A sore throat can make everyday things like eating, drinking and speaking painful. Most sore throats are caused by viruses and get better by themselves, but some are caused by bacteria and may need treatment.
Knowing what to look out for can help you understand when you may have strep throat and when it’s worth seeking medical advice.
What is strep throat?
Strep throat is an infection of the throat and tonsils caused by a type of bacteria called group A Streptococcus. The tonsils are two small areas of tissue at the back of your throat that help your body fight infection.
The bacteria can spread through tiny droplets when someone coughs or sneezes. You can also pick up strep throat through close contact with an infected person.
Although it’s most common in children and teenagers, adults can get strep throat too.
What are the symptoms of strep throat?
Strep throat often comes on quite suddenly. Symptoms can include:
- A painful sore throat
- Pain when swallowing
- Red or swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches
- A high temperature
- Tender, swollen glands in the neck
- Small red spots on the roof of the mouth
- A headache or feeling generally unwell
- Nausea or vomiting, particularly in children
The same bacteria that cause strep throat can also cause scarlet fever. One of the main signs is a rough rash that feels like sandpaper and often starts on the chest or stomach.
It isn’t always possible to tell strep throat from another throat infection based on symptoms alone. However, a cough, runny nose or hoarse voice is more likely to point to a viral infection.
How is strep throat diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask when your symptoms started and examine your throat and tonsils.
They’ll look for signs that may suggest a bacterial infection, such as:
- A high temperature
- Swollen tonsils
- Pus or white patches
- The absence of a cough or runny nose.
Sometimes, your doctor may take a throat swab by gently wiping a cotton bud over the back of your throat. The sample can then be checked for bacteria, although this test isn’t always needed.
When do antibiotics help?
Antibiotics are medicines used to treat some bacterial infections. They won’t help if your sore throat is caused by a virus.
Even when a sore throat is caused by bacteria, it will often improve within about a week without antibiotics. Antibiotics usually only shorten the illness by a small amount, so they aren’t needed for everyone. Your doctor is more likely to recommend them if:
- Your symptoms strongly suggest a bacterial infection
- You’re very unwell
- You’re more likely to develop complications
- Scarlet fever is suspected
- Your symptoms are getting worse rather than improving
Your doctor may give you a back-up prescription instead of starting antibiotics straight away. This means you’ll only begin taking them if your symptoms don’t start to improve within three to five days or become noticeably worse.
If you’re prescribed antibiotics, follow the instructions and finish the course unless a healthcare professional tells you to stop. Taking antibiotics when they aren’t needed can cause side effects and contribute to antibiotic resistance. This means bacteria become harder to treat because the medicines no longer work as well against them.
When should you seek medical help?
Contact your GP or NHS 111 if your sore throat is so painful that it’s difficult to eat or drink, or if your symptoms haven’t improved after a week.
Call 999 or go to accident and emergency (A&E) if you’re struggling to breathe, have difficulty swallowing your saliva or have swelling inside your mouth or throat.
How can an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist help?
Most people recover from strep throat without needing specialist care, but an ENT specialist can help if your symptoms aren’t settling or throat infections keep coming back.
An ENT specialist can examine your throat and tonsils, ask how often you’re becoming unwell and understand how the infections are affecting your daily life. If the cause is unclear, they may recommend a throat swab or a blood test to check for other infections, such as glandular fever (a viral infection that can also cause a sore throat).
A constant sore throat that’s lasted for up to four to six weeks usually requires specialist input to check if you have laryngopharyngeal reflux disease or throat cancer. These conditions often require a flexible nasoendoscopy (camera examination of the throat) to diagnose.
If you regularly experience severe throat infections, your specialist can also talk you through longer-term options. This may include a tonsillectomy, which is an operation to remove the tonsils, if the infections are frequent and have a significant effect on your daily life.
Get help with recurring throat infections
Throat infections that keep returning can be uncomfortable and disruptive. If you’re finding it difficult to manage them, Mr Wale Olarinde can assess your symptoms, explain what may be causing them and discuss the next steps with you.
Get in touch with ENT Sheffield to arrange a consultation at one of our clinics in Sheffield or Chesterfield.