Clinical Prediction with the rapid streptococcal test or throat culture. , depending on their misjudgment.
   • Although normally just a quick streptococcal test is enough to confirm streptococcal infection or not, there have been some cases of false negative results. If compared, the throat cultures give more accurate results.
   • A throat culture is not required if the streptococcal test is positive, as the test directly checks for bacterial antigens and only gives a positive result if a certain threshold exists. Results showed that immediate treatment with antibiotics.
   • The doctor uses a cotton swab to take a sample of the fluid from the back of the throat, then transfer the cotton swab to the lab. Here people transplant the sample into a plate containing white agar, bacteria are incubated from 18-48 hours depending on the method of each laboratory. If you have the disease, group A beta streptococcus will multiply in the plate.

6. 

   Learn about other testing options. Some doctors prefer the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) instead of a throat culture method after a negative result is obtained from the rapid streptococcal test. This test is accurate and gives results within a few hours, and does not take 1-2 days like inoculation.

7. 

   Take antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. Strep throat is a bacterial infection, so it can only be effectively treated with antibiotics. If you are allergic to any antibiotic (such as penicillin), let your doctor know so they can prescribe a more suitable alternative.
   • A course of antibiotic treatment usually lasts up to 10 days (depending on the type of antibiotic determined by your doctor). You must take an antibiotic for the full course of treatment, even if you feel well before the end of that treatment.
   • Penicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporins, and azithromycin are common antibiotics used to treat infections. Penicillin is commonly used and effective for strep throat. However, some people are allergic to this medication, so let your doctor know if you are aware of any potential side effects. Amoxicillin is also a good choice for this type of sore throat. In effect, it is similar to penicillin but is resistant to the acid secreted from the stomach before being absorbed into the body. In addition, amoxicillin has a broader spectrum of activity than penicillin.
   • Azithromycin, erythromycin, or cephalosporins are alternatives to penicillins when a patient is allergic to penicillin. Note that erythromycin has a higher risk of gastrointestinal side effects.

8. 

   Rest while taking the antibiotic. Recovery usually equates to a course of antibiotic treatment (up to 10 days), and you should give your body a chance to recover faster.
   • Get plenty of sleep, drink herbal teas and plenty of water to relieve a sore throat.
   • In addition, sometimes you should also consume cold drinks, ice cream and ice cream to soothe your throat.

9. 

   Follow-up if necessary. You should feel better within 2-3 days, if your condition does not get better or your fever persists then you should see your doctor again. If you have any signs of an allergy to the antibiotic, you should contact your doctor immediately. Signs of an allergy include hives, hives, or swelling after taking the medicine. advertisement

Advice

• Stay home for at least 24 hours after starting a treatment for strep.
• Do not share cups, eating utensils, or come in contact with the secretions of an infected person. Keep personal belongings separate if you have an infection.

Warning

• See your doctor right away if you are unable to swallow fluids, show signs of dehydration, are unable to swallow saliva, have severe neck pain, or stiff neck.
• Remember, mononucleosis has similar symptoms to a streptococcal infection, or both diseases occur at the same time. If you test negative for strep, but symptoms persist and you are very tired, you should ask your doctor to test for mononucleosis.
• Strep throat requires treatment with antibiotics, otherwise it will develop into rheumatic fever, which is an extremely dangerous disease that affects the heart and joints. This progresses 9-10 days after the first symptoms of strep throat appear, so act quickly.
• If, while treating a streptococcal infection, urine that is colored in color such as cola or decreased urine output, you should contact your doctor immediately. That could potentially be a sign of nephritis, which is a complication of strep throat.