Distinguish a Sore Throat From Strep Throat Slideshow Natural Cold and Flu Remedies Slideshow Pictures The Common Cold Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Strep Throat Symptoms

In those individuals who develop strep throat, the symptoms usually begin between 1 to 4 days after initially acquiring the infection (incubation period). The sore throat associated with strep throat is usually described as starting rather suddenly, and the tonsils and the back of the throat may appear red and swollen. Swallowing is usually painful, and thus some individuals may have varying degrees of dehydration.

Often times, however, it can be difficult for health care practitioners to diagnose strep throat based on symptoms alone, as strep throat and sore throat due to a viral infection can often have similar overlapping symptoms. However, the presence and absence of certain symptoms can make strep throat more likely. In general, the common signs and symptoms of strep throat typically include the following:

• fever,
  
  
• sore throat,
  
  
• swollen and tender lymph nodes on the sides of the neck (cervical lymphadenopathy), and
  
  
• white or yellow patches on the tonsils or on the back of the throat (tonsillar exudates).

Individuals with strep throat can experience other associated signs and symptoms as well, which may include any of the following:

• headache,

• abdominal (lower stomach) pain,

• nausea and vomiting,

• general discomfort, feeling ill or uneasy,

• loss of appetite,
• small punctate red spots on the soft or hard palate, and/or
• skin rash (scarlet fever).

Generally speaking, though the presence of runny nose, cough, hoarseness, eye redness, muscle aches, ulcers in the mouth, and diarrhea make a viral infection more likely, the possibility of strep throat must still be considered by the health care practitioner. As previously mentioned, strep throat is most common between 5 to 15 years of age, though it can affect individuals of almost any age. Consequently, strep throat can sometimes manifest differently depending on the age of the affected individual, and special considerations must therefore be taken into account.

• Strep throat in infants: Strep throat in this age group is uncommon. Infants may feed less and appear irritable and fussy. A low-grade fever and nasal discharge may be present as well.
  
  
• Strep throat in children: Children will often complain of sore throat and painful swallowing. They also may eat less and complain of abdominal pain.
  
  
• Strep throat in older children and teenagers: Strep throat in this age group can be extremely uncomfortable, with individuals often complaining of a severe sore throat. The fever can be high and they may be ill-appearing.
  
  
• Strep throat in adults: Typically adults have milder symptoms and they may complain only of a mild sore throat. However, more severe symptoms are still possible in adults.