13 Common Symptoms for Strep Throat

Strep throat is a form of bacterial infection that is known to cause inflammation in and pain around the throat. The most common bacteria to cause this illness is A Streptococcus and this bacterium can affect people of all ages. That said, strep throat is especially common in children, especially those aged 5-15.

Strep throat spreads via coughing and sneezing and this can cause it to quickly make its way around an office, a school or a home.

Strep throat is usually self-limiting, meaning that it will clear up all on its own given time. It is important for the patient to rest, to support their immune system with vitamins and minerals and to take time off work if necessary. Various methods can be used to treat discomfort and pain associated with strep throat, many of which are similar to the methods used to treat a cold and reduce symptoms caused by other types of sore throat.

One of the challenges with strep throat is identifying it. Seeing as the symptoms are similar to other types of bad throat, such as chronic bronchitis and viral infections, it can be hard to tell the difference. In this post, we will at 13 of the most common symptoms of strep throat and how you can tell the difference between one cause of sore throat and another!

The key takeaway at any rate is that you should always aim to rest and soothe a sore throat and that you should see your physician if the symptoms persist.

1.  Sore Throat

The main symptom of strep throat is a sore throat. This can be a fairly mild symptom or it can be very painful and make it very hard to swallow, to talk and to engage in other things.

Normally, this symptom will begin around five days following exposure to the bacteria. If you do suffer with a sore throat, then there are a few things you can do to ease the discomfort. One option is to use a throat sweet or a cough medicine, either of which can help to soothe and ease the pain.

Honey can also be helpful in this regard. Another option is to try steam inhalation, which can help to reduce the inflammation that is causing the pain.