Strep throat easily spreads with contact from an infected person. It causes the tonsils and throat to swell, but you can still get strep throat without tonsils. Having your tonsils removed can drastically minimize the effects of this infection and can lessen the occurrence of strep throat.
Tonsillectomy is a procedure to remove tonsils. Doctors may recommend this to patients who often get strep throat. It can alleviate the frequency of catching strep throat. But it doesn’t mean that you cannot get strep throat without tonsils.
Causes of strep throat
Strep throat is a bacterial infection that develops due to excessive growth of Streptococcus bacteria. Direct contact with an infected isn’t necessarily needed to get strep throat. It spreads if a patient coughs or sneezes and you’re in the proximity of affected air. Touching the common surfaces, especially in public places, can also spread the infection.
If you have tonsils, that doesn’t equate to having strep throat, and the absence of tonsils doesn’t stop you from catching this infection.
Symptoms of strep throat
Strep throat begins as sore throat, and within 2-3 days, you may experience added symptoms such as:
- inflammation of tonsils that appear red
- red and white patches inside the throat and tonsils
- fever
- painful swallowing
- nausea
- pain in stomach
- headaches
- soreness in the neck due to swollen lymph nodes
Treatment
Bacterial infections like strep throat are treated with antibiotics. A day after the treatment starts, you’ll feel better, but that doesn’t mean you should stop taking the medication. Take the complete antibiotic course to avoid complications. Your doctor will likely recommend you to take antibiotics for 10 days.
Sore throats that occur due to viral infections get better themselves. Antibiotics aren’t effective for viral infections.
Preventing strep throat
Due to its high contagious properties, prevention from strep throat is very important. If you have had your tonsils removed but encounter anyone with strep throat, chances are you may still be affected by an infection. Similarly, if you have strep throat, you may give it to others, so it’s better to observe some isolation or distance from others for a few days until the symptoms subside.
Keeping yourself clean and adopting a healthy hygienic lifestyle is the key to preventing illnesses. Try the following:
- Eat a well-balanced diet.
- Keep your hands clean by frequently washing them
- Don’t touch your face with your hands
- Take plenty of rest
- Exercise regularly
- Wear a mask when visiting someone sick
- Maintain a healthy diet
If you’re down with strep throat, consider working from home until your physician recommends you to work normally. This way, you can avoid spreading the infection to those around you. If you are taking antibiotics and don’t have a fever for at least 24 hours, you can safely meet your loved ones and colleagues.
Contact your doctor
Strep throat can make your days miserable. If you’re looking for a primary care physician in Tomball, Texas, contact Family Diagnostic Clinic at 281-351-6800. Getting rid of tonsils may not fully prevent strep throat but can surely minimize the risk of catching infections.