How do you know if you have strep throat?

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meegannie

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Apart from going to a doctor and spending an outrageous amount of money that you don't have? My tonsils are all swollen and my throat hurts. :( Diagnose me, please.
 
Strep, for me at least involved a very high fever, and my tonsils were so swollen that I could not even swallow my own saliva, it just sort of drooled :drool: out of the side of my mouth. I know, I know... GROSS!

The doctor said that I had the worst case he had ever seen in an adult. I had to get two shots in one visit and was told that if I didn't improve 90% in two days that I would have to come back for another. :eek:
This was 8 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Anyway even if you just have tonsilitis, you still should see the doctor.

:hug: :wave:
 
high fever, white spots on the back of your throat, and you can't bear the thought of swallowing you cry because its so painful. my baby had it 2 weeks ago:( i hope she never gets it again.


*edited to say that you should definitely get it checked out by a doctor because a nurse told me it could lead to heart problems down the line if left untreated*
 
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Unfortunately, the only way you can know for sure is with a throat culture. That usually involves a visit to the doctor or ER. You should know preliminary results in about 10 minutes, then definate results in about 24 hours, after the culture is sent to the lab.

I had strep throat about 4 years ago, and it was the worst pain I ever had. I had a fever, aches and chills, and it was extremely painful to eat or drink. I went to the ER, and the physician's ass. told me it was impossible for me to have strep throat because I had my tonsils taken out :huh: I got the lab results the day later, and guess what, I had strep, they prescirbed anti-biotics and it finally cleared up.

I wouldn't wish that disease on anybody.
 
Yeah if you have white spots on your tonsils you definatly have to go see a doctor. That's a sure sign of strep throat and the only way it can be treated is with antibiotics.

However, like a month ago I had white spots on my tonsils.. a really bad sore throat, no fever or anything like that but I went to the doctor and they did a culture and I didnt have strep throat. :confused: And they said it would go away by itself. So that really confuzzled me because I thought white spots ALWAYS meant you had strep throat.
 
Here's some info from www.webmd.com:

  • Strep throat does not occur with coldlike symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a runny or stuffy nose.
  • In general, the more coldlike symptoms you have, the less likely it is that your sore throat is a strep infection.

The following symptoms are more common in cases of strep throat infection. Some or all of these symptoms may be present in either children or adults:
  • Severe and sudden sore throat without coughing or sneezing
  • Pain or difficulty swallowing
  • Fever over 101?F (38.33?C) (lower fevers may indicate a viral infection)
  • Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
  • White or yellow spots or coating on the throat and/or tonsils
  • Bright red throat or dark red spots on the roof of the mouth at the back near the throat
  • Swollen tonsils (tonsils may also be swollen if the sore throat is caused by a viral infection)

In some cases of strep infections, a skin rash develops and spreads over the neck and chest and eventually over the whole body. The rash feels rough like sandpaper. This condition is called scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is treated with antibiotics, which usually lead to a quick recovery. Scarlet fever is not dangerous if treated.
 
You really should go to the doctor and get it checked out if you think it's strep...if you can't afford to go to your regular doctor, maybe there are some low income clinics around that you could go to? :shrug:

here's what I found doing a google search about strep throat:

....................................

A sore throat can be either an annoying ailment from allergies or a virus, or the symptom of another illness. Strep throat is a contagious disease caused by an infection with Group A Streptococcus (pronounced: strep-toe-kock-cus) bacteria. While anyone can get strep throat, it is most commonly seen in children between the ages of 5 and 16. It is important that you go to a health care provider if you suspect strep, because if left untreated streptococcal throat infections can lead to rheumatic fever and kidney disease.

The symptoms of strep throat vary from person to person. The most common findings include a swollen bright red throat, with dark red spots on the back of the throat, a very sore throat, fever [101? F (38.3? C) to 104? - 105? F (40? C)], and tender swollen lymph nodes under the jaw. Usually the tonsils are red and enlarged. You may also have white pus on your tonsils or your tonsils may be covered with a gray or white coating. It is not uncommon to have a headache, generalized aches and pains, and nausea. The nasal congestion and runny nose associated with the common cold do not usually occur with a strep throat.

Strep is extremely contagious. The strep bacterium is found in the nose and/or throat of infected persons and is spread to the next person through the air with sneezing or coughing. Rarely, people catch strep throat by eating contaminated food. People with strep throat can spread the disease to others until 24 hours after treatment or for 10 to 21 days if untreated.
 
well now my co-worker has strep. i have told her to stay far away from me because i get it about once every 2 years and i am due. :no:...on a side note, i am loosing my voice and it is all raspy. i have been talking to my clients this morning on the phone and all of the sudden my voice goes silent. :mad:
 
meegannie said:
I just called about 10 doctors and NONE of them can see me for at least a week. :mad: :sad: :scream:

o_O That's awful! You can't just walk in? :hug: I'm sorry, I used to get strep all the time, I even had Scarlet fever once :shifty: It sucks being sick like that :( You really have to like FORCE your way in to make sure it doesn't get worse. Can hospitals take random patients like that?
 
Ooh, get it checked to see if it's strep! Ugh! I had scarlet fever when I was a kid. It was hellish. No, these diseases are not fun to have. :scream: :scream: :madspit:
 
I got my tonsils out once and it was sore
My throats sore and is all red but I just went to school and drink lots fo water
 
MissVelvetDress_75 said:
yes, hospitals can take random patients. you have to go through the ER. isn't there an Emergancy care center you can go to? you should contact your primary Dr. first and tell the front desk you are sick and need see someone today! be persistant.

I would do that, but my doctor is in Bethesda and I can't get there without a car, unless I take the bus and I've never taken the bus so it freaks me out and I'd have to walk a distance too. :( I can't afford an emergency visit. I can't even afford a regular doctor. :( Stupid tonsils. :mad:
 
I could never figure out how to gargle....

ME: *thinking* The name Bethesda sounds familiar...o wait I live in Wheaton :lol: :der:
 
one time i had strep throat and i just shrugged it off. when i woke up one morning, it had made my neck so swollen i couldn't move my neck at all, not to look up, down, or to either side. it was then that my spine got crooked.

yes, i now will have back problems forevah because of untreated strep. :mad:
 
fever, sore throat, swollen tonsils - usually so bad you can't swallow your own saliva, headache, flu-like symptoms, etc.

The only way to know for sure is a throat culture.

I had all the symptoms a few months back but it turned out to be a virus :shrug: The worst I ever had all my saliva turned to this hard goo and I had to spit it out every 5 minutes. It was the worst case of strep thorat my doctor said he had ever seen.
 
I was knocked out for this whole weekend...with what I thought, for sure, was strep...but I went to the dr. and it was a bad ass sinus infection. Owww, the pressure on my face and head. :( :mad:
 
I think it's going away on it's own. :confused: :der: I may go to the doctor anyway because my glands are still a little bit swollen and I want to make sure it's not just pretending to go away only to come back even worse. Meh. I don't wanna spend the money, though. :scream: :huh:
 
senrab said:
I was knocked out for this whole weekend...with what I thought, for sure, was strep...but I went to the dr. and it was a bad ass sinus infection. Owww, the pressure on my face and head. :( :mad:

Ouuuchhh!

I am PRONE to those. I know exactly how you feel. Like, your face is killing you and there's nothing anyone can do.
 
I went to the doctor and got a prescription for antibiotics which cost me a small fortune :)sad:). And the people at Rite Aid thought I was a shoplifter or something so now I feel like the world's biggest reject. Today already sucks. :grumpy:
 
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