As we continue to move into the colder months, some of us may start to experience more illness symptoms than usual. One common winter illness is strep throat, which is caused by streptococcal bacteria. Strep throat causes numerous unpleasant symptoms, and make cause you to miss work or school for a number of days because of the contagion period. When you’ve been diagnosed with strep throat, you may be wondering… how long am I contagious for? Continue reading to learn about strep throat and visit FirstCall Medical Center for comprehensive same-day family care today!
What are the symptoms of strep throat?
Strep throat primarily causes an intense sore throat. The symptoms can develop rapidly and leave you feeling unwell for weeks. It’s possible for you to experience many of these these signs and symptoms, but actually not have strep throat. The best way to know whether you have strep throat or not is to receive professional medical care and proper testing.
The common symptoms of strep throat include:
- Sore throat
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Nausea
- Body aches and headaches
- Fever
- Painful swallowing
- Tonsils that are red and swollen
How long is strep throat contagious?
Individuals that have strep throat can be contagious for up to a few days before they start showing symptoms. Before you’re even diagnosed with the illness, you can spread it to others. Once you start to show symptoms, you will continue to be contagious until you receive medical treatment. At FirstCall Medical Center, our team of healthcare providers can prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. After 24 hours of antibiotic treatment, strep throat is typically no longer contagious.
If you or your loved ones show any symptoms of strep throat, consider visiting our urgent care center for diagnosis and treatment. Strep throat will not pass on its own, and can potentially cause complications without proper treatment. At FirstCall Medical Center, we specialize in treating strep throat for patients of all ages. If your strep test comes back positive, we can prescribe antibiotics and discuss health strategies to support your family’s overall wellbeing. You can simply walk-in to the clinic to start recovering from your illness quickly.