Online Strep Throat Treatment

Online doctors, as licensed medical providers, can prescribe strep throat medication. You can get antibiotics from a local pharmacy or request home delivery from an online pharmacy.

Strep throat can be very painful, but how much it hurts does not tell you whether it is strep. Strep throat often comes with pain when swallowing, a fever, and a sore throat that starts very quickly, usually without a cough. Talk to a doctor if your sore throat starts suddenly with a fever.

No, ulcers in the mouth or throat are not a typical sign of strep throat. Ulcers, a cough, a runny nose, or a hoarse voice usually point to a viral infection instead.

A headache is a less common strep throat symptom and is more likely in children. It usually eases as your other symptoms get better with antibiotics. Talk to a doctor if you are not feeling better after 48 hours on antibiotics.

Strep throat can get better on its own, but antibiotics are recommended when a test confirms it. Antibiotics shorten how long you are sick, lower the chance of spreading it, and help prevent complications. Warm drinks, salt water gargles, and pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease the pain while you recover.

There is no 3-day antibiotic course recommended for strep throat. Azithromycin (Z-Pak) is taken for 5 days and is mainly used for people who are allergic to penicillin. Most other antibiotics for strep throat are taken for 10 days.

A sore throat does not always mean you have an infection. It can also be caused by allergies, smoking, or secondhand smoke, or by acid reflux.

People who have strep throat symptoms and a positive test need antibiotics. Some people carry strep bacteria in their throat without any symptoms. These strep carriers usually do not need antibiotics, and they are less likely to spread the bacteria to others.

A rapid strep test shows results quickly. If a throat culture is needed, the results take 1 to 2 days. A doctor cannot confirm strep throat by symptoms alone.

You need a doctor’s prescription to obtain antibiotics, usually after undergoing symptom evaluation and a strep throat test to confirm diagnosis.

With Your Doctors Online, you can talk to a board-certified doctor within minutes, 24/7. If a strep test confirms strep throat, your antibiotic can be sent to the pharmacy you choose the same day.

Most people start to feel better within a day or two of starting amoxicillin. If you are not feeling better after 48 hours on antibiotics, talk to a doctor. Keep taking it for the full 10 days, even when your throat feels better.

Strep throat symptoms often get better in about a week, even without antibiotics. But untreated strep throat can lead to complications such as an abscess near the tonsils, rheumatic fever, or a kidney problem, so antibiotics are recommended when a test confirms it.

Strep throat often looks like red and swollen tonsils with white patches or streaks of pus. You may also see tiny red spots on the roof of your mouth and have swollen glands in the front of your neck.

Strep throat can cause stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting, especially in children. Diarrhea is not a typical strep throat symptom, but it is a common side effect of antibiotics.

Starting antibiotics after a positive strep test can help you feel better faster and lower the chance of spreading it to others. While you recover, warm drinks, salt water gargles, ice pops, and pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease the pain.

You can spread strep throat until you have been on antibiotics for a while. Stay home from work or school until you no longer have a fever and have taken antibiotics for at least 12 to 24 hours.

Strep throat is contagious and can spread from person to person, but you can take steps to reduce the risk of infection:

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

• Avoid sharing personal items such as drinking glasses or eating utensils. 

• Ensure dishes are washed thoroughly in hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.

Incorporating these habits into your daily routine can minimize your risk of infection transmission.

Strep throat symptoms usually start 2 to 5 days after you are exposed, and you can’t get rid of the sore throat overnight. With antibiotics, most people start to feel better within a day or two. Take the full course of antibiotics, usually 10 days, even after your throat feels better.

Augmentin is not usually needed for strep throat. Strep bacteria have never been found to resist penicillin, so plain penicillin or amoxicillin is usually the first choice. If you are allergic to penicillin, a doctor may prescribe a different antibiotic.