The human body is said to house at least 500 species of bacteria. While many of these
are helpful and completely necessary for people live, there are still heavy amounts of
infectious bacteria that can make you sick if their population becomes too numerous for
your immune system to keep under control. Infections of the sinuses and throat are the
most common among people, so this article will be geared towards sharing information
about one of the most contagious bacterial infections, strep throat.
What Is the Cause of Strep
The bacteria responsible for strep is in a family called Streptococcus. As you go through
your day, you are likely to touch anywhere from 5 – 15 doorknobs on a constant basis.
These sites are hotbeds for the spread of disease, because nearly everyone must touch
them in order to pass through. Coughing and sneezing can send bacteria several feet to
come in contact with something you touch, and studies have shown that the bacteria
that causes strep can live on a dry surface for anywhere from 3 days to 3 months. That
means that all it takes to possibly catch strep is to come in contact with a surface that a
sick person has touched anytime in the last few weeks.
Symptoms
Strep is most commonly known for infecting children, but adults will often catch it. Once
you have caught it, the incubation period is around 3 days and will be distinguishable by
its primary symptom, the sore throat. One easy way to tell that it’s not a virus, is that
viruses usually will cause a nasal drip of some kind, while strep will not. Other
symptoms include swollen tonsils, white blotches on the throat, high fever, and loss of
appetite. You may also experience rashes on the surface of your skin and nausea. If
you experience any of these symptoms it would be advisable to see a doctor who will
swab and test you for the presence of strep. Testing take a short time and you can find
out within a half hour.
Treatment
The general treatment for strep would be antibiotics, and they normally must be taken
for at least ten days until the prescription is finished. After a day or two of taking the
medication, you will no longer be contagious and can continue your normal schedule if
your symptoms are manageable.