Each year, millions of patients get strep throat during the late winter season. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control found that nearly 13,000 patients each year experience a case of invasive strep throat that can lead to serious health detriments for patients. Notably, many patients that get strep also don’t take the time to identify their key symptoms and find available treatment options.

Untreated strep throat can lead to a variety of health-related consequences, especially in smaller children. If you have a child that has strep throat or potential symptoms, then make sure you take them to a nearby urgent care center! An urgent care center is a great option for affordable medical care that is faster and less expensive than an emergency room.

So what should patients know about strep symptoms? How can they accurately identify conditions and get the treatment they need?

Common strep throat symptoms

Leading healthcare organizations including the Mayo Clinic have developed a list of guidelines for common strep throat symptoms. Many patients may confuse these with general seasonal illness symptoms, but there are a few symptoms that stand out for strep throat. Whenever you or a family member has several of the following symptoms, it is likely a case of sore throat:

• Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
• Tiny red spots on the area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft or hard palate)
• Swollen, tender lymph nodes in your neck
• Fever
• Headache
• Rash
• Nausea or vomiting, especially in younger children
• Body aches

If you have any combination of the above symptoms, the next step is to visit a medical provider that can accurately diagnose the cause of your symptoms! In most cases, urgent care centers are an ideal provider for patients to visit for their strep throat treatment!

Visit an urgent care center for strep treatment

As we mentioned above, an urgent care center is a great medical option for patients of all ages to get their strep throat treatment! Whenever a patient needs immediate treatment, our team at AFC Urgent Care Fairfield is ready to provide symptom treatment, an accurate diagnosis, and a treatment plan that meets your individual needs.

Urgent care centers have similar capabilities as a hospital  or ER when it comes to non-emergency medical conditions like strep. Technicians can perform x-rays and lab testing that help evaluate the severity of any medical needs you have!