The differences between Strep Throat and a Regular Soar Throat

When you wake up in the morning with a burning feeling in your throat and it’s hard to swallow – or maybe it’s even really scratchy, it can be hard to tell what kind of sore throat you have. You may, simply put, just have a sore throat, or maybe a precursor symptom of the flu, or it’s possible you may have what’s called strep throat. It’s more common for children under the age of 15 to get strep throat – though it’s not impossible for adults.

Most sore throats (technical name pharyngitis) are caused by a virus. It can make your throat and tonsils red and swollen. This can lead to trouble swallowing, eating or even breathing. Sometimes sore throats are accompanied by a cough or fever. If your sore throat is caused by a virus, you can treat the symptoms but only time and your immune system will heal your throat. If your sore throat is caused by bacteria, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.

So how do you know if you’ve got a normal sore throat or strep throat? Strep throat is caused by the streptococcal bacteria and can be more severe than a simple sore throat. Though many of the symptoms are the same: red sore throat and tonsils; trouble eating, swallowing or breathing; and fever. But strep throat comes with additional symptoms such as white or yellow patches on the throat, loss of appetite, rash/hives, malaise, and even sometimes an ear ache.

If you have these symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately. Your doctor can use a simple swab test to see if you test positive for the streptococcal bacterial. If you do have strep throat, your doctor will probably prescribe you an antibiotic to get rid of the bacteria and suggest some over-the counter-remedies for the pain and other symptoms.

Strep throat travels through the air from person to person and is contagious until treated. If strep throat is left untreated it can lead to more serious conditions like scarlet fever, rheumatic fever or streptococcal toxic shock. Some of these and other complications arising from untreated strep throat may cause important organs such as the kidneys to shut down.