What is strep throat?

Streptococcal infection is a common bacterial infection that often affects the throat especially the tonsils and the pharynx. The symptoms are quite chronic and acute. It is a painful situation that can affect children and teenagers in the springtime and winter.

Chronic streptococcal infection occurred in the tonsils might lead to severe damage to the body organs. Tonsils play an essential role in the childhood. These organs indicate the first blocking against the infection. When there is chronic inflammation caused, the tonsil tissues might be severely affected and damaged; they might lose their original function and become the cause for other sources of further damage as well as chronic infection.

It is often thought that when people have a tonsillectomy, they will not suffer from streptococcal infection anymore. However, this is wrong as this bacterial infection might still develop even if no tonsils are found in the oral cavity.

What are the symptoms of strep throat?

Symptoms of strep throat include throat pain, sore throat, body aches, fever, loss of appetite, headache, vomiting, rashes, small and red spots found in the mouth or tongue. Moreover, when you are suffering from swollen neck glands and white patches and streaks on tonsils, you might be diagnosed with strep throat.

In details, strep throat is one of the most common bacterial infection found in children, and it can be quickly spread in small areas such as schools and surrounding neighborhood.

When one’s mouth opens wide enough to expose the throat’s back, there are several “normal” things that most people will recognize:

• Pink – colored skin is consistent and smooth in texture.
• The uvula, a dangling piece of skin in a round shape and pink color.
• Tonsils which are small, flesh-colored pockets of skin have a circular shape and pink color.

When a person is suffering from strep throat opens his mouth, you might recognize different things from the “normal” one such as:

• The throat’s back is reddened and inflamed. The area is named soft palate or can be described as “beefy” according to many doctors.
• Tonsils that are extended and enlarged past the soft palate. They might be in yellow or white streaks or patches over them.
• A swollen uvula is in red. It can also be covered with yellow or spots.
• The throat’s back might have small red bumps on it.

It is possible that a person with the same symptoms is suffering from other infection types. That’s why we need our doctors to conduct a “rapid strep” test. The test itself can determine whether a strep bacterium is presented in the throat’s back or not.

Apart from a quick strep test and a visual exam, several symptoms could represent that it is strep throat instead of other illness. For instance, a strep infection can more likely cause a fever rather than a viral infection.

Furthermore, the difference is that viral infection and mucus in the throat due to allergies or any other health conditions are likely to cause a runny nose, watery eyes or a cough whereas strep throat will not.

Several natural home remedies can quickly relieve the symptoms of a sore throat. For example, you can buy the over – the – counter painkillers like ibuprofen to reduce the symptoms. Moreover, you should drink warm water, consume cool and soft foods. You can choose to gargle with salt water in every morning and remember to suck lozenges or hard candy if you have any of them. For those children who are under 16 years old, they should not consume aspirin nor gargle with salt water. There will be special treatments for them. Therefore, you should take your child to your doctor.

Treatment

If your doctor has confirmed that you have strep throat, he/she will prescribe antibiotics, usually amoxicillin or penicillin. Antibiotics can lessen the likelihood of complications developing, shorten the time that symptoms last as well as reduce the risk of transmitting the bacteria infection to others. If a virus leads to a sore throat, antibiotics will not be able to function correctly, and they will not be prescribed.

Causes

The bacteria that lead to strep throat belongs to group A Streptococcus. These bacteria are widely transmitted via respiratory system or by contact with an infected person. Sneezing, touching an object after the victim has touched it or sharing utensils can all lead to strep throat spreading. This is because the most common place that strep throat bacteria dwells is a person’s throat and nose.

As a result, this infection is highly contagious. If a person is diagnosed with strep throat, they should practice good hygiene, take precaution so that they will not infect others and not spread the infection widely at least until that is free from the fever 24 hours and the symptoms have significantly improved.

Children seem to be more vulnerable than adults when it comes to strep throat. They are usually within close distance to each other and schools. Moreover, some children might not have any symptoms yet have the bacteria can expose other children who are with weaker immune system to the infection.

When to see a doctor

Anybody with a fever that is greater than 101oF and with other significant strep throat symptoms should visit doctors immediately. The occurrence of fever might be the signal of a bacterial infection that antibiotics will be able to inhibit.

In severe cases, strep throat might lead to infections in other body parts such as ear, the most severe case is when it leads to disease in the blood. Having strep throat can also lead to inflammation in other body parts. Moreover, acute illnesses and other severe health conditions can also be caused. That would explain well why it is essential to seek treatment and get definitive diagnosis immediately when you are diagnosed with strep throat with severe symptoms.

However, you need to bear in mind that antibiotics are not able to treat other causes of an irritated throat or taking medication which is not necessary might reduce the effectiveness of the medications themselves. In this case, when one has not seen any recovering signs after taking the medicines two days, then a visit to the doctor should be made.

Other things need to be considered

Firstly, strep throat will often fade away without treatment, however, the risk of some complications such as suppurative complications, acute rheumatic, kidney inflammation or scarlet fever and might develop in a worse way without treatment.

Strep Throat without Tonsils

Once the tonsils have surgically removed, the likelihood of it causing the infection will be significantly reduced. However, unfortunately, tonsil surgical resection does not indicate that one is undoubtedly protected from strep throat infection forever. On the contrary, even those who have had tonsillectomy might suffer from strep throat again; however, apparently, the chance will be significantly lower.

Tonsillectomy is the perfect way to reduce the recurrence of strep throat infection. The number of people who have diagnosed with strep throat has decreased drastically.

Symptoms of strep throat infection without tonsils are exquisitely similar to those with tonsils. The disease is still contagious, and it can be very quickly spread via secretion from the mouth and nose. Thanks to throat swab culture, a definitive diagnosis can be set. If you get positive results, the treatment is quite similar to the infection with tonsils. It will include antibiotics, intake of fluids, and tablets, gargling with salt water which will significantly help with pain relief.

Reference:

https://carekees.com/can-you-get-strep-throat-without-tonsils/