Strep throat is a very common infection in America, affecting between 11,000 and 24,000 people every year. While it is more common among children and adolescents, adults aren’t immune from this treatable infection! In fact, if you do get strep throat, it’s important to visit your doctor soon to avoid other health complications.

Our team at AFC Urgent Care NC provides more helpful information on this common infection below, so read on.

How Sick Will I Be If I Get Strep Throat?

Serious health complications aren’t common with strep, but they can happen if the strep bacteria spreads to other parts of the body.

Some of the most notable complications are ear infections, abscesses around the tonsils, rheumatic fever (an inflammatory disease that affects the joints, heart and skin) and sinusitis. Strep throat is an easy infection to catch, and we’ve listed some common ways people get sick with it below.

Common Ways to Catch Strep Throat

• Breathing in respiratory droplets containing strep bacteria
• Touching something with droplets on it and then touch their mouth or nose
• Drinking from the same glass or eat from the same plate as a sick person
• Touching sores on the skin caused by group A strep

When Should I Go to the Doctor?

Because strep throat can cause other health complications when not treated in a timely manner, it’s important to visit your doctor soon if you experience any of the symptoms that we’ve listed below. In fact, make sure to visit your doctor within 48 hours to stay on the safe side.

If your doctor believes you have strep throat, it’s likely that he or she will perform a rapid strep test to confirm the diagnosis. Strep tests provide reliable results and aren’t usually painful.

Common Strep Throat Symptoms

• A sudden fever, especially if it’s 101˚F or higher
• A sore, red throat with white patches
• A headache
• Chills
• A loss of appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Trouble swallowing

Strep throat is common, but it can become serious if not treated accurately and quickly! If you believe you have strep throat, don’t wait to visit one of our AFC Urgent Care NC centers to get the care you need.