Can virtual doctors diagnose strep throat?
We all know a picture is worth a thousand words, and this applies to virtual care as well. Our patient portal makes it easy to upload an image to help your doctor accurately diagnose common conditions like strep throat, pink eye, poison ivy, rashes, insect bites, and more.
How is strep throat identified?
A rapid strep test involves swabbing the throat and running a test on the swab. The test quickly shows if group A strep is causing the illness. If the test is positive, doctors can prescribe antibiotics. If the test is negative, but a doctor still suspects strep throat, then the doctor can take a throat culture swab.
What media would you use to check for strep throat?
A healthcare practitioner uses a tongue depressor to hold down your tongue and then inserts a swab into your mouth and rubs it against the back of your throat and tonsils. The swab may be used to do a rapid strep test in a doctor’s office or clinic, or it may be sent to a laboratory.
Will doctor on demand treat strep throat?
Strep throat is one of the most common conditions doctors on TelaCare treat. Doctors can help determine if you have strep throat and if treatment is needed, or if a referral to a specialist is required. Our platform has an image upload feature that is extremely helpful for both providers and patients.
What can happen if strep throat is left untreated?
If untreated, strep throat can cause complications, such as kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can lead to painful and inflamed joints, a specific type of rash, or heart valve damage.
Where does strep throat come from and what causes it?
Strep throat is an infection of the throat and tonsils. Bacteria called group A streptococcus, also known as Streptococcus pyogenes. cause it. They live in the nose and throat. You can get the infection from someone who is sick with strep A bacteria or is a carrier of it.
How can a doctor tell if you have strep throat?
RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU… To diagnose strep throat, a physician will perform a physical exam and a throat swab. During the physical, a doctor examines the throat and mouth for signs of infection including redness and swelling. Also, the doctor will check for a fever and feel the lymph nodes, which will be enlarged in the presence of infection.
Do you need a throat culture if you have strep throat?
Culture is important to use in children and teens since they can get rheumatic fever from an untreated strep throat infection. For adults, it is usually not necessary to do a throat culture following a negative rapid strep test. Adults are generally not at risk of getting rheumatic fever following a strep throat infection.
How long does it take for strep throat to spread?
How Long Is Strep Throat Contagious? 1 Overview. Strep throat is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can make your throat very… 2 Strep throat is an infection of the throat and tonsils. 3 Incidence. Strep throat is most common in school-age children. 4 Symptoms. People with strep throat may also develop a rash called scarlet fever.
What are the signs and symptoms of strep throat?
Strep Throat. Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused by group A Streptococcus or “group A strep.” In addition to a sore throat, symptoms can include pain when swallowing, a fever of 101 degrees or above, red and swollen tonsils, tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth, or swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck.
Can a throat culture be used to diagnose strep throat?
However, clinicians cannot use clinical examination to differentiate viral and group A strep pharyngitis in the absence of viral symptoms. Clinicians need to use either a rapid antigen detection test (RADT) or throat culture to confirm group A strep pharyngitis.
What kind of bacteria is in strep throat?
Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria (called “group A strep”).
How does strep throat spread from person to person?
Key Facts. Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria (called “group A strep”). However, viruses — not bacteria — cause most sore throats. Group A strep bacteria spread through contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze.