Strep Throat: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention
Infectious DiseasesStreptococcus

What Is Strep Throat?

What Is Strep Throat?
Everyday Health
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Updated on March 21, 2026
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Strep throat is a bacterial infection that can cause a sore, scratchy throat. While strep throat is prevalent in school-age children, it’s not the most common cause of a sore throat.

 Infections caused by a virus are much more likely to be the culprit.
While a sore throat may resolve itself without treatment, it’s important to get tested for strep if you suspect it might be causing your symptoms.

 If strep throat isn’t treated promptly with antibiotics, it can lead to complications, including abscesses near the tonsils, infected lymph nodes, or a serious inflammatory condition called rheumatic fever.

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The Different Types of Strep Bacteria

There’s more than just one type of strep infection — find out what these bacteria can cause.

Types of Strep Infection

The group A Streptococcus bacteria that cause strep throat are responsible for the most common type of streptococcal infection, but groups B, C, and G streptococcal bacteria can also result in illness.

Group B streptococcal bacteria can be found in the vagina or rectum of pregnant women. Although infection is usually harmless in adults, one can be passed on to newborns during delivery and cause a serious illness, known as group B strep disease.

Groups C and G streptococci are not as common as strep A and B. These strains of strep are more likely to live in certain animals, such as horses and cattle. Humans can contract groups C and G strep by drinking raw milk or coming into contact with an infected animal.

Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat

Symptoms of strep throat include the following:

  • Sore throat
  • Red, swollen tonsils
  • White patches in the back of your throat
  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Body aches
  • Skin rash
Many of these symptoms overlap with those of a viral infection. If you have any of these symptoms along with a runny nose or a cough, it’s more likely to be a viral infection, such as a common cold.

 There can also be overlap between symptoms of strep throat and those of COVID-19, which is caused by a type of coronavirus.
When you experience a sore throat due to a cold, it often gets better or goes away after a day or two. With strep, the sore throat persists and is often more severe.

 Bronchitis, a lower respiratory infection caused by cold and flu viruses, can often be accompanied by a sore throat as well.

If you’re not sure what’s causing your symptoms, it’s best to see your doctor for a diagnosis.

Causes and Risk Factors of Strep Throat

Anyone can get strep throat. But you’re more likely to become sick if:

  • You’re between 5 and 15 years old
  • It’s winter or early spring, when large groups of people tend to crowd together in enclosed environments, spreading bacteria
Since strep throat is contagious, you’re much more likely to catch it if you’re in close contact with someone who is infected.

According to Nipunie S. Rajapakse, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, strep infections commonly spread in households with more than one child, as well as in schools and childcare centers.

“Within a household, you may be sharing utensils or drinks,” Dr. Rajapakse notes. “It’s not uncommon that we’ll see two kids from the same family with similar symptoms at the same time.”

While it’s less common for adults to catch strep throat, it’s not impossible — especially if they work in a school or childcare setting.

“We do know that adults that work closely with kids tend to be exposed and get infected more commonly than the general population,” Rajapakse says.

How Is Strep Throat Diagnosed?

If you suspect that you or your child may have strep throat, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.

Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, looking for signs and symptoms of strep throat.

The only way for your doctor to diagnose strep throat is to perform either a rapid antigen test or a throat culture. Both involve rubbing a sterile swab over the back of the throat and tonsils to get a sample of the secretions.

Usually your doctor will perform the rapid antigen test first. This test can detect strep bacteria in minutes by looking for substances (antigens) in the throat.

If the test comes back negative but the doctor still suspects strep, the next step might be a throat culture.

 Some doctors will do both tests at the same time based on local protocols.
Samples collected from the back of the throat are cultured in a laboratory to reveal the presence of bacteria. Results of a throat culture can take as long as two days.

Treatment and Medication Options for Strep Throat

Strep throat is highly treatable with prescription drugs. Over-the-counter medicines and home remedies can help relieve symptoms, but they can’t cure the underlying infection.

Medication Options

Since strep throat is a bacterial infection, it requires antibiotics. Common antibiotics include penicillin (Bicillin L-A) and amoxicillin (Amoxil), which can be taken orally or via injection.

Although symptoms will improve pretty quickly, it’s important to take the full course of medication to completely kill the bacteria and prevent complications.

Along with antibiotics, regular over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil), can help to relieve pain. Sucking on throat lozenges also provides effective temporary relief.

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Home remedies can’t cure strep throat, but they can combat discomfort. Simple solutions, like drinking tea with honey and lemon or gargling with warm salt water, can soothe symptoms and even reduce swelling.

 Cold foods, such as ice pops and ice chips, work to numb pain, too.
You can also use a vaporizer or humidifier, which adds moisture to the air. This calms a dry, painful sore throat and eases congestion.

