During the fall and winter months, we tend to see an increase in illness cases. There are many different illnesses that can circulate during this time, which can make it difficult to diagnose exactly what is causing your particular illness symptoms. If you’re feeling sick and have a sore throat, you may have strep throat. Strep throat is a common bacterial infection that causes pain and irritation in the throat among other symptoms such as swollen tonsils. However, a common question regarding strep throat is: can you get strep throat if you don’t have tonsils?
Keep reading to learn more about strep throat including common symptoms of strep throat and why you can still get strep throat even if you don’t have tonsils. If you’re feeling sick and experiencing symptoms of strep throat, AFC Urgent Care Burlington can help. We offer rapid strep throat testing and general illness care 7 days a week on a walk-in basis!
What Is Strep Throat?
Strep throat is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the throat. Strep throat is very common and it tends to spread quickly among children due to how it is spread, however, anyone can catch strep throat. The most common way to catch strep throat is by sharing food or drinks with someone who has strep throat. However, you can also catch it through direct contact with someone who has strep throat or by breathing in airborne particles that are released through sneezes and coughs. Strep throat can cause a variety of intense symptoms and it requires a medical diagnosis and treatment in order to kill off the bacteria that causes the infection.
Does Strep Throat Affect the Tonsils
Strep throat is known to cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms which can be very painful. Strep throat symptoms often only affect the throat, however, it is common to get a fever and feel generally sick when you have strep throat. One common symptom of strep throat is swollen tonsils. However, if you don’t have your tonsils because you had them removed, you can still get strep throat
Symptoms of strep throat can take days to appear after infection, meaning that it can spread quickly from person to person without anyone knowing. It is important to always avoid sharing food and drinks with others in order to reduce the risk of spreading strep throat.
Strep Throat Diagnosis & Treatment
If you are experiencing a sore throat, you may be developing strep throat. However, not every sore throat is caused by strep throat. Sore throats can happen from a variety of illnesses. It is important to understand the common symptoms associated with strep throat so that you know when to seek medical care.
Common strep throat symptoms include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches
- Severe sore throat
- Swollen tonsils
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Tiny red dots on the roof of the mouth
Treatment for strep throat is typically very straightforward. If your medical provider thinks you may have strep throat, they will perform a culture of your throat to check for the presence of any bacteria. If you do have strep throat, most cases clear up within a week with prescription antibiotics.
Walk Into AFC Burlington for Strep Throat Diagnosis & Treatment
If you’re experiencing a severe sore throat, AFC Urgent Care Burlington is here to help. Our clinic has a lab on-site for rapid strep throat testing. Our walk-in clinic offers same-day strep throat diagnosis and treatment to patients of all ages. We are open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm and never require that you schedule an appointment in advance, simply walk into the clinic when it’s convenient for you!
