Strep throat: Causes, diagnosis, and treatments

Monsoons and winter both usher in a spate of coughs, colds and sore throats among both children and adults.  Among these, sore throats are quite common and almost 15% of them are caused by a bacterial infection. A sore throat caused by the Streptococcus A bacteria is commonly called as "strep throat".

Strep throat is prevalent mostly among children of age 5-15. In children less than 3 yrs, this infection affects the ear as otitis media instead of affecting the throat. Anyway, strep throat might be accompanied by tonsillitis or sinus infection too. That is why it is best to consult an ENT hospital for strep throat treatment.

What is strep throat?

Strep throat is a bacterial throat infection caused by Streptococcus A bacteria. It is spread by

• Airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes
• Touching the items touched by the infected person like clothes, utensils, doorknobs etc.

Strep throats are not serious and usually get cured within a week. But if left untreated, it may lead to complications like rheumatic fever or kidney inflammation. Therefore it is best to take immediate ENT treatment for strep throat.

Symptoms of Strep throat

• Sore, red throat with white patches on tongue
• High fever more than 101˚F
• Headaches
• Swollen lymph nodes near the throat
• Red spots on the palate or roof of the mouth
• Chills
• Trouble in swallowing 
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea or vomiting
• Body ache 

When to see the ENT specialist for strep throat?

Head to an ENT hospital if 

• a sore throat does not subside within 2 days
• a sore throat is accompanied by rashes 
• a sore throat is accompanied by swollen lymph glands near the neck
• there is difficulty in breathing or swallowing
• fever is above 101˚F

Strep throat diagnosis

After a physical examination of the patient, the ENT doctor may order for one of these tests

Rapid Antigen Test

The ENT specialist does a throat swab and gets an Antigen Test done on the sample. If the test is negative, he suggests throat culture.

Throat culture

The ENT specialist dabs a sterile swab over the back of the throat and the tonsils to get a sample of the throat secretion. This sample is then sent to the lab for testing.

Strep throat treatment

At home

• Gargle with salt water 3-4 times daily.
• Drink lots of water to wet your sore throat.
• Drink warm liquids like tea or lemon water
• Drink cold liquids to numb the throat
• Suck on throat lozenges
• Use a cool mist humidifier and clean it daily.
• Eat soothing foods like soups, broths, cereal, porridge etc. which are easy to swallow.
• Avoid spicy foods and acidic drinks like orange juice.
• Stay from irritants like cigarette smoke.
• Stay away from school or work at least for 24 hours as strep throat is contagious.

At the ENT hospital

• The ENT specialist recommends antibiotics to cure the infection and analgesics to relieve the pain.
• Antibiotics like Penicillin or Amoxycillin are usually suggested.
• Some patients may be allergic to Penicillin. For such patients, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin or Cephalosporins are suggested.
• The doctor recommends a suitable diet to help quicken the process of remedy.

Caution

Never take OTC (over-the-counter) medication for strep throat. Some patients may be allergic to penicillin and such allergy is evident only by doing a skin test. Penicillin allergy can result in mild reactions like rashes and itching to adverse effects like Anaphylaxis which is life-threatening. this is why it is always best to consult an ENT hospital for strep throat treatment.

Do not ignore strep throat as it may lead to sinusitis, tonsillitis, ear infections, scarlet fever or pneumonia. Consult an expert ENT hospital for quick relief from strep throat infection.