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Strep Throat
November 14, 2007
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Right now nearly 30 percent of the American population is suffering
from a strep
throat. John Sickels is no stranger to the illness. “I’ve had strep throat three
times and it feels like you have all the bad symptoms of getting sick like stomach
ache, just everything pretty much hurts” says John.
He says his cases of strep throat get worse and worse each time around. “My worst
case was my latest case about a month or two ago. I felt pretty much as bad as I’ve
ever felt. I was trying to sleep and I couldn’t really sleep. My whole body felt
out of proportion”. Physicians agree with John. Symptoms of strep throat are more
severe and diverse than symptoms of a common cold or sore throat.
Dr. Thomas Schiller M.D/ FAAP explains “The classic story for strep throat is to
have a sore throat, fever, and there are extra symptoms
that point to it as well
as, headache, sometimes abdominal pain, sometimes vomit. They can also develop a
rash called scarletina, typically presents in the underwear area first and then
can spread to the rest of the body”.
A throat infected with strep usually looks bright red and prickly.
Physicians say it is important to treat and diagnose the illness because it can quickly spread
to others. Dr. Schiller said “It’s pretty contagious, but it’s not spread through
the air like a lot of people think but it’s through secretion, kissing, people putting
their fingers in their mouths, and nail bitters. That’s how it spreads”.
Although adults do get strep throat it’s most common in children between five and
15 years old. If your child is experiencing symptoms related to strep throat, you
should see a pediatrician as soon as possible.
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