My throat hurts sooo bad! I can`t even open up my mouth, and i will not swallow because of the pain. I`ve heard stept throat causes stomach aches, fevers, Etc but I don`t seem to have those symptoms. any ideas of what this could be?
Strep throat may be very mild, with only a few symptoms, or it may be severe. often, persons with strep throat get sick 2 to 5 days after they are exposed to the bacteria that causes the illness.
Symptoms usually begin suddenly, and can include:
•Fever that begins suddenly and is often highest on the second day
•Red throat, sometimes with white patches
•Sore throat
•Headache
•Stomach ache
•Nausea
•Chills
•General discomfort, uneasiness or ill feeling
•Loss of appetite and abnormal taste
•Tender, swollen lymph nodes in the neck
•Difficulty swallowing
Some strains of strep throat can lead to a scarlet fever-like rash. This rash is thought to be an allergic reaction to toxins made by the strep bacteria.
Signs and tests
A rapid test can be done in most health care provider offices, but misses a few of the cases. A throat swab can be tested (cultured) to see if strep grows from it. however, it will take one to two days for results to come back.
If the rapid test is negative, it may be followed by a culture, to find all the cases that might have been missed. This is more likely to be needed in children.
Treatment
Be aware that most sore throats are caused by viruses, not strep. Sore throats should only be treated with antibiotics if the strep test is positive. Strep cannot be accurately diagnosed by symptoms or a physical exam alone.
Even though strep throat usually gets better on its own, antibiotics are taken to prevent rare but more serious complications, such as rheumatic fever.
•Penicillin or amoxicillin has been traditionally recommended and is still very effective. There has been resistance reported to azithromycin and related antibiotics.
•Antibiotics should be taken for the full 10 days, even though symptoms are usually gone after few days.
Most sore throats are soon over. in the meantime, the following remedies may help:
•Drink warm liquids. Honey or lemon tea is a time-tested remedy.
•Gargle several times a day with warm salt water (1/2 tsp of salt in 1 cup water).
•Drink cold liquids or suck on popsicles to soothe the sore throat.
•Suck on hard candies or throat lozenges. This is often as effective as more expensive remedies, but should not be used in young children because of the choking risk.
•Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier to moisten and soothe a dry and painful throat.
•Try over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen. Do NOT give aspirin to children.
may my answer helps you..
regards
hneyOhara.
Strep (not strept) causes very sore throat. That can be the only symptom. If you think it is strep then you need to see the Dr. as it hangs on and usually takes a long time to clear on its own.