Early Symptoms of Strep Throat & How to Get Rid of It Naturally

13 Oct Early Symptoms of Strep Throat & How to Get Rid of It Naturally

Strep throat is a localized bacterial infection that infects mainly the pharynx, throat, and tonsils.

The infection is caused by a highly contagious bacteria known as Group A Streptococcus (GAS).

Though the disease mainly affects children, cases of strep throat can also affect adults. However, the early signs of strep throat in adults are different from what it appears to be in children.

This misleads the treatment, and a mere strep throat can take a larger form to develop into various other complications.

To prevent such misleading treatments and medications, here we are to throw some light on how you can identify the cause behind your scratchy throat and know for sure if it’s really strep throat or something else.

Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat

According to studies, up to 30% of school-aged children with sore throat suffer from strep while only 10% of adults have this condition.

Signs of strep throat are usually evident in adults who are frequently around children.

Since the strep throat symptoms in adults vary from that in children, we classify the following sections as symptoms in adults and children.

Signs of Strep Throat in Adults

Following are some of the early signs of strep throat you might be experiencing:

1. Fever and chills
2. Sore throat with white patches on the tonsil
3. Headache
4. Losing appetite for food
5. Swollen lymph nodes around the neck area
6. Trouble swallowing food and drink

The symptoms in adults too can vary from person to person depending on the severity of the condition.

While some people can have severe symptoms like fever, others could even have strep throat without fever.

Having said that, here are some of the common signs of strep throat in adults:

#1. Fever

Strep throat is characterized by the sudden appearance of high fever usually ranging to 101 degrees Celsius and sometimes even higher than that.

However, it usually takes two to five days for a person infected with the bacteria to show a high temperature.

This fever can subside within 24 hours, and even reoccur.

#2. Sore, Red Throat with White Patches

The bacteria can cause small white patches in your throat which could cause problems in swallowing.

These patches can even appear on your tonsils.

#3. Headache

Headaches are a common symptom of strep throat, but this can even be confused with the symptoms of sore throat.

#4. Chills

Since strep throat causes fever when severe, the fever can also cause chills.

Having chills mainly refers to feeling excess cold even when you are wearing warm clothes, or the weather is warm enough to not let you feel cold.

This can be accompanied by shivering and might make you look pale.

#5. Loss of Appetite

The symptoms of strep throat might also include loss of appetite.

Common signs of loss of appetite include not wanting to eat, unintentional weight loss, and the feeling of being full.

#6. Swollen Lymph Nodes Around the Neck

Swelling in lymph nodes can occur around the neck because of inflammation.

Lymph nodes are oval-shaped organs that contain immune cells for attacking foreign invaders in our body.

You can feel the swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck as they feel tender.

#7. Trouble Swallowing

You might experience trouble swallowing because of the other signs of strep throat in adults like sore throat, and rashes around the neck and tonsils.

Other symptoms that might appear are:

• Body aches due to fever
• Pain in throat
• Nausea

Since the painful condition is common among children, here are some of the common symptoms of strep throat among kiddos.

Strep Throat Symptoms in Children

Although strep throat is common among children, it doesn’t show symptoms like the ones in adults.

Some of the common signs of strep throat include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting

Sandpaper-like rashes might appear starting with the face and neck, then spreading throughout the body.

It could be a sign of scarlet fever which is a complication of strep throat.

However, this could be prevented by visiting the doctor in the early stages. But, for getting a proper diagnosis, we must understand the causes first.

What Causes Strep Throat?

Strep Throat is caused by infection of the Streptococcus Pyogenes also called the group A streptococcus.

The bacteria is contagious and can spread even from the droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

In fact, the bacteria can also be picked up from doorknobs that you might touch.

How Does Strep Throat Spread?

The most common mode of transmission is through contact with respiratory droplets from a person infected with strep throat.

High risks lie among people who are exposed to these droplets and touch their mouth, nose, and eyes.

Moreover, bacteria transmission can also occur by:

• Sharing food or drinks with an infected person 
• Coming into contact with a contaminated belonging of an infected person

However, identifying an infected person is not easy in strep throat as a perfectly healthy individual might be contaminated five days before the symptoms appear.

