Strep+Throat

Name: Alexis Cockrell Date: January 10, 2008 Period: 1-A

Strep throat is an acute, contagious, bacterial infection of the throat that often spreads to

the ears and sinuses and that can seriously damage the heart & kidney. It’s most common

between the ages of 5-15 years old, and also most common in the late Fall, Winter, and

early Spring. It can be spread by many different ways like by saliva, & coughing and

sneezing on or around others. People with strep throat get sick 2-5 days after they have

been exposed. But in some people strep throat is very mild, with only a few of these

symptoms, in others strep throat is severe.

All the main symptoms of strep throat are red

sore throat, severe pain on swallowing, swollen and pusfilled tonsils, enlarged lymph

nodes along the jawline and down the neck, high fever, white patches in the throat,

difficulty swallowing, nausea, loss of appitite, and rashes.

Strep throat can be treated. There is a couple of different types of medicine like

penicillin & erythromycin and antibiotics. There is plenty kinds of strains of strep throat.

Some strains produce toxic that can lead to a scarlet fever rash. Its alternative name is

streptococcal pharyngitis. It is not treated promptly, rheumatic fever can occur.

Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune action in the heart that can cause fever, weakness, and

damage to the vavles in the heart. A throat culture is then needed. Antibiotics are

prescribed to kill the bacteria and to prevent spread of the infection. Rest and fluids help

the body fight the infection off. To prevent or avoid contact with infected people and

disinfect objects that they touched or used. And also wash your hands frequently. Occasionally, within a few days of developing the sore throat an individual may develop a fine, rough, sunburn-like rash over the face and upper body, and have a fever of 101-104 degrees F. This causes the scarlet fever. The rash disappears in about 5 days. One to three weeks later, patches of the skin may peel off, as it might occur when a person has sunburn. But more than likely this will occur on the fingers and the toes. If strep throat isn’t treated it can cause a rheumatic fever, which is a serious Illness, although it may occur rarely. Although the strep throat that causes rheumatic Fever is contagious, rheumatic fever itself isn’t contagious.

Tiffany Fritz

STREP THROAT

Strep throat is an infection caused by group A //streptococcus// bacteria, and it's very common among kids and teens. Strep throat can also occur in the skin, and in blood.The symptoms of strep throat include [|fever], stomach pain, and red, swollen tonsils. Strep throat usually requires treatment with antibiotics. With the proper medical care - along with plenty of rest and fluids. Anybody can get strep throat. The bacteria that cause strep throat tend to hang out in the nose and throat, so normal activities like sneezing, coughing, or shaking hands can easily spread the strep infection from one person to another. The difference between strep throat and a sore throat most episodes of sore throat - which are a runny nose, cough, hoarseness, and red eyes - are caused by viruses. Sore throats usually clear up on their own without requiring medical treatment. The symptoms of Strep Throat are:
 * red and white patches in the throat
 * difficulty swallowing
 * tender or swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck
 * red and enlarged tonsils
 * headache
 * lower stomach pain
 * fever
 * general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
 * loss of appetite and nausea
 * rash

when you go to The doctor will likely do a **rapid strep test** in the office, using a cotton swab to take a sample of the fluids at the back of your child's throat. The test only takes about 5 minutes. but the patient is contagious for several weeks. Lack of treatment or incomplete treatment of strep throat can lead to various complications. Some of them may pose serious health risks. Leaving strep throat untreated could cause serious damage to the heart and the lungs. Young children between the ages 5 and 10 are at the highest risk more then 20% of young school children are carriers. The types of treatment for strep throat are penicillin (orally for 10 days or a single intramuscular injection of penicillin G). Cephalosporin, such as cefazoline, cefuroxime, and ceftriaxone, are recommended for penicillin-allergic patients.