Late winter and early spring is a time of looking forward to warmer days. It is also the season for strep throat. Several Southwest Minnesota State University students have already admitted to having strep throat within the last month.

What is strep throat?

“Strep throat is a bacterial infection in the throat and the tonsils. The throat gets irritated and inflamed, causing a sudden, severe sore throat,” states WebMD.com.
Strep is accompanied by painful swallowing, high fever, swollen tonsils and white or yellow spots on the back of a bright red throat.  Stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, and body aches may also be present.

What is not strep throat?

WebMD explains not all sore throats are strep. Sore throats can be caused by a viral infection that can be just as painful as strep throat. If your throat discomfort is paired with cold symptoms such as coughing or a stuffy nose, you probably do not have strep throat.

Strep throat is contagious. After coming in contact with an infected person, symptoms will take 2 to 5 days to appear.

A test can be done to quickly diagnose strep throat. This test can be done at Health Services on campus.

Still look forward to spring, but remember to stay healthy as well. It can save your throat a world of pain.