Risk Factors of Strep Throat

Though anyone can be infected with strep throat, certain factors increase the risk of severity.

Adults who lie at risk of getting infected are:

• Parents who have school going kids
• Adults who have frequent contact with kids

Also, this infection has a higher risk of transmission in huge gatherings and crowds.

But, in spite of being a highly contagious disease, there are many treatment options available for strep throat.

In case your symptoms are not that severe, you can even try some home remedies that are effective in curbing down the symptoms and making your life normal again.

Strep Throat Home Remedies

Home remedies mainly help relieve the symptoms and not entirely treat the disease.

Though strep throat is not similar to a simple sore throat, things that work for the latter can work for relieving the symptoms of strep throat too:

#1. Vitamins

• Vitamin C – Taking vitamin C-rich foods or even supplements boosts your immunity to fight infections.
• Vitamin D – According to studies, the deficiency of Vitamin D can weaken your immune system making you prone to respiratory infections.

#2. Foods

Adding the following foods to your diet can help you relieve painful symptoms of strep throat:

• Raw honey – The antioxidants present in raw honey boost your immunity and also help relieve a scratchy throat caused by the GAS bacteria.
• Bone broth – It keeps you hydrated and provides minerals to boost your immunity and reduce pain and inflammation. Drinking warm broth can also help get rid of other strep throat signs in adults.
• Herbal tea – It can be used to treat inflammation and pain in the throat. One of the best herbal teas is chamomile tea that helps fight infection.
• Apple cider vinegar – It can kill harmful bacteria and even curb bacterial growth.

#3. Oils

• Peppermint Oil – Peppermint oil can help reduce swelling in the throat while offering a cool and soothing effect. All you gotta do is mix one to two drops of peppermint oil in water and drink it.
• Lemon oil – It has antibacterial properties, which can limit the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Add one or two drops of lemon oil in water or herbal tea for maximum benefits.
• Thyme Oil – It’s commonly used to relieve the symptoms of strep throat. According to research, the oil helps fight the bacteria causing respiratory and oral infections.

#4. Other Home Care Tips 

Taking warm liquids to relieve the symptoms like pain in swallowing often helps.

• Use a cool-mist humidifier
• Suck throat lozenges
• Gargle every night with warm water before going to bed

Now, not every case is treatable with home remedies. What if you are still not getting any relief?

The best way to get the right treatment for the bacterial disease is a proper diagnosis as the symptoms and signs of strep throat in adults are similar to many other viral diseases too.

Strep Throat Diagnosis

Visit a doctor when the following signs are visible:

• Sore throat for more than two days
• Throat with white patches
• Dark red spots on the tonsil
• Difficulty in breathing and swallowing

The doctor would likely check for inflammation and other symptoms often evident in the cases of strep throat.

If the suspected disease is really strep throat, a confirmatory test is done.

Test and Examination of Strep Throat

The following tests help to identify the severity of strep throat before deciding on a treatment course:

#1. Rapid Test

Usually, a rapid strep test is useful to check for the presence of GAS or any other bacterial infection.

The test is done using a swab that goes to the back of your throat collecting the sample. This sample is then analyzed. 

Though the test results come out within 5 minutes, it could even come out to be negative in spite of you having the infection.

In such cases, doctors may conduct additional testing of the sample.

#2. Throat Culture

A throat culture is time-consuming and works in the cases where the sample on the swab has bacteria that need time to grow.

But while it takes time, it shows results that rapid tests miss.

Culture is an important test if the doctor suspects strep throat, as undetected strep throat can cause complications like rheumatic fever.

Based on the results, the doctor suggests the most effective treatment.

How to Get Rid of Strep Throat?

The treatment is done according to your symptoms. 

For example, people with active symptoms are prescribed antibiotics while people with no symptoms may receive strep throat treatment without antibiotics. 

Below mentioned are the full details about treating strep throat…

Strep Throat Treatment

Many medications are actually available for the treatment of strep throat which has the ability to:

• Curb strep throat
• Prevent further complications
• Relieve symptoms

In general, strep throat antibiotics are used for an infection caused by the GAS bacteria.

