What is Strep Throat?

Strep throat is a bacterial infection that is easily treated, but can be quite a painful inconvenience. The best way to protect yourself from this infection is to become better educated on strep throat. Learn how to identify symptoms, get proper treatment and reduce your risk of contracting the infection.

Strep throat is an infection of the throat that is caused by the streptococcal bacteria. This differs from a viral sore throat or a sore throat caused by a cold or flu. The symptoms of strep throat include a severe sore throat that usually comes on all of a sudden, fever usually of 101F or above, swollen tonsils and a bright red throat with white or yellow spots. Strep throat is usually diagnosed by a physician or other health provider who can perform a test for the presence of the bacteria.

Strep throat is normally treated with antibiotics and over the counter pain medications. It is treated with antibiotics to shorten the duration of the infection and to lower the risk of passing the infection on to others. If you take antibiotics you will be no longer contagious in around 24 hours. If you do not take antibiotics you may remain contagious for two to three weeks. Even if you do not take antibiotics the infection clears up eventually.

You can reduce your risk of getting a strep infection by avoiding contact with anyone who you know has strep. Since you never know if someone may or may not have strep it is a good idea to avoid sharing items such as eating utensils, drinking glasses or toothbrushes. Washing your hands often is a good practice to reduce exposure to any lingering bacteria.