Strep throat or laryngitis is a disorder that can cause pain and itching in the throat that becomes more pronounced when swallowing. The most common cause of strep throat is a viral infection, such as a cold or flu.
A person who has a strep throat due to a virus can recover on their own without any specific treatment.
A person can also experience a strep throat caused by bacteria, also known as strep throat. This disorder requires treatment with antibiotics to prevent more severe disorders and even complications.
Other less common causes of strep throats may also require more complex treatment. The following is a complete explanation of strep throat starting from the risks, symptoms, causes and treatment which the Herbal Medicine Indonesia team has summarized for you.
List of contents:
Risk Factors for Strep throat
Everyone can experience a strep throat without exception. What makes the difference is the risk factors so that they are more susceptible to experiencing this disorder.
Daily habits can also increase the risk of this disorder.
Here are some risk factors for strep throats that you need to know:
- Age. Children between the ages of 3 and 15 years are more susceptible to strep throats due to bacterial infections.
- Exposure to cigarette smoke. Someone who has a smoking habit or is often close to someone, so being exposed to cigarette smoke can irritate the throat and cause discomfort.
- Seasonal allergies or ongoing allergic reactions to dust or pet dander make a strep throat more likely.
- Susceptible to exposure to chemical irritants, such as combustion fumes from fuel or household chemicals.
- Having a weak immune system, such as in someone with HIV/AIDS or even diabetes.
Strep Throat Causes
The most common cause of a strep throat is a viral infection, the same thing that causes a cold.
Several viral diseases can also cause pain in the throat, including the chickenpox virus, influenza virus, measles virus, and mononucleosis.
Apart from that, several other causes include:
- Allergy to pollen.
- Gastric acid disease (GERD) is caused by stomach acid rising from the stomach to the throat.
- Irritation caused by alcohol and cigarettes.
- Dry air.
- Muscle tension due to screaming for too long.
- Tumor disease that contains cancer in the throat and tongue.
Strep Throat Symptoms
A strep throat can make someone who suffers from it feel painful when swallowing.
This disorder can also cause a dry and itchy feeling in the throat.
Some other symptoms that sufferers can experience are headaches, enlarged glands in the neck, strep throat, and inflammation of the tonsils.
Symptoms of a strep throat that indicate a strep throat include:
- Runny nose;
- Frequent sneezing;
- Often feel nauseous;
- Fever;
- Fatigue;
- Pain in muscles; And
- Cough.
A strep throat can usually heal within 1 week even without taking certain medicines.
However, everyone who experiences this disorder must be alert if the problem that occurs to them does not go away for a long time and is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Finding blood in the saliva;
- Feeling of pain in the ear;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Frequent drooling due to difficulty swallowing;
- Hoarseness for more than two weeks; And
- There is a lump in the neck.
Diagnosis
When carrying out the examination, the doctor will ask about your symptoms and use a special light to examine the back of the throat for redness or swelling.
The doctor will also touch the side of the neck to determine whether the glands in the neck are swollen or not.
If the doctor sees symptoms of a throat problem, usually with a throat culture.
The doctor can use this method by taking a sample to confirm the presence of a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the throat.
With a rapid strep test, doctors are able to get results in a matter of minutes.
To confirm the diagnosis, a sample will be sent to a lab for testing. This laboratory test takes one to two days to show inflammation of the throat.
In certain cases, a person may need more tests to find out the cause of the strep throat and need to see an ENT doctor.
Strep throat Treatment
Strep throats that occur due to viral infections usually last five to seven days and do not require medical treatment.
So, here are several methods that you can use to relieve the symptoms that occur:
- Avoid smoking and inhaling cigarette smoke.
- Gargle with salt water.
- Drink lots of water.
- Avoid drinks that are too hot or too cold.
- Creates comfortable air so it doesn’t trigger irritation to the throat.
- Eat warm and soft foods.
Apart from that, you can also relieve pain by taking strep throat medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and other mild pain relievers.
For children, never give aspirin because it has the risk of causing Reye’s syndrome, a rare condition that is potentially life-threatening in children with swelling of the liver and brain.
Strep Throat Prevention
Prevention is important for you to do rather than treat it after being infected.
To find out some effective ways to prevent it, read the following review:
- Avoid cigarette smoke and smoking habits.
- Avoid sources of allergies that trigger strep throats.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Use a humidifier to remove dry air that can irritate the throat to prevent mold or bacteria from growing.
When Should You See a Doctor?
Immediately take your little one to the doctor if a strep throat appears with symptoms, such as difficulty breathing and difficulty swallowing.
Meanwhile, for adults, see a doctor immediately if your strep throat gets worse, lasts more than a week, and appears with the following symptoms:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- Joint pain
- Fever higher than 38.3 degrees Celsius.
These are some explanations regarding the causes, treatment and symptoms of strep throat, I hope this article helps you.
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