What Is A Strep Test
A strep test looks for Streptococcus bacteria in the throat. The test is painless and takes very little time. The tip of a cotton swab is used to wipe the back of the throat. The swab is then tested.
The rapid strep test takes approximately 20 minutes. If the test is positive , the patient has strep throat. If the test is negative , the doctor may send the throat swab to a laboratory to double-check the results. Some doctors may not do a rapid strep test and instead just send the throat swab to the laboratory.
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Is Strep Throat Contagious
Strep throat can be contagious for about 2-3 weeks in individuals who are not taking antibiotics. However, individuals who do take antibiotics for strep throat usually are no longer contagious about 24- 48 hours after initiating antibiotic therapy. The bacteria that cause strep throat can be transmitted person-to-person by direct contact, especially from mucus droplets from the mouth and indirect contact, such as kissing and sharing utensils or drinking cups.
Those Who Dont Take Antibiotics But Use Natural Remedies
We have recorded a lot of cases with strep throat do not use antibiotics, but natural remedies for combating it. Thats why, if you ask how long does strep throat last without antibiotics?, we will mention the length of time it will take for strep throat to fade away when using natural remedies, not to use antibiotics.
Doctors also confirmed that antibiotics could be one of the best ways to enable the symptoms of strep throat to disappear quicker than others. Nevertheless, due to its particular downside or doubts about whether it has negative impacts on the long-term health or not, natural methods or thought of letting it go away on its own are more preferred .
Lets get back to the main point. You have to make sure that you are not in trouble with any health issues. In that situation, natural remedies could work best for your strep throat.
For those who prefer this treatment without antibiotics, the patients will completely recover within 48 hours. It is true when you get no other serious health problems like fever, to be more specific.
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Learn When You Should Get Tested Best Practices For Treatment How To Contain The Contagion And Where To Go For Affordable Care
Oh, the wonders of winter. Snowball fights, skiing, hot cocoa, and strep throat?
Yes, the season of fun-filled pastimes and sparkling snow can also be marked by sickness. And this winter, our providers at Associates in Family Medicine are seeing higher-than-usual cases of strep throat.
While this bacterial bane on the winter season is familiar to most of us, our team of providers has noticed a number of misconceptions around strep throat. We talked to AFM physician and urgent care director Dr. Shelley Moore to get clarity on common strep throat symptoms, treatment options, spread, and more.
Causes & Symptoms Of Strep Throat
Strep throat is an infection of the throat and tonsils. Its caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria, also called group A strep. The group A strep bacteria is very contagious. It spreads through contact after an infected person coughs, sneezes, touches your mouth, nose or eyes. The bacteria also spreads by sharing a glass, utensil, plate or even a doorknob. This is why strep throat seems to happen more often in the colder months when people tend to be in closer quarters.
Strep throat symptoms typically start within five days of exposure to the strep bacteria symptoms include :
Sore throat and difficulty swallowingRed and swollen tonsilsRed spots on the roof of the mouth and a white or yellow coating on the throat and tonsilsSwollen lymph nodesFever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or aboveHeadache and body achesNon-itching, red rash, which is a sign of scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is a serious bacterial infection.
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Treatments For Strep Throat
Home remedies can work to decrease the discomfort or pain associated with strep throat, but they do not replace the need for a consultation with a provider to see if antibiotics are needed.
The three most common antibiotics prescribed for strep throat are:
- Penicillin: Dosages range from 250 mg twice daily to 500 mg twice daily, depending on age. The typical course of penicillin for strep throat is 10 days.
- Amoxicillin: Dosages are based on body weight for children, with a maximum daily dose of 1000 mg. Adults are typically prescribed 500mg twice a day or 1,000 mg extended release daily.The typical course of amoxicillin for strep throat is 10 days.
- Cephalexin: For individuals allergic to penicillin, cephalexin is often prescribed. It is dosed by body weight for children and the usually adult dose is 500mg twice a day for 10 days.
Never stop taking antibiotics until you have finished the regimen, even if you feel better.
If you stop too early, your infection could come back and could contribute to an antibiotic-resistant infection.
My Experience With Untreated Strep Throat
My serious doubts about the wisdom of using antibiotics for strep throat go back to my one and only experience with this infection the summer I turned 15. Strep was by far the worst sore throat Ive ever had and the pain when I swallowed was almost unbearable to endure.
My Father, a Family Physician, made the decision not to put me on any antibiotics and let me ride it out under my own power. My Dad wasnt into herbs or anything so I didnt have any alternative treatments administered either.
