Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat appear suddenly. Usually, you may feel sick about 2 to 5 days after you come in contact with the bacteria. It may produce mild or severe symptoms. Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat are-
Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat
- Fever (greater than 100 °F)
- Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches
- A sore throat
- Tender, swollen lymph glands (nodes) in your neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- A headache
- Chills
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Myalgia (muscle pain)
- Fatigue or, General ill feeling
- Loss of appetite
- Abnormal taste
- Scarlatiniform rash or palatal petechiae
When to make an appointment with a doctor?
If you have signs and symptoms of strep throat, you should call a doctor.
If you are being treated for strep throat and have not improved within 3 to 4 days, you should consult your doctor.
Go to a hospital's Emergency Department immediately in the following situation (Strep throat symptoms)-
- Trouble breathing or makes noise during breathing
- Swelling or redness of the neck
- Difficulty swallowing
- Unable to open the mouth or, unable to eat, drink, or take medicines
- Drooling
- Severe throat pain
- Bleeding in the throat
How can Strep Throat be Diagnosed?
The doctor will perform a physical examination and look for Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat or pharyngitis. He will look at your throat, ears and nasal passages using a lighted instrument. Then, he will look at the lymph nodes in the jaw and neck to find out swell.
The doctor may suggest diagnostic tests that will look for strep throat. A rapid strep test with a swab specimen from the back of the throat may be performed by the doctor or his assistant immediately. But, it does not confirm that you don’t have a strep infection. So, he may send the throat swab to a laboratory for a strep culture. You may have to wait typically 24-48 hours to get the result.
The doctor will use the modified Centor score to determine the management of people with pharyngitis. Only one or two clinical signs or symptoms don’t confirm the diagnosis of strep throat.
If you have more signs and symptoms from the following list, you will have more chance of strep throat-
- Age below 15 years
- The absence of a cough or a runny nose
- Illness occurring between late fall and early spring,
- Fever over 100 °F
- Redness and swelling of the throat with tonsillar exudates
- Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck
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