Group A streptococcus is the bacteria that is responsible for strep throat. Symptoms of group A streptococcus include sore throat, pus pockets on your tonsils, headache, muscle pain, and painful swallowing. Other symptoms can include red spots in your throat, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, and rash. If you develop strep throat symptoms, visit an urgent care clinic, where you can expect the staff to carry out the following interventions. 

Throat Culture Strep Test

To confirm a strep throat diagnosis, you will be given a throat culture. For this test, the healthcare provider will use a long swab and brush it along the back of your throat and tonsils. The throat culture may be somewhat uncomfortable and it may even cause brief gagging. You will most likely be given a rapid strep test which can provide the results in a matter of minutes.

If the urgent care clinic physician needs more information to determine which strain of strep is present in your throat, they may take a different type of throat culture that needs to be sent off to a lab. This type of culture can take days before the results are in, however, it may be more accurate than the quick strep culture.

Antibiotics And Symptom Relief Interventions

Since group A streptococcus infections are bacterial in nature, the doctor will write you a prescription for antibiotics. They may also remind you of the importance of completing your entire prescription. The physician may also suggest taking probiotics or eating yogurt during your antibiotic treatment. This is to help repopulate your gastrointestinal system with "friendly" bacteria. Antibiotics can wipe out both "bad" bacteria and "good" bacteria.

When the good bacteria are eliminated as a result of antibiotic therapy, you may experience abdominal pain and diarrhea. Probiotics greatly decrease the risk of gastrointestinal disturbances caused by antibiotics.

The urgent care clinic doctor may also recommend gargling with salt water to ease your throat pain and decrease pharyngeal inflammation. Salt water has antibacterial properties which can promote healing. Before the staff discharges you, you may receive an instruction sheet telling you what to do if you develop a high fever or if your throat closes up. 

If you have a severe sore throat and other symptoms of a group A streptococcus infection, visit an urgent care center. When treatment for strep throat is implemented quickly, you may recover faster and may be less likely to develop strep-related complications such as rheumatic fever or heart valve damage. 

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