Is the pain in your throat is from a virus or is a sign of strep throat?

Painful Throat or Trouble Swallowing?

June 12, 2017

How can you tell if the pain in your throat is from a virus or is a sign of strep throat?
The only way to know for sure is with a strep test conducted by a medical professional. However, there are some guidelines to help you:

Strep Throat Symptoms

• Pain in your throat that is significant and came on quickly
• A fever, especially with a temperature 101 degrees or higher
• Difficulty swallowing
• Swollen tonsils, or swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• A throat that appears inflamed and has white or yellow spots
Less-common symptoms may include:
• Body aches, stomach aches, or chills
• Nausea and vomiting (present mostly in children)
• Rash
• Loss of appetite

If you have a sore throat accompanied by cold or flu-like symptoms, such as runny nose or nasal congestion, coughing, or sneezing, you most likely do not have strep throat. However, if pain in the throat lasts a few days, it’s still best to have it checked out.

Strep throat is a bacterial infection, but it is still contagious. When an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even breaths, tiny droplets of the bacteria are released into the air. These droplets can be breathed in by another, or can settle on surfaces that, when touched, can transfer the bacteria onto the hands.
Strep throat is most common in the late fall and early spring when children are spending the greatest amount of time inside.

Treatment for Strep Throat

A Quick Care Med provider can determine whether or not you have strep throat in about 10 minutes using a simple, in-office test.

If strep throat is confirmed, you will be given antibiotics to help you start to feel better, and to stop the infection from spreading to other parts of the body.

You can try these remedies at home while waiting for the antibiotics to work:
• Take over-the-counter Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen to control the fever
• Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest (it is best to stay home as you will still be contagious for the first 24 hours after starting antibiotics
• Use a humidifier to keep air moist
• Gargle with warm salt water, as needed
• Use over-the-counter throat spray or drops
• Eat soft foods that don’t further irritate the throat