Category: strep-throat

When your child has a sore throat, it’s important to rule out a strep infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2 and 3 out of every 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat. (1) Caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus, or group A strep for short,… Continue reading Home Strep Tests: Are They Worth It?

With recent news of scarlet fever outbreaks in the United Kingdom, it’s a good time to take a look at what scarlet fever is and how to treat, so you’re prepared. For starters, it’s not the reason Mary Ingalls from Little House on The Prairie went blind, according to research published in March 2013 in… Continue reading Strep Throat and Scarlet Fever: What's the Connection?

Strep throat is an infection caused by bacteria known as Group A streptococcus. (1,2) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 14,000 to 25,000 cases of invasive Group A strep per year in the United States, which results in about 1,500 to 2,300 deaths per year. It is spread… Continue reading Strep Throat Symptoms and Diagnosis

Have a sore throat? It could be strep. But you might want to think twice before you run to the doctor for an antibiotic. A review published in December 2017 in PLoS Biology suggests that antibiotic prescriptions for some infections are contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and superbugs. Researchers found that most prescriptions… Continue reading Strep Throat Treatment: Do You Need an Antibiotic?

Doctors could be one step closer to solving the mystery of why some children suffer recurring strep throat, a painful throat infection that if left untreated can lead to contagious skin sores, kidney problems, and rheumatic heart disease. New research published in February 2019 in the journal Science Translational Medicine found that both genetics and… Continue reading Study Sheds Light on Why Some Kids Get Recurrent Strep Throat

Strep throat is a bacterial infection that mainly affects children and adolescents, but it is possible for anyone to catch it. You can get strep throat by coming in contact with secretions from an infected person’s respiratory tract, such as when someone coughs or sneezes. Signs of strep throat include a very red throat that… Continue reading How to Treat Strep Throat

If you have tested positive for strep then your doctor will prescribe you a course of antibiotics. (1) Start antibiotics right away to kill the Streptococcus bacteria. Especially in the absence of prompt treatment, the following complications are possible: Peritonsillar Abscess This is a collection of infected material (pus or fluid) that forms in the area around your… Continue reading Strep Throat Complications and How to Prevent Them

Although strep throat is a common form of infection from streptococcal bacteria, it is not the only kind. Streptococcal infections are any type of infection caused by the streptococcal, or “strep” group of bacteria. There are a number of different streptococci, which create symptoms ranging from a mild throat infection to a life-threatening infection of… Continue reading The Different Types of Streptococci (Strep Bacteria)