The infection lasted over a week my memory remembers a full two weeks but it might have been a few days shy of that.
I lost several pounds during that illness as I could only endure swallowing liquids the entire time. I pretty much subsisted on vanilla milkshakes from the ice cream shop down the road for the duration of that awful infection and I still got well under my own power with no complications.
The interesting thing is thatI seem to have developed an immunity to strep ever since. Ive never had strep throat ever again in 35+ years. This is despite repeated exposures at close range. During college, I even had a roommate with strep and didnt get sick. This despite eating pretty rotten cafeteria food and lots of sugary foods. This no doubt suppressed my immune function considerably.
Is it possible that allowing the body to fight off strep throat naturally on its own confers partial or total immunity?
Why?
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What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Strep
In most cases, antibiotics will quickly wipe out the bacteria causing the infection. In the meantime, try these tips to relieve symptoms of strep throat: Get plenty of rest. Sleep helps your body fight infection.
Is apple cider vinegar good for strep throat?
Benefits of apple cider vinegar for related conditions Just as theres no scientific evidence proving ACVs ability to soothe or heal sore throats, theres also no definitive evidence proving it helps other conditions, such as strep throat, common colds, or the flu.
Can I give my boyfriend head with a strep throat?
In general, it is not good to go in for oral sex when you have any kind of mouth or throat infection.
How Do You Catch Strep Throat
Strep throat is contagious, and it tends to spread more during the winter and early spring. The bacteria lives in noses and throats, so it passes from person to person through respiratory droplets and saliva. Some examples of how you can come in contact with strep include:
-
Sharing things like cups, utensils, or anything that goes in your mouth
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Being coughed or sneezed on
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Touching a surface that has the bacteria on it and then touching your face
Strep can pass quickly between people who are in close physical contact. Thats why its common for strep to go around between family members and in places like:
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Where Do You Go Down With Strep Throat
Strep throat is contagious because a person can be easily infected from one another via coughs and sneezing. The most infected places that can make you get this kind of bacterial infection are usually schools, offices, household contacts, military barracks, and daycare centers.
As we cited above, strep throat is common between children and young adults. However, if youre pregnant and preparing to give birth to a newborn, strep throat will be one of your concern about whether it affects your baby or not. Dont hesitate to find the answer in another article CAN NEWBORNS GET STREP THROAT.
What Are The Risk Factors For Strep Throat
Although adults get strep throat, too, it is most common in children from the preschool age up through middle school, into the teenage years, says Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt.
Sometimes, children are carriers of the bacteria. They may not be sick, because the bacteria grows slowly, but they can infect others in the family. For possible carriers, we dont want to keep randomly swabbing them and putting them on antibiotics, explains Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt. If we suspect a child is a carrier, we have them come in for a test when they are completely well. If they are a carrier, we can potentially treat them for good with a combination of different antibiotics. Because we know that some children may be carriers, we try to use some guidelines in testing children appropriately, and not get a rapid strep or lab culture for every sore throat that we see.
Season is another risk factor for strep throat. Though it can strike at any time of year, strep is far more common in late fall and early spring, and among groups of people in close proximity, such as school settings. It definitely comes in waves, Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt says.
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Conventional Strep Throat Treatment
The most common strep throat treatment is antibiotics, such as penicillin or amoxicillin. Research suggests that just mentioning a sore throat to a doctor almost guarantees a prescription for antibiotics, even though viral infections cause 85 to 90 percent of sore throats in adults.
Studies show that antibiotics are only somewhat helpful when used for strep throat. They can improve symptoms at 3 to 4 days and cut the length of the illness by about half a day. Antibiotic treatment doesnt seem to affect time off from school or work.
Over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are also used to relieve the pain related to strep throat.
How Does Strep Throat Spread
Highly contagious, strep throat is spread through airborne droplets . Children can also get infected by touching surfaces that carry the bacteria and then touching their nose, mouth or eyes.
I often tell parents not to share anything in the house that goes in the mouth, says Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt, who is medical director of Yale New Haven Hospitals Pediatric Primary Care Center. Once they have been on antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours, they shouldnt be contagious. We also advise throwing out their toothbrush and washing their pillowcases or other such items after they have been on the antibiotics 24 to 48 hours.
As for prevention, practicing proper hand hygiene is key. Wash your hands and cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough or sneeze, Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt advises.
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Essential Oil For Strep Throat
Essential oils are distilled from the leaves, bark, stems, and flowers of plants. They may help promote healing by killing germs and reducing inflammation.
