Throat Infection Disease

A sore throat is an annoyance and a pain. It is also a sign that there could be an infection in the throat that needs to be treated before it gets any worse.

Causes

• Throat infections can be caused by a number of things. Coxsackievirus and mononucleosis bring about viral throat infections. Strep throat is the leading cause of bacterial throat infections.

Features

• Strep throat is most typical in the late fall, winter and early spring. It is spread through contact with mucus and saliva.

Symptoms

• Someone with mononucleosis usually suffers from enlarged tonsils with a whitish-yellow covering. Strep throat can be identified by difficulty swallowing, a sore throat, and a red throat with white patches.

Testing

• A throat swab culture identifies organisms that cause throat infections. A sterile cotton swab is rubbed along the back of the throat near the tonsils to collect bacteria. Strep throat cannot be diagnosed without a throat swab culture.

Treatment

• Once strep throat is diagnosed, antibiotics are prescribed to cure the infection as well as prevent further complications like rheumatic fever. Penicillin and amoxicillin are common antibiotics to treat strep throat.