Strep throat is a bacterial infection that causes sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. Chronic cases occur when a person develops several cases a year or is a perpetual carrier of the bacteria. A culture is the best way to diagnose it, and chronic infections may be caused by immune deficiencies. It is difficult to distinguish between bacterial and viral sore throats, and a culture should be taken while the individual is showing no signs to determine if they are a carrier.
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat, and chronic sore throat occurs when a person develops several cases a year or is a perpetual carrier of the bacteria that causes the infection. Chronic cases can occur in children or adults, and while multiple cases of strep throat in a year seem highly unlikely unless a person has a chronic infection, it is possible to have several cases caused by different strains of bacteria.
Atreptococcus bacteria cause strep throat, also known as strep throat or strep tonsillitis. This results in a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and usually a fever. Over a third of sore throats in children are caused by this bacterium. Chronic strep is considered to be when several such episodes occur in a year.
The best way for a doctor to tell if a person has a sore throat is to do a culture. This involves swabbing the throat and/or tonsils and then letting the sample grow in a special container. If the infection grows, the test result is positive. Results are usually ready in a day or two, but there is another test called a rapid strep test that is ready in 10 minutes. This rapid test, however, only has a sensitivity of about 70% compared to a sensitivity of 90-95% for a throat culture.
Some medical professionals suggest that chronic sore throats may be caused by immune deficiencies. One case study involved a child with recurring sore throat who was found to have too little protein in his diet. Once his diet changed, the infection also disappeared. Chronic infections can also be a problem for people with immune deficiency diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Vitamin and mineral supplements can help with symptoms.
Sore throats caused by bacteria and sore throats caused by viruses have similar characteristics and are difficult to distinguish. Most cases of strep throat will be accompanied by a fever, a yellowish coating on the tonsils, and swollen lymph nodes on the front of the neck rather than the back. Also, sore throat caused by viruses is usually accompanied by stuffy or runny nose and other similar symptoms. Rhinovirus, the virus responsible for the common cold, shares similar symptoms with strep but is usually not accompanied by fever.
Because there can be multiple causes for similar symptoms, the best way to determine if a person has a sore throat is to take a culture while the individual is showing no signs. This will allow a healthcare professional to determine if the person is the one in ten or more people who carry the bacteria even when they are otherwise healthy. This would make the case for chronic infection, a full-blown case of which can be triggered by any number of factors.
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