Strep Throat Pictures

Strep Throat Pictures, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

The difference between strep throat and a common sore throat can make a huge difference in terms of the treatment you require. If you are interested in knowing more about your condition before seeking medical treatment, checking out strep throat pictures is a helpful way to decide what actions to take. 

Finding Strep Throat Pictures 

Just like you can get online treatment for strep throat, you can also find strep throat pictures online to help guide your decision to seek medical treatment, or wait for your throat to feel better. 

If you are concerned that your ailment might be strep throat, and want to get a better idea of what that looks like, check out the following strep throat picture.

Image Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health Image Library (PHIL). Image ID#3185. https://phil.cdc.gov/details.aspx?pid=3185

What Is Strep Throat?

Looking at strep throat pictures can help with comparing your symptoms to known cases, but it also helps to understand what strep throat is. 

Unlike a sore throat caused by a viral infection, strep is caused by a bacterial infection--specifically group A Streptococcus bacteria. It can cause soreness and pain in your throat, and in some cases, a rash on your skin. 

What Does Strep Throat Look Like?

Strep throat does look quite a bit different than tonsillitis or a common sore throat, so looking at strep throat pictures and then examining yourself can actually be a good way to determine if you have it or not. 

Some signs of strep throat that you can compare to strep throat pictures: 

• White patches in back of your throat 

• Dark red splotches on tonsils 

• Red patches in the top of your mouth

• Fine rash on your skin 

Keep in mind, self diagnosis is never as reliable as a doctor’s opinion or a lab test, so do not mistake looking at strep throat pictures and comparing your throat as an accurate method to diagnosis. 

What To Do If You Think You Might Have Strep Throat 

If strep throat pictures seem to align with your throat’s condition, it might be the case that you have come down with something more serious than a common sore throat. 

You can speak with a doctor online from the comfort of your own home, and get a professional opinion about your symptoms. PlushCare makes it easy to get advice, get treated, and receive prescriptions if necessary. 

Besides looking at strep throat pictures and discussing symptoms with a healthcare professional, you can have a physician order a rapid test for you, which will be sent to a lab and give you a clear answer about whether or not you have strep.

Can Strep Throat Go Away On Its Own? 

Looking at strep throat pictures is not the same as getting a diagnosis from a healthcare professional. If your symptoms are not going away, it is a good idea to see a doctor and possibly receive antibiotics to help with your infection. 

If you are deciding whether or not you need antibiotics, keep in mind that strep throat typically goes away on its own in about a week. Some benefits to taking antibiotics include: 

• Decreasing your time spent with symptoms 

• Decreasing the amount of time you can spread strep throat

• Decreasing the risk of serious complications

While it may not be necessary to take antibiotics for strep throat, there are benefits such as speeding up recovery time and decreasing the risk to those around you, so make sure to discuss the pros and cons of antibiotics for strep throat. 

What Antibiotics Should I Take for Strep Throat? 

The most common antibiotic used to rid your body of group A Streptococcus bacteria is penicillin, or amoxicillin (Amoxil). 

Keep in mind that you will need a prescription from a doctor for any kind of antibiotic, but you can quickly get diagnosed and prescribed online with PlushCare.  

There are plenty of antibiotics that work against Streptococcus bacteria besides penicillin, which is good news considering some people have an allergy to it. Read up on the best antibiotics for strep throat to have a better understanding before speaking with your doctor. 

Is Strep Throat Contagious?

Strep throat is very contagious, so it is a good idea to quarantine yourself as much as possible until you have seen a doctor and received a diagnosis. 

Once you have been on medication for awhile, and your symptoms have dissipated, you can speak to a doctor, a nurse, or a pharmacist about when it is safe to go back to work, school, or anywhere you are exposed to people outside your immediate household. 

Strep Throat Signs And Symptoms

Besides strep throat pictures, understanding the common signs and symptoms of strep throat can help guide your decisions about seeking treatment and getting on medication. 

Some of the symptoms of strep throat include: 

• Sore throat with redness and patches of white

• Sudden fever (especially above 100?F)

• A rash on your neck and chest

• Headache

• Chills

• Swollen lymph nodes 

The discoloration in your throat, and the rash on your skin are good indicators that you might have strep throat rather than a sore throat–this is why looking at strep throat pictures can be extremely helpful with diagnosing yourself.

What To Do If You Have A Sore Throat 

Sore throats can come from a huge variety of viral infections. Sore throats are usually accompanied by cold symptoms like sneezing, coughing, hoarseness, pink eye, and headaches. 

About 9 out of every 10 sore throats are not caused by strep, so there is a high chance that your throat irritation is a viral infection rather than a bacterial infection like strep. 

Some things you can do to help relieve your sore throat: 

• Get ample rest 

• Use over-the-counter remedies such as cough drops and ibuprofen

• Drink plenty of liquids

• Gargle warm salt water  

• Drink broth or caffeine-free tea 

Strep Throat vs Sore Throat 

Although they might feel the same, and might even look the same after viewing some strep throat pictures, these ailments are very different in fundamental ways. 

Basics of strep throat: 

• Caused by bacteria

• Can be cured with antibiotics

• Sometimes accompanied by a skin rash 

• Can be diagnosed by a simple test

Basics of a sore throat: 

• Caused by a virus 

• Usually accompanied with other cold or flu symptoms 

• Cannot be treated with antibiotics

• Can be relieved with over-the-counter medicine

Both of these throat ailments can go away on their own, and both have some treatments and medicines that work for them. As with most illnesses, quality rest can do wonders for your recovery time as well. 

Online Treatment For Strep Throat

If you have reviewed online strep throat pictures and believe you need strep throat treatment for your symptoms, PlushCare makes it easy to speak to an online doctor, get diagnosed, and get prescribed from the comfort of your own home.

Read More About Strep Throat

• Strep throat medication and treatment

• What to Do If You Have Strep Throat While Pregnant

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Strep Throat. Accessed June 19, 2024 at https://www.cdc.gov/group-a-strep/about/strep-throat.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/diseases-public/strep-throat.html

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public Health Image Library (PHIL). Image ID#3185. Details. Accessed on March 12, 2021 at https://phil.cdc.gov/details.aspx?pid=3185

• Cleveland Clinic. Strep Throat: Symptoms, Treatments. Accessed March 9, 2021 at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4602-strep-throat 

• Mayo Clinic. Strep throat - symptoms and causes. Accessed March 9, 2021 at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/strep-throat/symptoms-causes/syc-20350338