Strep throat

Strep throat is a common childhood illness that’s highly treatable with antibiotics. At Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, we prioritize patients with signs of strep throat so you can feel better as soon as possible.

What is strep throat?

Strep throat is a bacterial infection that causes a sore throat and fever. It most often affects children, although anyone can get it. Untreated, strep throat can cause rare but serious kidney and heart problems.

Causes of strep throat

Strep throat is caused by group A Streptococcus (strep) bacteria. It’s transmitted person-to-person by contact with fluids from the nose or saliva of an infected person. Strep throat commonly spreads among families and in school and daycare settings.

Strep throat symptoms

Strep throat usually starts two to five days after exposure to the strep bacteria. Symptoms often appear quickly and include:

• Fever and chills
• Pain when swallowing
• Red, sore throat that may have white patches
• Swollen, tender neck glands
• Small, red spots on the roof of the mouth (petechiae)

Headache, nausea, vomiting and rash can also occur, especially in children.

Strep throat diagnosis

Diagnosis requires swabbing the back of the throat and testing the specimen for strep bacteria. Your doctor may run the test in the office (rapid strep test) or send it to a laboratory (throat culture). The rapid strep test provides immediate results but may miss some infections. A laboratory test is often used if the rapid strep test is negative or inconclusive.

Strep throat prevention

Strategies for preventing strep throat include:

• Avoid sharing cups, plates and utensils
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue
• Wash your hands frequently
• Use a disinfectant wipe or spray to clean commonly touched items

Strep throat treatment

Antibiotics are the primary treatment for bacterial infections such as strep throat. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics only if a strep test is positive. Sore throats can also be caused by viruses, which don’t respond to antibiotics.

Antibiotics can take a few days to work. While you wait, follow these tips to help ease the discomfort of a sore throat:

• Drink cold liquids or suck on fruit-flavored ice pops.
• Drink warm liquids, such as tea with lemon or honey.
• Gargle multiple times a day with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water).
• Suck on hard candies or throat lozenges. Don’t give to young children, as they are a choking hazard.
• Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten the air.

Strep throat can spread to others even after starting antibiotics. Anyone with strep should stay home from school, daycare or work until they’ve been:

• On antibiotics for 24 hours
• Fever-free for 24 hours when not taking fever-reducing medicines like ibuprofen or acetaminophen

Strep throat can also come back after treatment. To prevent this:

• Get a new toothbrush after two or three days, but before finishing the antibiotics.
• If repeated cases of strep throat occur in your family, talk to your doctor about testing to see if someone is a strep carrier. Carriers have strep bacteria in their throats, but the bacteria do not make them sick. Treating a carrier may help prevent others from getting strep throat.

Related conditions

Measles

Meningitis

Mouth sores