Caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria, strep throat can cause sudden and intense throat pain, as well as other symptoms. If family or friends get infected, you may wonder whether strep throat is contagious.
“Yes, strep throat is contagious — very contagious,” says Kenneth Watkins, PA-C, who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Express Care. “Though strep throat is most common in school-aged children, it can affect anyone. As a result, it’s not uncommon for an entire family to wind up with strep infections.”
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Signs That Someone Is Infected With Strep Throat
Because strep throat is so contagious, it’s important to recognize the signs of this bacterial infection. This allows you to seek medical attention for yourself or loved ones as soon as possible.
Symptoms of strep throat can be mild or severe, and they typically begin two to five days after exposure. Common symptoms include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Pain when swallowing
- Sore throat that may be red with visible white patches
- Tender, swollen neck glands
In some cases, strep can cause abdominal pain, headaches or nausea or vomiting. It can also result in a loss of appetite or a rash that mimics scarlet fever, which typically starts on the neck and chest.
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How Strep Throat Spreads
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strep throat causes approximately 10% of adult sore throats and 30% of childhood sore throats. It doesn’t always cause a sore throat or other symptoms. In fact, some people have strep without any symptoms at all. This results in them spreading it without even knowing they’re contagious.
“Strep causes a lot of missed work and school every year, particularly in springtime and winter,” Watkins says. “Granted, every sore throat isn’t strep, but it doesn’t take much for the bacteria that cause strep to enter your body.”
Strep often spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and someone else does the following:
- Breathes in droplets containing the bacteria
- Eats or drinks after someone with strep throat
- Touches a surface with strep droplets, then touches their nose or mouth
- If someone with strep has open sores, touching those sores can also lead to infection.
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Steps to Keep Strep out of Your Throat
While strep throat is very contagious, you can take steps to prevent its spread. You can help slow the spread of strep throat by practicing proper hygiene and encouraging your loved ones to do the same.
- Cover your mouth — Feel a cough or sneeze coming on? Protect the people around you. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or cough into your elbow.
- Don’t share food or drink — You may think it’s nice to share, but if someone has strep, you’re sharing more than flavors. Reduce the risk by using your own fork and spoon and keeping drinks to yourself.
- Keep wounds covered — No matter how big or small a wound or sore may be, practice proper wound care. Keep it covered with a bandage until it’s fully healed.
- Stay home — To protect others from strep throat, stay home if you’re infected. When a loved one is ill, do your best to maintain a safe distance.
- Wash your hands — Get your hands wet, lather up with soap and water and wash all parts of your hands, including under your nails and between your fingers. After scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, rinse with clean, running water. Then dry your hands with an air dryer or a clean towel.
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What to Do if You Suspect Strep Throat
Because many illnesses can cause a sore throat, you won’t know if you have strep throat without a proper diagnosis. By visiting your primary care provider or an Express Care clinic, you can determine if your symptoms are caused by strep throat or another condition.
Two tests that detect strep are:
- Rapid strep test. Your healthcare provider swabs the back of your throat and tonsils. Laboratory experts then evaluate the swab for signs of strep throat. Results are ready in 10 or 20 minutes.
- Throat culture. You undergo a throat swab, and your sample then heads to the laboratory for 24 to 48 hours. During that time, a lab technician watches the sample to see if the group A strep bacteria grow in your sample. This test can be helpful when symptoms suggest strep, but the rapid strep test comes back negative.
Once diagnosed, treatment can begin. Without treatment, your strep infection may persist.
“With a viral infection, like the cold or flu, you normally just have to wait it out,” Watkins says. “However, strep isn’t a viral infection. It’s a bacterial infection. As a result, it may require antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or penicillin, to get past it.”
Overcoming symptoms isn’t the only reason to seek care early. Leaving strep throat untreated gives the contagious bacteria time to spread to others. It also allows it to spread to other areas of the body. If this happens, complications may arise, including;
- Ear infections
- Kidney disease
- Pus in the neck or around the tonsils
- Rheumatic fever
- Sinus infection
Overcoming Strep’s Contagious Symptoms
Strep throat usually remains contagious until you’ve taken antibiotics for two days. By then, you should feel like yourself and not have a fever. You’re then free to return to normal life.
In the meantime, you can reduce your symptoms with the following tips:
- Drink hot tea with honey
- Eat bland, unspicy foods
- Gargle saltwater
- Stay out of smoky environments
- Use over-the-counter medication, such as ibuprofen, to reduce fever and pain
“As frustrating and contagious as strep throat is, it’s very treatable,” Watkins says. “With good hygiene, home care and the right antibiotic, you can move past strep throat and prevent it from spreading to others.”
Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones Against Strep Throat
Strep throat is very contagious. If you or a loved one has symptoms, take precautions to prevent spreading it to others.
Strep throat spreads through coughs, sneezes, sharing food or drink and other close contact with an infected person.
Good hygiene can help slow the spread of strep throat, and testing detects the illness early, allowing you to begin treatment and reduce the risk of complications.
Antibiotics are usually necessary to move past strep throat. Home care can help reduce symptoms as you recover.
Already feeling the symptoms of strep throat? Find an Express Care clinic near you to get quality care, right now.