Skip to main content

Is it Strep Throat?

health secrets

Strep throat is a common bacterial infection that typically affects children ages five to 10, although anybody can have strep throat. Other people are carriers of the strep bacteria, but do not show any symptoms.

What is Strep Throat?

The most obvious sign of strep throat is a sore throat, and white or yellow spots can often be seen in the back of the throat. Those affected may also have a fever, loss of appetite, or headache. Most sore throats are caused by viruses, which the body will defend on its own without antibiotics. A sore throat which worsens or persists should be checked by a doctor.

Occasionally, strep will show up in other areas of the body as well. Strep (and usually staph) can live in the nose and cause pain and bleeding inside the nose.

Is it Strep?

The only way to know for sure if someone is infected with the streptococcus bacteria is to have a test done in a doctor's office. A doctor who suspects strep will usually take two swabs of the throat, or infected area. He will use these for:

  • a rapid strep test done in his office. Results usually are ready in about 15 minutes.
  • a longer test, if the rapid test is negative. This test, performed in a lab, takes one to two days before results come back.

How Accurate is the Rapid Strep Test?

If the rapid strep test comes back positive, a patient knows that he has strep. A false negative occurs in up to a third of the rapid tests, according to kidshealth website, meaning that the patient has strep but the rapid test showed a negative result. This is why the second culture is often sent off for the longer test, and doctors will call when they get the result of that test.

Treatment of Strep

Antibiotics are usually prescribed for patients who have a positive strep test, which will take care of the strep as well as eliminate the chance of further problems from the infection, such as meningitis or pneumonia. It is important for patients to finish the entire course of antibiotics even if they are feeling better before they are done with the antibiotics.

Strep throat is contagious, so patients should avoid contact with an infected person. As with all viral and bacterial infections, frequent hand-washing can help prevent the spread of strep throat.

Streptococcus infections are a nuisance, but with a simple test, and a doctor's diagnosis, a patient will be feeling better following a short course of treatment.

buy steroids australia forum

Popular posts from this blog

Nutrients for Cleansing the Heart and Arteries

There are a series of nutrients that decrease cholesterol and saturated fat in the blood and arteries. These are lecithin, vitamin E and vitamin C , and niacin . These nutrients function efficiently in cleaning the arteries when taken in whole food. Lecithin is found in most legumes , particularly in soybeans. Both soybeans and mung beans are recommended by numerous researches and mainly by Chinese medicine for cleansing arteries, although nearly all beans, peas, and lentils are helpful. This is partly because legumes are a good source of choline, a lipotrophic agent that controls fat metabolism ; choline is also a main component of lecithin. When heat symptoms occur with arterial problems , the cooling qualities of soy and mung bean sprouts are useful. These sprouts are usually found in grocery stores and markets with well-stocked produce. Sprouts are also an excellent source of vitamin C, as well as cabbage, parsley, bell peppers, and citrus. Eating the white insides

Stye - Symptoms and Treatment

A stye is an infection, typically a bacterial infection, which causes a painful red lump either on the edge or inside of the eyelid. Bacteria grow at the root of an eyelash follicle or inside an oil gland. The bacteria can be a result of poor hygiene, touching the eyes with unwashed hands or chronic inflammation. The stye resembles a pimple or a boil and is usually filled with pus. A stye does not pose a risk to vision and most often heals without treatment within a week. However, a stye may require treatment with a doctor if the infection does not resolve with at-home remedies. Symptoms of a Stye A stye is not usually hard to spot. Not only does a red lump form on either the top or bottom eyelid, but pain is also an immediate symptom of the condition. Typical symptoms of a stye include: red lump on the eyelid similar to a pimple watering of the eye eyelid pain and swelling clear or yellow fluid collecting in the stye A normal stye will come to a head in approximately three to

Causes of Easy Bruising: Reasons Why People Bruise Easily

Bruising , a reddish or purple discoloration under the skin, most often results from trauma to the small blood vessels, called capillaries, but can also occur spontaneously. How and Why Bruises Occur Blood leaks out of the capillaries and accumulates under the skin, gradually absorbing over several days. Bruising most often occurs because people run into objects or experience other trauma. Most bruising is easily explained, but frequent bruising that occurs without obvious cause needs prompt investigation, since several serious diseases can cause bruising. In general, women bruise more easily than men. How Aging Increases the Risk of Easy Bruising Bruising increases as people age for several reasons. Skin thins as people age and the capillaries become more fragile. The layer of fat that cushions blood vessels and protects them from injury becomes thinner as well. Older people often take medications and supplements that thin the blood and contribute to easy bruising. Visi