The bacteria responsible for strep throat cause fifteen to twenty percent of all sore throats, the vast majority of the rest are caused by viruses. Strep throat is the result of an infection initiated by the group A streptococci bacteria, but is treatable with antibiotics, in contrast to viral related sore throat sources. Children in the age range of five to fifteen are most susceptible to strep throat, but this highly contagious aliment can afflict anyone under the right circumstances. Strep throat needs to be treated promptly and correctly, because one of the complications of the illness is the potential development of rheumatic fever, a condition that can cause severe pain and damage to the heart.
Those children who come down with strep throat and still have their tonsils are more than three times as likely to catch it again and again. Prime strep throat season is the period from November through March, and the bacteria that cause the malady blossom wherever children gather in large numbers. Strep throat spreads through airborne droplets, so when a sufferer sneezes or coughs, they can infect others. This is why it is vital to keep a child diagnosed with strep throat out of school or child care until they are well again, as the highly contagious nature of it will affect everyone they come into close contact with. The strep throat bacteria can be transferred from objects such as spoons, glasses, and doorknobs, moving from the hand to the mouth, where it will get a chance to germinate and thrive.
The symptoms of strep throat generally include throat pain, with trouble swallowing. The tonsils will be swollen, and can have white patches and streaks comprised of pus, as they attempt to battle the infection. The lymph glands will be painful and inflamed in the neck, and there can be a fever, stomach and muscle discomfort, headache, or a rash as well. Some individuals are capable of carrying the strep throat bacteria but do not come down with the symptoms, only to pass it on to others. The symptoms of strep throat will manifest themselves in one to three days, and in children, the pockets of pus are often easy to spot. If you or your child have the symptoms of strep throat, your physician will try to verify the diagnosis with a rapid antigen test, which can be done in the office. A swab of fluids from the back of the throat can produce a result in as little as fifteen minutes. A negative outcome does not rule out strep throat entirely, and a throat swab culture will then be sent out to a lab to make sure if it is strep or not. The results of this test will take up to two days to come back.
The fever that can accompany strep throat requires that anyone troubled with the illness drink plenty of fluids to fight dehydration. Soup broth and liquids with sugars are your best bet, as it will be still be difficult to swallow, and these have the ideal properties to alleviate dehydration. Mixing some table salt with warm water and then gargling with is one way to fight the throat pain. Oral antibiotics are the key to a quick and full recovery from strep throat. Penicillin, amoxicillin, and azithromicin are some of the most commonly administered drugs in such instances, with young children being given injections of penicillin if they are having a hard time of it. The symptoms should start to lessen in twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the treatment begins, but it is of the utmost priority to stay on course with the drug plan until all the pills are taken, so as to prevent any chance of a recurrence or worse. The pain may be decreased through the use of product such as Advil and Motrin, but remember that due to the association of aspirin to the dangerous Reyes syndrome, children should never be treated with them.
Strep throat by itself is not all that big of a deal, but if untreated, it can lead to serious problems. Tonsillitis is one, where the tonsils become infected badly, and sinus infections are another. Perhaps the most feared complication of strep throat is the possible development of rheumatic fever if it is not addressed. This disease prompts inflammatory deposits to form in tissue, especially the joints and muscles, with arthritic symptoms as a consequence, and can also cause scarring of the heart lining and valves, an often permanent condition that can then interfere with the working of that vital organ. Kidney inflammation can also crop up in untreated cases of strep throat, but all of these are very rare now in developed nations, with the advancements in antibiotics and an educated population.
The basics of frequent hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing and sneezing go a long way in preventing infections like strep throat from getting a foothold. Washing utensils and dishes in hot water and not sharing these items is another good idea. For those kids that get strep throat every year, it may help if their tonsils are removed. Teaching children good hygiene at an early age is important, not only for their health but for the well-being of all those that they come into contact with, and the lessons will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
