Diagnosing Strep Throat

Strep throat is usually diagnosed through a combination of physical examination, medical history, and laboratory tests. The following are the common methods used by doctors to diagnose strep throat:

- Physical Examination: This involves examining the throat, neck, and tonsils for signs of redness, swelling, and pus.

- Medical History: Your healthcare provider will inquire about your symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, and difficulty swallowing.

- Rapid Strep Test (RST): RST is a quick test that involves swabbing the throat to collect a sample. A test is then conducted on the sample to detect the presence of Group A Streptococcus bacteria in the throat.

- Throat Culture: A throat culture is a test used to identify the presence of bacteria or viruses in the throat. It can confirm the presence of Group A Streptococcus bacteria, identify viral infections, and even help confirm a negative Rapid Strep Test.

How Do You Know?

You can recognize strep throat by its symptoms, which usually appear within 5 days of exposure to strep bacteria. Symptoms may vary from person to person, depending on the severity of the condition. Common symptoms include a sore throat, pain when swallowing, scratchy throat, red and swollen tonsils, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, red spots on the roof of the mouth, and white patches. In some cases, people with strep throat may also experience headaches, nausea or vomiting, stomach pain, and rash, also known as scarlet fever.

Who is at Risk?

Strep throat can affect anyone, but certain factors can increase the risk of getting it. These factors include close contact with infected individuals, age, and crowded settings.

• Close contact: The most common risk factor for strep throat is close contact with someone who has it. If a person has strep throat, the bacteria can easily spread to their family members, spouse, and other people in the household.
• Age: Strep throat is more common in children than in adults. It most frequently affects children between the ages of 5 and 15 and is rare among children under 3 years old. Parents of school-age children and adults who are frequently in contact with children are at an increased risk.
• Crowded settings: Being in crowded settings can also increase the risk of getting strep throat. This includes places such as schools, daycare centres, homeless shelters, prisons, and correctional facilities.

If you think you or your child may have strep throat, please consult a healthcare provider for proper evaluation and treatment. If left untreated, the streptococcus bacteria can spread to other parts of the body, causing complications such as ear infections, sinus infections, rheumatic fever (a disease affecting the heart, joints, brain, and skin), and even post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, which is a kidney disease.

REFERENCE

Information from https://www.cdc.gov/group-a-strep/about/strep-throat.html, https://www.healthline.com/health/strep-throat#vs-sore-throat, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/strep-throat/symptoms-causes/ and https://www.statnews.com/2023/02/02/burden-invasive-strep-a-infection-low-income-countries/ was used in this story