What does strep throat smell like

Most people with strep can spread the infection to others until they have been on antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours. They should stay home from school, daycare, or work until they have been on antibiotics for at least a day. Get a new toothbrush after 2 or 3 days, but before finishing the antibiotics.

Otherwise, the bacteria can live on the toothbrush and reinfect you when the antibiotics are done. Also, keep your family's toothbrushes and utensils separate, unless they have been washed.

If repeated cases of strep still occur in a family, you might check to see if someone is a strep carrier. Carriers have strep in their throats, but the bacteria do not make them sick. Sometimes, treating them can prevent others from getting strep throat. Ebell MH. Diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis. Am Fam Physician. PMID: www. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Appropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infection in adults: advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ann Intern Med. Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of group A streptococcal pharyngitis: update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. Tanz RR. Acute pharyngitis. In: Kliegman RM, St. In adults, I'm not suggesting necessarily you tough it out, but also don't expect that you're going to take antibiotics and within 12 hours you're going to feel great. You're going to continue to feel sore and continue to have a sore throat for probably at least a few days after starting antibiotics.

Interview: Alright. So you can choose to treat it or not, it sounds like. If somebody's asking you for advice, "Should I take the antibiotics? I mean this is where it gets into that thing about your kind of own experience versus what does the data say? What does the research say? Madsen: Yeah, if someone comes to the ER and I diagnosed them with strep, I recommend they take antibiotics.

And I'm doing that in part because they've come in seeking help, it's going to shorten the duration of their symptoms at least a little bit. It probably helps, also, to decrease the transmission of the bacteria. I think it's going to assist with that. My recommendation is to be treated, to take the antibiotics, and, at this point, I can't say that I would feel comfortable just absolutely saying, "Don't treat it; don't worry about antibiotics; tough it out; you'll be fine.

Announcer: Have a question about a medical procedure? Want to learn more about a health condition? Check it out at TheScopeRadio. Subscribe to Our e-Newsletter. Find a doctor or location close to you so you can get the health care you need, when you need it. What Is Strep Throat? Interview: And what are the symptoms, normally? Symptoms of Strep Dr. Report the infection to the staff member designated by the child care program or school for decision-making and action related to care of ill children.

That person, in turn, alerts possibly exposed family and staff members to watch for symptoms. Yes, when all the following criteria have been met :. At least the first 12 hours of antibiotic treatment has been given. Research has shown that children infected with strep do not pose a risk to others once they have received their first 12 hours of antibiotic treatment.

When the child is able to participate and staff members determine they can care for the child without compromising their ability to care for the health and safety of the other children in the group. Most frequent cause of sore throat in children is viral infection, not strep throat. A throat culture or rapid strep test is the only way to be certain of the diagnosis of strep throat. Even if untreated, most children and adults with group A streptococcal infections recover on their own.

Some who are not treated develop complications, including ear infections, sinusitis, abscesses in the tonsils, or infection of the lymph nodes ie, tender and warm swollen glands. Indications for testing include a sudden development of sore throat, fever, headache, pain on swallowing, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and enlarged, tender lymph nodes in the front part of the neck without a runny nose.

A rare but very serious complication of strep throat is the development of rheumatic heart disease, a condition that affects the valves and function of the heart. Children younger than 3 years are very unlikely to get strep throat infection or develop rheumatic heart disease.

They are variably painful, last 2 - 4 days and go away on their own without antibiotics. Strep throat is caused by a bacteria called streptococcus and requires an antibiotic for treatment. It is often, but not always accompanied by fever of varying degrees.

Other common symptoms of strep throat are headache, stomach ache, vomiting, and swollen glands. Occasionally, these are the only symptoms present.

If your child has strep throat, his tonsils are often inflamed, red and swollen, with white or yellow patches covering them.