Diagnosing and Treating Strep Throat

While strep throat never has an off-season, you’re more likely to catch it during the winter and spring. It can take two to five days to feel ill after exposure, and the symptoms often come on suddenly. While it’s usually a mild illness, the symptoms are painful, and there can be complications if left untreated.

Find out if you’re at risk of strep throat, what to expect if you catch it, and when to visit urgent care for help. With Premier ER & Urgent Care facilities in San Marcos, Temple, Waco, and Woodway, treatment is just a short drive away.

Strep Throat Risk Factors

Anyone can get strep throat after coming into contact with someone with the illness. Still, kids aged 5-15 are most likely to develop this illness. Some adults are at higher risk than others, though. For instance, parents and other adults who are regularly around kids have an increased risk of strep throat.

Kids and adults can reduce the risk by practicing good hygiene. Regular hand washing is the best defense against strep throat and other bacterial illnesses. Also, take special care if someone in your household has strep throat. Ensure your household members cover their mouths when sneezing or coughing and adequately dispose of tissues.

Also, wash all dishes and utensils used by sick family members immediately to reduce the risk of the infection spreading to other people.

Strep Throat Symptoms

You need to be tested for strep throat to get an official diagnosis. Still, there’s a good chance you have strep throat if you have the following symptoms:

• Headache (less common)
• Sore throat that hurts more when swallowing
• Swollen and red tonsils with white patches or streaks
• Small red spots located on the roof of the mouth
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Stomachache (less common)
• Nausea or vomiting (less common)
• Rash (less common)

Strep Throat Diagnosis

You can visit an urgent care facility to get tested for strep throat. The doctor will swab your throat and use a rapid antigen test, molecular PRC test, or throat culture to determine if you have strep throat. Rapid antigen and molecular PCR tests provide results within minutes, so you can start treatment immediately if you test positive.

Strep Throat Treatment at Urgent Care

You might want to ride it out and wait for the strep throat symptoms to disappear, but that’s not always a safe choice. The bacteria can spread, causing sinus infections, neck abscesses, and other complications. By treating it quickly, you can avoid developing a more severe illness.

Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics because strep throat is a bacterial infection. Typically, patients take amoxicillin or penicillin, although other options are available, too. However, antibiotics aren’t needed if you test positive but don’t have symptoms. This means you’re a “carrier” and aren’t likely to develop complications. Also, you’re less likely to spread strep throat to others if you’re asymptomatic.

If you have symptoms, you should start feeling better within 24 hours of starting antibiotics, but make sure you take the entire prescription. You’ll also be less contagious within 24 hours, so your family members won’t be as likely to catch the infection from you.

Fast Strep Throat Treatment

At Premier ER & Urgent Care you no longer have to guess where to go to get the level of care you or your loved ones need. With an ER and urgent care - under one roof, seek care confidently with Premier. Urgent Care is available from 7 AM – 9 PM, seven days a week. ER is open 24/7.

Premier ER & Urgent Care has four convenient locations in Texas-

San Marcos - 1509 N Interstate 35 San Marcos, TX 78666

Temple - 7010 West Adams Avenue Temple, TX 76502

Waco - 221 S Jack Kultgen Expy Waco, TX 76704

Woodway - 9110 Jordan Lane Woodway, TX 76712