Strep Throat Symptoms
Do you have reason to believe you are suffering from strep throat? If so, this is nothing to take lightly. If the bacteria that causes this disease is not properly treated it can lead to serious health concerns.
Knowing the symptoms of strep throat is the first step in pinpointing this disease. While you may believe you have this infection, until you visit the doctor for a rapid strep test and/or throat culture there is no way of knowing for sure.
Here are the most common strep throat symptoms:
- Sore throat that typically comes on quickly
- Pain and discomfort when swallowing
- A fever of 101F or above
- Red tonsils
- Swollen tonsils
- Headache
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Rash
- Body aches
If you have these symptoms it does not necessarily mean you are suffering from strep throat, however, there is a very good chance that this is the problem. As noted above, your doctor can run the appropriate tests to determine if you have strep throat or if your symptoms are being caused by something else.
In serious cases of strep throat, such as when the infection is not being treated with an antibiotic, the following symptoms can occur:
- Ear infection
- Rheumatic fever
- Scarlet fever
- Intense skin rash that spreads over the entire body
These symptoms are rarely caused by strep throat, but it is important to be aware of them nonetheless.
The symptoms associated with strep throat can be painful, leading to a lot of discomfort. The good thing is this: once your doctor diagnoses the problem, you can start taking antibiotics to treat the disease. This typically leads to an improved condition within 24 to 48 hours. Along with this, treatment with an antibiotic will ensure that you are not contagious.
If you experience several of the symptoms above, there is a chance that you have strep throat.