With that said, two of the most prominent medications used for the treatment include:

#1. Strep Throat Antibiotics

Oral antibiotics are the most common mode of treatment for strep throat in both adults and children.

If you start taking the pills within 48 hours of the diagnosis, they can help reduce the duration as well as the severity of the symptoms.

They also can control the spread of the infection from you to others and can prevent complications.

Now, the question is…How long does strep throat last with antibiotics?

The medicines take hardly two days to contain the spread and can reduce the effects within 24 hours.

However, that doesn’t allow you to stop on the entire antibiotics course as the illness can reoccur when you stop taking the medications early.

Usually, the course of antibiotics is for 5 days.

Yet, if the medicines don’t show relief within 24 hours, make sure you consult your doctor.

#2. Symptom Relievers

In people with severe throat pain and fever, doctors suggest counter medicines that can help relieve the symptoms.

However, you should take these medicines under proper consultation with the doctors as they might cause side effects of which you aren’t aware.

Apart from rectifying the situation, you can also do some things to prevent strep throat in the first place.

How to Prevent Strep Throat Naturally?

We still don’t have vaccines to stop the spread of strep throat causing bacteria, but we can still prevent the bacteria from infecting us.

Some of the best ways to avoid infection by the bacteria are:

• Washing hands regularly before eating and after touching public things
• Using hand sanitizer when there is no access to tap water
• Not sharing food and drinks with people coughing or sneezing
• Not sharing your personal belongings with anyone else

People suffering from the disease can also help in containing the disease by taking care of their hygiene and limiting their contact with others.

Otherwise, an infected individual can also wear a mask to prevent the spread of the bacteria through droplets.

Besides the above topics, right below we have some questions related to strep throat that would be informative for you.

FAQs

These are some of the most commonly asked questions about strep throat and its signs and symptoms in adults.

#1. Can strep throat go away on its own?

Strep throat usually goes away within 3 to 7 days without any treatment, but complete treatment with antibiotics is important to curb the infection.

#2. How do I check myself for strep throat?

Some of the common symptoms you can look out for without medical assistance are:

• Sore throat with white spots on tonsil
• Fever with chills
• Body ache
• Loss of appetite

#3. Is strep throat a symptom of COVID?

Yes, strep throat is a shared symptom of many diseases including COVID – 19.

#4. How long is strep contagious for?

Strep can be contagious for two to three weeks in people who don’t take antibiotics. However, you can restrict the spread to two days with antibiotics.

#5. Can you beat strep without antibiotics?

Yes, it can go away within three to seven days without antibiotics.

But this won’t treat the disease completely and you would remain contagious for more than three weeks. The disease can reoccur too.

#6. Can I have strep throat without a fever?

Yes, you can have strep throat even without a fever. The primary symptoms examined for the test of strep throat in this case are:

• Sore throat without coughing
• Swelling of lymph nodes
• White spots on tonsil

#7. Can you have strep throat and not know it?

Many people infected with strep throat are asymptomatic and, hence, don’t know about the bacterial infection.

#8. What kills strep throat?

The most commonly used medication for killing strep throat is penicillin or amoxicillin antibiotics. They work on inhibiting bacterial growth and preventing its reoccurrence.

#9. Do you cough with strep?

There is no cough with strep throat. If you are coughing, it signifies that there is no presence of the bacteria. Rather, you might have a viral infection.

#10. Can strep last for months?

Strep throat usually goes away within 3 to 7 days, but it can reoccur if you don’t take the complete course of antibiotics as without antibiotics the bacteria are not killed but just suppressed.

The Takeaway

Strep throat can go away within three to seven days without the use of antibiotics. However, not taking antibiotics can keep you contagious for more than three weeks.

Also, when left untreated, the condition can give rise to severe complications like rheumatoid fever and further spread to cause:

• Ear infection
• Sinusitis
• Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis
• Scarlet fever
• Guttate psoriasis

Once you get strep throat, change your bedsheets and handkerchiefs along with other personal care items you may have used during the infection to new ones for preventing recurrence of the disease.

Ever had to endure an episode of strep throat? What helped you or do you have any more tips apart from the ones we mentioned above? Share your thoughts in the comments box down below.