To know if you have strep throat, look for these common symptoms:
- Sudden onset of throat pain and soreness
- Pain when swallowing
- Fever
- Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
- Tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth (petechiae)
- Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck
- Headache, nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain (more common in children)
- Red rash on the body (scarlet fever) in some cases
However, these symptoms can overlap with viral infections, so symptoms alone are not enough to confirm strep throat
. The definitive way to know if you have strep throat is to get tested by a healthcare provider. They will swab the back of your throat and perform one of the following tests:
- Rapid strep test: Gives results in about 10-20 minutes and detects group A Streptococcus bacteria. It is quick but can sometimes give false negatives.
- Throat culture: More accurate but takes 1-2 days for results. Used to confirm diagnosis if the rapid test is negative but suspicion remains high
If the test is positive, antibiotics are prescribed to treat the infection, reduce symptoms, and prevent complications. If negative, the cause is likely viral, and antibiotics are not needed
. In summary, if you have symptoms like sudden throat pain, fever, and swollen tonsils, see a healthcare provider for a throat swab test to confirm whether you have strep throat.
