Often, when people notice they have an itchy throat, inflamed and irritated, they automatically assume that they are suffering from sore throat even without getting professional input. And they are usually right. But many times, a sore throat, scientifically called pharyngitis, that is taken as a little medical inconveniences and looks harmless, can be the beginning of something more serious that many do not even notice, that is, a strep throat.
And to avoid a minor situation becoming complicated, understanding the difference between the sore throat and strep throat can be the important key as it helps to get the right treatment before it becomes more serious.
Sore throat is a sore or itchy throat which can be caused by many things, including allergens like pollen and dust, food intolerances or viral bacterial infections like influenza while strep throat is painful viral or allergic sore throats that are caused by group A streptococcus bacteria.
Sore throat is caused by virus or allergies often comes with other common symptoms like swollen, scratchy, itchy throat or tonsils, congestion, cough, difficulty breathing, earache, itchy eyes, lump on the neck caused by swollen glands, moderate fever, moderate rash and runny nose
Strep throat symptoms is a sore throat without cough or cold symptoms like a runny nose or congestion, difficulty swallowing or breathing, ear infection, fever, headache, red and swollen tonsils sometimes accompanied by white patches or streaks, swollen lymph nodes below the earlobes and tiny red spots on the back of the roof of the mouth.
An untreated strep infection may lead to extreme rash known as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever which can be serious illnesses
The difference between sore throat and strep throat is that is strep is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria, while other sore throats are caused by other types of bacteria, viruses or irritants like allergies.
The major identifying symptom of bacterial pharyngitis like strep throat is having a red sore throat with tonsils that look swollen and inflamed with a deeper color than the surrounding tissue. The redness may also look like streaks, or the patient may also notice tiny bright red spots on the throat and roof of the mouth or distinct white spots, splotches or streaks on the tonsils, along with a red sore throat.
There are home remedies for sore throat which may be used along with any appropriate medications; gargle with warm salt water to help reduce swelling and relieve discomfort, use of medicated throat lozenges, throat sprays containing phenol, warm liquids like honey, lemon tea or a broth soup, warm or cool mist using a humidifier and over-the-counter pain reliever .
If your child is diagnosed with strep, keep in mind that it’s very contagious and you need to watch the rest of your family members
The difference in treatment with strep throat is that while less serious causes of sore throat may be successfully treated with home remedies, doctors don’t mess around with strep throat and viral pharyngitis is not curable with antibiotic medications. Bacteria and viruses are different kinds of microorganisms, and antibiotics are useless against viruses.
If untreated, strep throat can cause complications, such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever and rheumatic fever can lead to painful and inflamed joints, a specific type of rash, or heart valve damage.
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