The medical benefits of essential oils are controversial. However, studies show the following essential oils can be an effective alternative to over-the-counter medications for treating the symptoms of strep throat:
What Are Possible Complications Of Strep Throat
Although rare, complications of strep throat may include:
- Inflammation of the kidneys
- Rheumatic fever
- Abscesses near the tonsils
Recurrent strep throat can sometimes mean children need to have their tonsils removed . Yale Medicine Pediatric Otolaryngology surgeons offer several advanced treatment options for this.
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How To Get Rid Of Strep Throat Fast Without An Antibiotic
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What Should I Do If My Child Has Strep Throat
If your child is showing signs of strep throat, make an appointment or call a healthcare provider, typically a family doctor or pediatrician, ideally within the first one to two days of illness. It is best to start the antibiotics within the first 48 hours of illness to reduce the symptoms and healing time, says Dr. Brayer.
The healthcare provider will do a physical exam that includes looking inside the childs throat, feeling the childs neck, and asking questions about the childs symptoms and health information. If strep is suspected, the healthcare provider will likely order strep tests. If there are signs of a viral or respiratory illness, it is not recommended to do strep testing. Also, testing is not recommended for children under the age of 3 years old or for adults.
Doctors can either take a throat culture by swabbing the throat with a sterile swab and send it to the lab, which delays the diagnosis by about 24 to 48 hours, or they can do a rapid strep antigen swab test right in the office and get an immediate result, Dr. Brayer says. If that rapid strep test is negative, but the symptoms point to strep, they may send a culture to the lab for confirmation anyway.
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How To Care For Your Child
There are thingsyou can do to help your child feel better.
- Give them lots of liquids, like water, Pedialyte®, diluted apple juice, or popsicles. Give small amounts of liquid often .
- Give soft foods that are easy to swallow, like applesauce, mashed potatoes, hot cereal, or eggs. Your child may not want to eat much if it hurts to swallow.
- To soothe a sore throat, offer:
- For children over age 1, give warm fluids like water, herbal tea with honey, or diluted apple juice. Do not give honey to children under age 1. For some children, cold fluids or popsicles can be soothing.
- For children over age 4, give throat or cough lozenges or use throat sprays. Read the label to know the right dose for your child. Do not use throat sprays that contain benzocaine, as this could cause a drug reaction.
- For children over age 6 who are able to gargle without swallowing, mix ½ teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of warm water. Have them swish and gargle the mixture 2 to 3 times a day for the next few days. Do not let your child swallow the salt water have them spit it out.
- For a fever or throat pain, give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as directed. Read the label to know the right dose for your child. Do not give aspirin or products that contain aspirin.
How To Get Rid Of Strep Throat Without Antibiotics
Many people ask the question..How do I get rid of strep throat without using antibiotics.
I love how people want to use natural ways to help their bodies heal. You are in the right place, Throughout my life with migraines as a teenager, hypoglycemia, and thyroid conditions and our children with ear infection after ear infection.
There were never any solutionsto these conditions it was just medications that had so many undesirable side effects and antibiotic after antibiotic. My goal was to have the body heal itself. I know when we get a cut it heals and I knew the inside of our body would do the same it just needed the right nutrition, I have studied natural health for over 25 years.
At one point in my life, my healthwas such that I couldn’t even eat an apple without horrible side effects. But through study and application of natural health habits, I enjoy better health today than when I was a teenager and I can eat an apple or any fruit I want…and I do everyday! Its Awesome!
Im a Master Herbalist graduate from The School of Natural Healing. I enjoy teaching classes and consulting with people to resolve their health and nutrition challenges. I know that simple, natural remedies and practices, makes a huge difference that your body recognizes, and the results are amazing every time!
For your strep throat remedy you will need 3 ingredients…How many ingredients? Yes, 3:) If you have these Awesome! if not, get these now and have them on hand.
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Antibiotics Get You Well Fast
Doctors treat strep throat with antibiotics. Either penicillin or amoxicillin are recommended as a first choice for people who are not allergic to penicillin. Doctors can use other antibiotics to treat strep throat in people who are allergic to penicillin.
Benefits of antibiotics include:
- Preventing the bacteria from spreading to others
- Preventing serious complications like rheumatic fever
Someone who tests positive for strep throat but has no symptoms usually does not need antibiotics. They are less likely to spread the bacteria to others and very unlikely to get complications. If a carrier gets a sore throat illness caused by a virus, the rapid strep test can be positive. In these cases it can be hard to know what is causing the sore throat. If someone keeps getting a sore throat after taking the right antibiotics, they may be a strep carrier and have a viral throat infection. Talk to a doctor if you think you or your child may be a strep carrier.
