JACKSONVILLE, Fla – It has been going around since the weather started getting warm. Strep Throat is highly contagious and can make you feel miserable.
"We see a lot of strep throat here so it is definitely something that goes around very quickly, says Dr. Shalaka Ghate."
Ghate at Memorial Family Medicine says parents need to watch out. It is a miserable condition. Strep throat starts as what some people describe as the worst sore throat of their life. It can come with a fever, stomach ache or rash and those tell tale pus pockets that you can see on the back of the throat.
"It's very infectious so I tell patients to wash your hands for the next 24 hours don't go to work or daycares children need to stay home for 24 hours," says Ghate.
The diagnosis is simple, a simple swap of the back of the throat will confirm whether or not it's Strep. You get the results in just minutes. If you have it the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Dr. Ghate says just like all antibiotics don't stop taking them when you start to feel better.
"If the stop in between there might be the chance that the bacteria didn't get killed and it could actually change into a different strain and that might more difficult what we call the antibiotic resistance can double up and the same antibiotic may not work for you in the future," says Ghate.
Dr. Ghate says you want to make sure that you thoroughly clean your sink and bathroom areas and any other area of the house that could be contaminated. Also, make sure you throw out your toothbrush when you start to feel better.