Strep Throat Specialist

What is strep throat?

Strep throat is an infection affecting your throat and tonsils. It’s highly contagious and is common in children, but can impact people of all ages.

Strep throat is caused by bacteria and the infection spreads through airborne particles. You can contract it by coming into contact with an infected person’s body fluids after they cough, or sneeze, or by sharing utensils.

What are the symptoms of strep throat?

Common symptoms of strep throat include:

• Throat pain
• Red, swollen tonsils
• Pus-streaked tonsils
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Headache
• Rash
• Nausea or vomiting
• Body ache
• Fever

You may also notice tiny red spots on the roof of the back of your throat. If you notice this or any other symptoms, make an appointment at Katy Internists immediately.

How is strep throat diagnosed?

The expert team at Katy Internists performs a physical examination and looks closely at the back of your throat and tonsils. To confirm your diagnosis, they may suggest:

Rapid antigen test

Your practitioner uses a cotton swab to take a sample of mucus from your throat to test for the presence of strep bacteria. This test is performed in 15 minutes.

Throat culture

Your practitioner swabs the back of your throat and your tonsils to take a sample that is cultured in a laboratory to check for the presence of strep bacteria. The results are available in 2 days.

The rapid antigen test is quick and convenient but it only has a 95% accuracy. If you’ve taken a rapid antigen test that came back with a negative result, but you’re still experiencing symptoms, talk to your provider at Katy Internists so they can perform a throat culture.

Both of these tests tell your practitioner whether you have strep. If your results come back negative for both, your provider may suggest further testing to determine the cause of your symptoms.

How do you treat strep throat?

Once the team at Katy Internists confirms your strep throat diagnosis, they prescribe a course of antibiotics to fight the infection. The antibiotics reduce the length of your infection and the severity of your symptoms. It also reduces the risk of developing further complications or the spread of the infection to other parts of your body.

Your practitioner may also suggest over-the-counter painkillers and various other treatments that you can do at home like:

• Gargling saltwater
• Sucking throat lozenges
• Resting
• Drinking plenty of water
• Avoiding spicy foods

Although strep throat is common, if you have a recurring infection, talk to your practitioner as you may be a carrier of strep and not know it. 

If you’re suffering from a strep throat infection, call the office or use the online booking tool to get a diagnosis and start treatment today.