is-it-strep-throat-or-a-sore-throat-take-this-quiz

Is It Strep Throat Or A Sore Throat? Take This Quiz

July 16, 2019

It can often be difficult to distinguish between a sore throat and the more serious condition known as strep throat without a medical examination and a professional diagnosis. Because strep throat is more severe than a run-of-the-mill cold, it may be necessary for some patients to visit an emergency room in Houston if they’ve left the condition untreated – or to seek 24/7 pediatric care in Houston if the throat condition involves a child.

What Emergency Care in Houston Will Want to Know About Your Symptoms

Although there is absolutely no substitute for a complete medical exam from an emergency room 77007, following are some questions that you can ask yourself – or your child – in preparation for your exam. Knowing the answers ahead of time will help you better prepare for the questions the emergency staff will need to know the answers to.

Five Important Questions to Ask Ahead of Seeking Treatment

  1. What is your age? This matters because strep is far more common in the 3 to 14-year-old bracket.
  2. Are your lymph nodes on the front side of your throat swollen or tender? If so, this is a sign that your body is working hard to fight infection such as strep throat.
  3. Do you have a fever that’s over 100.4 degrees? Although it can be somewhat common to have a slight fever with upper respiratory infections – such as the common cold — a fever of this temperature that lasts for more than a day or two is a strong indicator of strep throat.
  4. Do you have a white film that’s coating your tonsils – or the area around where your tonsils once were if they’ve been removed? This matters because it’s a sign of strep throat more than a sign of the common cold.
  5. Do you have a cough? Surprisingly, medical science indicates that patients are far less likely to have strep throat if they have a cough associated with their symptoms. In other words, a cough is more of a sign of a cold virus than bacterial strep throat.

Most Common Treatment for Strep Throat from Urgent Care in Houston

Every treatment plan will vary depending on each individual patient, but in general, the treatment protocol from Memorial Heights ER will include a prescription for antibiotic treatment to fight the bacterial infection.

How to recognize if it is a sore throat or a strep throat

Let’s take a quick quiz to figure out if it’s just a common sore throat or potentially something more serious like strep throat.

Question 1: How quickly did your symptoms appear?


Explanation: Strep throat often strikes suddenly, while a regular sore throat might develop more slowly.

Question 2: Are you experiencing a fever?


Explanation: Strep throat frequently causes a fever, while a simple sore throat might not.

Question 3: Do you have white patches on your tonsils?


Explanation: White patches on the tonsils could indicate strep throat, not usually seen in a regular sore throat.

Question 4: Are your lymph nodes in the neck swollen and painful?


Explanation: Swollen and painful lymph nodes in the neck can point towards strep throat.

Question 5: Have you noticed nausea or vomiting?


Explanation: Nausea and vomiting might accompany strep throat but are less likely in a regular sore throat.

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