Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUntreated StrepDiagnosisWho Gets StrepAntibioticsManaging SymptomsContagiousnessPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Untreated Strep
Diagnosis
Who Gets Strep
Antibiotics
Managing Symptoms
Contagiousness
Prevention
Without treatment, strep throat usually goes away on its own in four to five days.However, healthcare providers recommend treating strep throat with antibiotics like penicillin and amoxicillin to speed healing, prevent transmission, and reduce the risk of serious complications.
Once you begin taking antibiotics, you should start to feel better in two to three days. You can also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication the help reduce pain and fever.
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Strep
When to See a Healthcare Provider About Strep ThroatBecause there is a risk of serious complications, you should always see a healthcare provider if you think you have strep throat. Symptoms such as a sore throat, enlarged tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, could be red flags.You should also inform a healthcare provider if you’re exposed to someone with strep throat and develop symptoms.
When to See a Healthcare Provider About Strep Throat
Because there is a risk of serious complications, you should always see a healthcare provider if you think you have strep throat. Symptoms such as a sore throat, enlarged tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, could be red flags.You should also inform a healthcare provider if you’re exposed to someone with strep throat and develop symptoms.
Because there is a risk of serious complications, you should always see a healthcare provider if you think you have strep throat. Symptoms such as a sore throat, enlarged tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, could be red flags.
You should also inform a healthcare provider if you’re exposed to someone with strep throat and develop symptoms.
What Happens if Strep Throat Is Untreated?
While your body may be able to fightstrep throatwithout antibiotics, healthcare providers consider it a condition requiringprompt treatment. Untreated strep throat can put you at risk for developing complications, such as:
Treating strep throat withantibioticscan also lessen the duration that a person is contagious and speed up the time it takes to heal.
How Long Does Strep Throat Last?Most of the time, strep throat lasts for only a few days without treatment.Once you take antibiotics, you are less contagious within 24 to 48 hours. If left untreated, you could be contagious for two to three weeks.
How Long Does Strep Throat Last?
Most of the time, strep throat lasts for only a few days without treatment.Once you take antibiotics, you are less contagious within 24 to 48 hours. If left untreated, you could be contagious for two to three weeks.
How Do You Know if You Have Strep Throat?
Besides a sore throat, you may experience otherstrep throat symptoms, including:
Because a sore throat can have other causes, you will need a healthcare provider’s diagnosis before you can receive treatment. Your healthcare provider may recommend a rapid strep test, which involves using a cotton swab to take a sample of the fluids at the back of the throat. This test takes only about five minutes to show the results.
If your test comes back negative, but your provider still suspects strep, the sample can be sent to a lab for a throat culture, which usually yields results within a couple of days.
Is It a Cold or Strep Throat?People with strep throat usually don’t have a cough, stuffy nose, hoarseness, orpink eye(conjunctivitis). These symptoms may be signs of a viral infection, such as thecommon cold.
Is It a Cold or Strep Throat?
People with strep throat usually don’t have a cough, stuffy nose, hoarseness, orpink eye(conjunctivitis). These symptoms may be signs of a viral infection, such as thecommon cold.
Who Gets Strep Throat?
Strep throat is more common in children than in adults, but anyone can get it. About one in 10 adults with a sore throat have strep, while around three in 10 children with a sore throat have strep.Adults with children living at home and teachers who work with younger children are also more likely to get strep throat.
Bacteria like group AStreptococcuscan spread in a few different ways:
It typically takes two to five days for someone exposed to the infection to develop symptoms of strep throat.
Does Strep Throat Require Antibiotics?
Though it is possible to recover on your own without treatment, your healthcare provider will likely recommend a 10-day course of antibiotics.Penicillinandamoxicillinare common choices.Antibiotics can help you recover faster and help reduce your chances of spreading the bacteria to someone else. Antibiotics can also prevent complications like rheumatic fever.
Symptoms should wane two to three days after starting on antibiotics. You should keep taking the medicine even if you begin to feel better. If you stop, harmful bacteria can linger in the throat, and your symptoms may return.
Carriers Don’t Always Need AntibioticsSome people test positive for strep but have no symptoms. These “carriers” usually don’t need antibiotics and are less likely to spread the bacteria.
Carriers Don’t Always Need Antibiotics
Some people test positive for strep but have no symptoms. These “carriers” usually don’t need antibiotics and are less likely to spread the bacteria.
While you’re taking antibiotics, there are a few additional things you can do to help feel better faster:
How Long Is It Contagious?
Strep throat is contagiousuntil you have been taking antibiotics for 24 hours and your fever has resolved. If you have untreated strep throat, however, you can infect others for up to two to three weeks.
Strep With No SymptomsPeople who develop strep throat and don’t have symptoms are still contagious.
Strep With No Symptoms
People who develop strep throat and don’t have symptoms are still contagious.
How to Prevent Strep Throat (and Slow the Spread)
When Can You Return to Work or School After Strep Throat?The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises returning to work or school when you no longer have a fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12–24 hours.
When Can You Return to Work or School After Strep Throat?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises returning to work or school when you no longer have a fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12–24 hours.
Summary
Healthcare providers recommend that most people take antibiotics if they test positive for strep throat. The only exception to this would be carriers of strep who don’t have symptoms.
Though strep throat may go away on its own, not treating the infection can lead to longer healing times, a greater likelihood of spreading strep, and a potentially higher risk of developing complications.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sauve L, Forrester AM, Top KA.Group A streptococcal pharyngitis: A practical guide to diagnosis and treatment.Paediatr Child Health. 2021 ;26(5):319-.Yale Medicine.Strep throat.Mustafa Z, Ghaffari M.Diagnostic methods, clinical guidelines, and antibiotic treatment for group a streptococcal pharyngitis: a narrative review.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:563627. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.563627Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Strep throat: all you need to know.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Strep throat.Nemours KidsHealth.Strep throat.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sauve L, Forrester AM, Top KA.Group A streptococcal pharyngitis: A practical guide to diagnosis and treatment.Paediatr Child Health. 2021 ;26(5):319-.Yale Medicine.Strep throat.Mustafa Z, Ghaffari M.Diagnostic methods, clinical guidelines, and antibiotic treatment for group a streptococcal pharyngitis: a narrative review.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:563627. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.563627Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Strep throat: all you need to know.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Strep throat.Nemours KidsHealth.Strep throat.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Sauve L, Forrester AM, Top KA.Group A streptococcal pharyngitis: A practical guide to diagnosis and treatment.Paediatr Child Health. 2021 ;26(5):319-.Yale Medicine.Strep throat.Mustafa Z, Ghaffari M.Diagnostic methods, clinical guidelines, and antibiotic treatment for group a streptococcal pharyngitis: a narrative review.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:563627. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.563627Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Strep throat: all you need to know.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Strep throat.Nemours KidsHealth.Strep throat.
Sauve L, Forrester AM, Top KA.Group A streptococcal pharyngitis: A practical guide to diagnosis and treatment.Paediatr Child Health. 2021 ;26(5):319-.
Yale Medicine.Strep throat.
Mustafa Z, Ghaffari M.Diagnostic methods, clinical guidelines, and antibiotic treatment for group a streptococcal pharyngitis: a narrative review.Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:563627. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.563627
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Strep throat: all you need to know.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Strep throat.
Nemours KidsHealth.Strep throat.
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