How Long Does Strep Throat Last
How long does strep throat last?
Strep throat is a highly contagious throat disease very different from the usual sore throat. It is much more severe in terms of the side affects caused by it in comparison to a usual sore throat. It is mainly caused by the bacteria named Streptococcal. Strep throat is a common occurrence in children amongst the age group of 5 to 15 years. The children suffering from this are suggested to stay home and avoid interacting with other kids as it’s contagious and could harm the others as well. Doctors also suggest getting as much rest as possible and avoiding any kind of tiresome activity. How long does the child or the patient need to rest? With a good amount of rest and prescribed dose of medicines patient suffering from it can be recovered soon so as much rest possible. There are various symptoms and levels of severity of strep throat that one can notice even before consulting a doctor. Strep throat is different from a more common viral throat infection that can still be left untreated as it is not of a major health concern. The initial symptoms of a patient suffering from a strep throat generally varies from fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck resulting in the redness and a swollen tonsil, which also increases pain while swallowing or during the intake of any food item, headaches, stomach aches, worse symptom will have to be vomiting. The level of symptoms differs sometimes mild to severe if left untreated.
Though to determine as to how long does strep throat last is difficult. It entirely depends on the health and immune system of the patient. As in case a patient with healthy immune system can recover sooner in comparison to someone who is either malnourished or weak. How long does strep throat last in a healthy patient with stronger immune? It lasts about 4-5 days. This is most common in children and as it is considered very contagious, patient suffering with a strep throat is suggested to stay indoors and get adequate rest in order to get well soon. How long does the patient needs to stay indoors? This depends on the recovery symptoms the better the signs are the sooner the recovery is. Apart from considering these facts on an average, strep throat lasts from 7-10 days maximum. How long does it take for the patient to get better with proper treatment? Whether the patient is being treated under the guidance of a doctor or without it strep throat doesn’t last for more than a week. And in case it does consulting a doctor would be helpful.
Doctors mostly suggest the necessary anti-biotic to cure the strep throat and also a few tests to be done to understand the severity of the illness. The most common test prescribed of all being the rapid strep test. And as the name suggests this test is considered accurate and results are instant. How long does it take to the result of a rapid test? The result can be obtained in 2-3 days. Without the help and consultation of a doctor the streptococcal bacteria can stay in the patient’s body for weeks together if left untreated. Usually as it takes 7-10 days to recover from strep throat one thing can help speed up the recovery process is to have as much water as possible and gargling would be an additional benefit. Watching out for the initial symptoms and staying indoors for patients suffering from strep throat will be helpful in terms of recovery and also will make it easier to determine as to how long does strep throat last!