Strep Throat Incubation Period

Concerned about your sore throat, accompanied by pain? And to top it all, you have red and swollen tonsils. In short, you are in a real bad state. Well, it could be caused by a tiny thing called the Streptococcus pyogenes, a bacterium which causes streptococcal pharyngitis, in simple terms, a strep throat.

It can be really painful, to say the least. What's more, it is contagious too. So, one has to really take care that it does not spread. This ailment affects infants, teenagers, and adults alike.

These infections in infants cause symptoms which are not directly related to the throat. Infants could experience a runny nose, sores, and crusting around the nostril, accompanied by low fever. Another important aspect is the incubation period.

The strep throat incubation period can differ slightly in each case, but generally it is about 3 days. It can also be either 2 days up to 5 days. In some instances, however, it was reported to be as long as 8 days.

It refers to time from when one is exposed to the infection causing bacteria, till when one actually starts getting symptoms. After you start seeing the symptoms, the infection is contagious for a minimum of 24 hours, if you are not on prescribed antibiotics. Here is more on what happens after the bacteria has settled, and is ready to attack your throat!

The symptoms, although they seem to occur out of the blue, are not sudden, as they have been developing during the strep throat incubation period. The symptoms of the infection are as follows.

• Inflamed tonsils
• White spots on the tonsils
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Headache
• High fever
• Malaise, general discomfort, feeling ill or uneasy

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Rash
• Chills
• Ear pain
• Peeling of skin on hands and feet

Although these are the common symptoms, it is not necessary that these will be observed in all cases.

When it comes to strep throat infection, it is necessary to go the doctor, and seek proper medical attention, because firstly, it is contagious, and secondly, (needless to say) it is painful. When you go to the doctor, he or she will prescribe antibiotics.

These antibiotics help as they reduce the contagiousness of the infection, and prevent further complications like rheumatic fever, etc. Apart from the doctor's prescription, over the counter medicines like ibuprofen and paracetamol can also provide relief from throat pain, and subside the fever as well.

If you want to avoid the side effects of antibiotics, or just do not believe in antibiotics, there are always home remedies to help you out. One of the home remedies is to drink lots of fluids (if you are thinking of having chilled coke, well, no way!).

Drink lots of soup broth and liquids having salt, which will replenish your body's water, salt and energy content. Gargling with a mixture of warm water and salt has been proved to relieve sore throat.

Herbal teas containing a substance called licorice can also help sooth the frayed throat. The best home remedy, which most of us would jump at the proposition of, is sleep and loads of it.

Finally, the strep throat incubation period depends on how seriously your pharynx and larynx are affected. Prevention is better than cure, so general cleanliness, and avoiding contact with people who have the infection, is the best way to deal with the infection.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.