Prevention of Strep Throat

Strep throat is highly contagious. When people with the infection cough or sneeze, they spread the bacteria through airborne droplets. You can get strep throat by touching surfaces that carry the bacteria, like door handles, and then transferring this bacteria to your eyes, nose, or mouth.

To stay healthy, you should wash your hands and your child’s hands regularly, particularly after coughing or sneezing and before you prepare food or eat. Carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you to kill bacteria when you’re on the go. You should also wash glasses, utensils, and plates after someone who is sick uses them.

If you are sick, taking antibiotics prescribed by your doctor reduces the risk of transmission.

“We know that it takes about 24 hours of antibiotics before you cannot transmit strep anymore, so be especially careful during that period of time,” says Rajapakse. In practice, this means staying home from school, day care, or work until you no longer pose a risk to others.

While you are contagious, remember to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands frequently, and avoid kissing.

How Long Does Strep Throat Last?

With proper treatment, strep throat usually goes away within 10 days.

 Antibiotics typically relieve symptoms in a day or two.

Complications of Strep Throat

While not very common, complications can occur from a strep throat infection. This can happen if the bacteria spread to other parts of the body, causing a so-called invasive infection.

Complications can include:

Untreated strep throat can also cause rheumatic fever, a rare but serious infection that can cause damage to the heart (rheumatic heart disease).

The link between strep infection and rheumatic fever isn’t clear, but it appears that the bacteria trick the immune system. The body’s immune system, which normally targets bacteria, attacks its own tissue instead, particularly tissues of the heart, joints, skin, and central nervous system. This results in inflammation or swelling that can last from a few weeks to several months.

The Takeaway

  • Strep throat is a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus bacteria.
  • It causes a scratchy throat along with fever, swollen lymph nodes, and white patches on the tonsils.
  • It's treated with antibiotics — typically penicillin or amoxicillin — which help clear the infection and reduce the risk of complications.
  • Left untreated, strep can lead to serious complications including rheumatic fever, so prompt treatment is important.

FAQ

What are the different kinds of strep?
Strep throat is caused by group A streptococcal (strep) bacteria. Group A strep bacteria live in the nose and throat and can be easily transmitted to other people. Another type of strep bacteria called group B can be found in the vagina or rectum of pregnant women. Groups C and G strep are found in animals and can be transmitted to humans who drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or are in close contact with an infected animal.
Strep throat has some overlapping symptoms with the common cold, but there are differences. The most common symptoms of strep are a sore throat that comes on suddenly, pain or difficulty swallowing, a fever, and red spots on your tonsils.
Strep throat is highly contagious, especially if left untreated. The bacteria are spread through contact with secretions from an infected person’s throat, likely from a cough or a sneeze. If you have strep throat, you will be contagious until about 24 hours after you start taking antibiotics.
Strep throat is a self-limiting disease, meaning that it can go away spontaneously without treatment. Antibiotics, like penicillin and amoxicillin, are prescribed to kill the bacteria and keep it from spreading to other people. These antibiotics also prevent more serious complications from strep, like rheumatic fever or scarlet fever.
Although strep throat should be treated with antibiotics, there are things you can do at home for relief. If you’re experiencing throat pain and a fever, consider taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol). Hot tea with lemon and honey or ice pops made with fruit juice may also soothe your throat.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Sore Throat. Mayo Clinic. April 12, 2025.
  2. About Strep Throat. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 15, 2026.
  3. Group B Strep and Pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists. April 2025.
  4. Raw Milk Misconceptions and the Danger of Raw Milk Consumption. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. March 5, 2024.
  5. Strep Throat: Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. November 30, 2022.
  6. Strep Throat or Just a Sore Throat? Here's How to Tell the Difference. Cleveland Clinic. October 20, 2025.
  7. How Do You Know if It’s Strep Throat or Sore Throat? UC Davis Health. December 23, 2024.
  8. Chest Cold (Acute Bronchitis) Basics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 17, 2024.
  9. Strep Throat: Diagnosis and Treatment. Mayo Clinic. November 30, 2022.
  10. Strep Throat. Cleveland Clinic. December 20, 2022.
  11. Sore Throat Basics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 17, 2024.
  12. Rheumatic Fever. Mayo Clinic. December 2, 2023.
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Jane Yoon Scott, MD

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Jane Yoon Scott, MD, is an infectious disease physician and an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Scott enjoys connecting with her patients, empowering them to understand and take ownership of their health, and encouraging them to ask questions so that they can make informed and thoughtful decisions.

She graduated with the highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology, then received her MD from the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her internal medicine residency training and chief residency at Temple University Hospital, as well as a fellowship in infectious diseases at Emory University. She is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases.

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