How Long Does Strep Last (And Why)?

How Long Does Strep Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 3-7 Days

Strep throat is also known as Streptococcal pharyngitis, which is the infection in the back of the throat and tonsils causing extreme pain. This infection is caused due to group A streptococcus (GAS). In many people thus infection can get developed like a sandpaper-like rash in the throat which is very uncomfortable for the person which is known as scarlet fever. The symptom of strep throat may start from the three days of exposure and last for up to seven days.

The symptoms of strep throat are fever, sore throat, and red tonsils, the enlargement of the lymph node in the neck of the person. The other symptoms of strep throat are headache, nausea, and vomiting in some severe cases. Strep throat is caused due to the spread of the infectious water droplets in the atmosphere making the surroundings contaminated with this bacteria. This infection is highly communicable from one infected person to another healthy person.

How Long Does Strep Last

How Long Does Strep Last?

This infection is caused due to the connection with the infected surface or the infected droplets get in connection with the mouth, nose, and eyes. There are many people who are asymptomatic but are the potent carrier of the bacteria. In some cases, these bacteria get spread by the skin of the infected person. The diagnosis of this infection is done through the rapid antigen detection test and another test like throat culture in the person who is at risk of this infection.

The rapid spread of this infection can be stopped or slowed down by washing the hands-on regular basis, and not using other utensils, and things. There is no proper vaccine that has been developed by the scientist to cure this infection completely in one go. The person infected with this bacteria needs to stay away from the healthy person for at least 12 hours after starting the treatment.

In cases of extreme pain, the patients are recommended paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. This strep infection is commonly seen in children for about 15-40% of the population, and in adults for about 5-15% of the population. The main season in which the spread of the infection is rapid is the winter season and spring season. In some rare cases, this infection may include rheumatic fever and peritonsillar abscess.

The fever due to this infection can be more than 38 degrees celsius. The size of the tonsils gets increased, increase in the cervical lymph nodes of the neck which is literally very painful.

Condition Duration
Exposure1-2 Days
Recovery3-7 Days

Why Does Strep Last That Long?

There are many other symptoms related to strep throat like headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, abdominal pain, palatal petechiae, and scarlatiniform rash on the tongue. These symptoms are rare in some patients which makes the case very serious. These symptoms last for at least seven to ten days after exposure to the bacteria after three days. There are some rare symptoms that may occur without any fever like red eyes, hoarseness, runny nose, and sometimes mouth ulcers are also present.

Human beings are considered the natural reservoir of the bacteria for group A Streptococcal, and, any other bacteria like non-group beta-hemolytic streptococci and fusobacterium all these bacterias causes inflammation in the throat. This is mostly spread due to the coming in contact with the infected person, and they are of spread in most in the cools, and the military. The bacteria which are dead are not infectious. The life of this bacteria on the most surface can leave up to fifteen days.

Conclusion

There are many criteria on which the symptoms caused by the bacteria are classified. The classification is like the absence of cough, swollen and tender cervical lymph nodes. The fever can be low from 38 degrees Celcius, swelling in the tonsils. The people who are mainly infected are below the age of 15 years. The treatment of this infection is done by antibiotics to shorten the duration of the illness and give relief from pain within 16 hours of use.

References

  1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0272989×8100100304
  2. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article-abstract/35/2/126/396412
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