Colds, aches, pains, and other ailments

Strep throat

Originally Published: January 18, 2002

 

Dear Alice,

What is strep throat, and what can I do to get better?

 

Dear Reader,

Strep throat is an infection caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. Symptoms include:

• severe sore throat, often with white patches on the tonsils
• fever
• swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain (common in children with the illness)

Someone can become infected with strep throat through direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of an infected individual. This is a task most easily accomplished by breathing in infected droplets sprayed into the air when a person ill with strep throat coughs or sneezes. It's also possible to become infected by touching these secretions and then touching your mouth or nose, or through direct contact with any wounds or open sores an infected person might have. Your health care provider can diagnose strep throat after taking a throat culture with a swab. If the test comes back positive, the most common treatment is antibiotics — usually penicillin (taken orally for 10 days or as a one-time intramuscular injection). Patients allergic to penicillin can be treated with other antibiotics. While symptoms usually subside about four days after treatment begins, the full course of treatment needs to be completed. It is important to have strep throat diagnosed and properly treated, as untreated strep may lead to more serious illnesses and infections. While on antibiotics, be sure to follow the age-old adage to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest, as well as take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to help relieve symptoms.

For those not already sick with strep throat, the cold, or the flu, it is most important to talk about how to prevent infection. While taking full advantage of all that the winter wonderland has to offer, keep in mind that frequent washing of your hands can stem the spread of unwanted seasonal guests such as the common cold. Scrub up especially after coughing or sneezing and before preparing food and eating.

Alice

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