STREP AND OTHER CAUSES OF SORE THROAT

YOUR SORE THROAT: IS IT STREP

Streptococcal Pharyngitis: Questions about Pharyngitis Diagnosis and Consequences

Could Fido the Family Pet be Carrying a Strep Infection

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You go to the doctor complaining of a sore throat. He examines you and you ask, what do I have? He says you have a sore throat! For this I payed seventy five dollars? People often refer to a particularly painful sore throat as a strep throat. But do they know what a strep throat is? Not all sore throat is caused by strep. A variety of "germs" bacteria and viruses can cause sore throat.

What is Strep? Group A Strep is also Called Strep Pyogenes

Sreptococcus Pyogenes is Found in the Throat as Well as Nose and On the Skin

Strep throat is is an infection of the throat caused by a bacteria called Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. Group A beta-hemolytic strep is just one variety of strep bacteria. Group A Beta Hemolytic Strep is also know as Streptococcus Pyogenes. Strep stands for streptococcus bacteria, a kind of bacteria that are found in chains of cocci (small oval round bacterial cells). Group A Beta hemolytic refers to a way of classifying the bacteria. Scientists often classify bacteria according to how they take up certain chemical stains. Bacteria that take up certain stains are referred to as gram positive (such as strep) and other bacteria may be classified as gram negative. Futher classification of streptococcus may be made according to how they behave on plates of a chemical called blood agar as alpha, beta and non hemolytic (breaking the blood cells) strep.<

How are group A streptococcal (Streptococcus Pyogenes) infections spread?

A person can get a strep throat infection from others at schools, work places, and so forth. There are people who carry strep and yet don't manifest symptoms. They are just "carriers".

See the GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONS. The various streptococci (i.e. many streptococcus) can also be the cause of meningitis, pneumonia, impetigo, a skin infection, erysipelas, another skin infection as well as scarlet fever due to the toxin (harmful substance) strep can produce. The strep have various chemicals and proteins on their surface that enable them to stick to the throat.

If You Suspect Strep Throat See Your Doctor Immediately

Complications of streptococcal throat infection include:

Rheumatic fever

Strep throat that spreads from the throat may result in rheumatic fever. In rheumatic fever, the infection may cause damage to the valves of the heart. Rheumatic Heart Disease / Rheumatic Fever

Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis

is a rare complication of a strep infection that results in the formation of immune complexes that cause inflammation that can interefere with kidney function. See What is Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis

You may have heard of the very rare but nasty necrotizing fasciitis also called by it's infamous moniker "flesh eating strep" about which you can learn more at What is Necrotizing Fasciitis although this rare strep problem is related to cuts and lacerations of the skin.

Is it Strep Throat: How They Find Out if It's Strep and the Diagnosis of Strep Throat

A doctor is often a detective. The doctor (and you ) asks questions in order to gather clues that lead to a diagnosis of the sore throat such as:

Is there white exudate on the throat? Exudate refers to white spots or material on the pharynx (throat) that may be seen with a strep throat. However, exudate may be seen with non strep throat as well, take for example infectious mononucleosis.

Has this person been exposed to someone with strep

Does this person have swollen lymph nodes in the anterior cervical area beneath the throat in the front of the neck

Do they feel ill and have high fever However, studies have concluded that clinical signs may not be enough to make the diagnosis of strep pharyngitis. So testing for strep can be done. The two most common tests for strep are the:

rapid strep antigen test

the throat culture and sensitivity

What is the Rapid Strep Test and How Does Rapid Strep Test Work

The rapid strep test is a test that a doctor can do while you are in the office. The doctor swabs the back of your throat and then places the swab into a receptacle and adds some sort of developer chemicals. The tests work using antibody that will connect with the strep on the specimen swab and provide some sort of observable physical change like a change in color. A problem with rapid strep tests is that they still sometimes can miss a real case of strep and indicate a false negative reading. See Accuracy of Rapid Strep Testing vs. Throat Culture

Throat Culture and Sensitivity

In a throat culture the doctor swabs the back of the throat and sends the swab to a laboratory where they let it grow and try to identify and characterize the bacteria on the swab. The problem with this approach is the time delay until results are available.

Can People Get Strep Throats From Their Dog or Other Pet

There have been reports of people in a family getting strep from a pet who was carrying it. This is still open to some debate. However, it's probably smart to play it safe. It certainly is possible to get some diseases from pets.