Treatment for Sore Throats and Strep

Everyone’s had a classic cold, which normally comes with a scratchy, sore, or swollen throat. It’s never fun to have this common cold symptom, as it makes swallowing, talking, and even breathing more difficult than normal.

However, even though this is a very common malady, there may be a deeper and more serious underlying cause for your sore throat. This is why it’s important for you to see a quality healthcare provider about your sore throat as soon as you can. You never know, it may be caused by something more serious than a cold, like strep throat.

What Are the Symptoms?

Strep throat is a nasty sickness that can be much more serious than the common cold, even though some of the symptoms are very similar or identical. Strep is particularly dangerous in young children and the elderly, so it’s important to get it treated as fast as you can.

Here are a few of the most common symptoms you can expect to experience if you’ve contracted strep throat:

• Sore or swollen throat
• Aches and fevers
• Exhaustion
• Swelling in glands
• Scratchy or hoarse throat

Even if you have all of the above symptoms, there’s no way to know if it’s strep throat for sure without getting it tested. For this, you should see a healthcare provider right away.

What Causes Strep Throat?

As strep throat is a highly contagious virus, the way you get it is by contracting it from someone else who has it. But it’s not as simple as someone with strep coughing or sneezing on you, you can also contract this sickness in a lot of other ways.

Strep can last for hours even after leaving the body, so strep particles spread through coughing, sneezing, or even breathing can linger on surfaces and in the air. The most common surfaces for infection include doorknobs, bathrooms, and other commonly touched areas. You never know who may have touched something before you, so it’s also important to make sure to wash your hands whenever you’ve been out in public or around someone who you think could be sick.

This infection is much more common in the winter and affects children much more than adults on average. Even though only about fifteen percent of sore throats can be attributed to strep throat, it’s still a highly contagious infection that should be treated as quickly as possible.

How To Test and Treat Strep Throats

You’ll know it’s time to see a healthcare professional if you’ve had a painful sore throat for a long period of time that doesn’t seem to be improving, even after using popular remedies. If it’s also accompanied by a fever or muscle aches, then you’ll know it’s time to go to the doctor.

Once there, they’ll give you a strep test to make sure that’s what you have. If positive, they’ll prescribe you antibiotics to help your body get rid of the infection once and for all.

Please call us at Southwest Urgent Care at 346-341-7573 to book an appointment to get treated for Strep Throat.