We all dread getting the notice home from school: “Your child has been exposed to strep.” So what is strep throat?

To see previous entries, go to our archive.

What is Strep throat

Strep throat or strep pharyngitis is caused mainly by the Group A streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. This is a different type of strep from the one that causes ear infections and pneumonia (i.e. streptococcus pneumoniae). It is fairly contagious -- spread by close contact. The symptoms include:

• High fever, usually 100 to 103 degrees Fahrenheit


• Swollen tonsils


• Sometimes pus on the tonsils

However, if you did not treat the throat, it would actually get better in three to seven days on its own. So why do we really treat strep throat? We treat strep for two reasons:

• To prevent the spread of the infection to other people


• To prevent the more serious complications of strep, such as rheumatic fever (a systemic form of strep infection that can eventually involve the heart) and strep-related kidney problems

Strep throat is easily killed by good old penicillin. If you are allergic to penicillin, there are other options, but for people who are not allergic, it’s best to try it first. Also, because you are trying to kill all the bacteria to prevent the other complications – it’s very important to take the whole course of antibiotics. (That means the whole 10 days!)

About 24 hours after contracting strep throat, your level of contagiousness goes down considerably, so you can get back to doing what you were doing – like go to school! So, just remember, the doctor really isn’t trying to make it hard for you – he or she is just trying to keep you from getting something else that could make you sicker.

Impetigo

How about impetigo? This is a skin infection that is caused by the same streptococcus pyogenes and about half the time, also staphylococcus aureus. It is highly contagious by contact spread. It is most common in young children, aged two to five, but can definitely occur in older children and adults. It can cause a direct infection or also frequently a “super-infection” of a cut or area of injury that is already present.

There is a characteristic yellow or “honey-colored” crust that forms over the infected area. Again, the main reason to treat impetigo is to prevent the spread of infection and other systemic problems. Penicillin is still the best way to treat it.

Be reassured – both of these strep conditions are easily to diagnose and treat. If you have concerns, you should see your doctor to check it out. A word of caution about treatment: even though there is very little antibiotic resistance to penicillin to Group A strep, it’s best to treat only if a diagnosis is fairly certain or confirmed by testing. Resistance is still possible, and there is resistance to other antibiotics (such as azithromycin aka “Zithromax”). Good hygiene is the best protection – so keep washing those hands with soap and water!