How to Recognize and Treat Strep Throat

Strep Throat hurts!

People of any age can be affected by Strep Throat. The pain they feel goes way beyond the pain of a normal sore throat. It has been described as feeling like there is glass in the throat or stabbing pains. This article will tell you how to recognize if you have Strep Throat and how to treat it.

Instructions

1. 

   Generally, a couple of days before a person starts to feel their throat hurting, they first feel that the glands in their neck are swollen and tender. These glands are located about an inch under the jaw on both sides of the neck. Usually, you can hardly tell they are there, but when you are sick, they help filter sickness in your body. They can get quite large - the size of an almond or even bigger. And, when they are inflammed and swollen, they are very tender.

2. 

   By now, you probably don't feel very well. You would be feeling tired and feverish. Treat your fever with Tylenol or Motrin; however, understand that if the fever doesn't go away and the glands in your neck are swollen, your body is probably trying to fight off an infection of some kind.

3. 

   If you have experienced the swollen glands, fatigue, fever and a very sore throat, you should get in and see a doctor. The doctor will look into your throat in order to see if there is red inflammation and white sores in your throat. The white sores are a tell-tale sign of Strep Throat. They can run two different types of tests to see if you have Strep Throat. The first is done quickly in the Emergency Room after swabbing your throat with a q-tip. Although it can give you a pretty good idea if you have Strep Throat, it is not 100% accurate and some doctors prefer to do it the old fashioned way by swabbing your throat and sending it off to the Lab to be cultured.

4. 

   If you have Strep Throat, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection. You should pick it up right away and start using it. Also, you should be aware that Strep Throat is very contagious so respect your co-workers, fellow students, family and friends and lay low for a couple of days.

5. 

   Your doctor will most likely take you off work or out of school for a couple of days if you have been diagnosed with Strep Throat. This is not the time to organize your closet, deep clean your house or go shopping. This is the time to sleep and do restful activities - maybe watch a video or take a nice, hot bath. If you have older children, have them make dinner or do something simple like hot dogs or ready-made meals.

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Resources

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