Strep Throat And Pregnancy
Dealing with strep throat and pregnancy at the same time requires a great deal of caution as it can sometimes lead to other complications such as rheumatic fever or even inflamed kidneys.
Keep in mind that many people associate strep throat with children, as it is more likely that a child will develop this condition than an adult. However, anyone is susceptible to developing strep throat, no matter what age.
Many people who are suffering from a sore throat will naturally assume it is strep throat, but the reality is this condition is really quite rare, as a majority of sore throats are caused by viral infections.
How Do You Get Strep Throat?
Strep throat is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria and can be extremely painful, but trying to differentiate between strep throat and a viral throat infection is not always easy. In many cases the pain caused by a viral infection can be just as unpleasant as strep throat.
In general, one way to know if you have a viral throat infection is that you will find yourself sneezing, coughing and routinely blowing your nose. If you have cold symptoms such as this it is likely that you do not have strep throat.
What Are Symptoms Of Strep Throat?
Since it can be quite difficult to know when you have strep throat, you will want to look for some of the following symptoms:
- severe and painful sore throat
- considerable pain when swallowing
- respiration problems
- loss of appetite
- fever over 101°F
- sweating
- swollen lymph nodes in your neck
- pains in your stomach
Strep Throat While Pregnant
Streptococcal bacteria is highly contagious and passed through the sneezing and coughing of others, or even by simply touching something as simple as a computer mouse that has the bacteria on it. This is why it is extremely important to wash your hands thoroughly as often as possible, especially when you are pregnant.
If you suspect that you do in fact have strep throat, you will want to contact your doctor immediately to set up an appointment and be tested. In most cases your doctor will do a simple throat culture using a sterile swab that is rubbed over your throat and tonsils. In general, it takes about 48 hours to get back the results.
Treating Strep Throat
If the test does in fact show that you have strep throat, your doctor may prescribe such antibiotics as penicillin and amoxicillin to help clear up the condition.
There are also some natural solutions to help relieve the pain of strep throat, which includes gargling with salt water, drinking ginger or peppermint tea, or even having a cup of honey water.
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