Strep Throat Symptoms In Adults
The most exposed category to the development of strep throat is that of children between 5 and 15 years of age. But a cold or flu can generate it also in adults, in which the treatment seems to be more complicated. The first step in order to treat adults with strep throat is to identify the type of bacteria that generated the infection.
Adults with strep throat usually experience one or more of these symptoms: pain in the throat, low appetite, difficulty to swallow, swollen tonsils with possible pus formation, inflamed ganglions, discomfort, abdominal pain, nausea, fever. The last one is not present in every case of strep throat, although is usually indicated the presence of an infection. A complication of strep throat generated only in adults is pharyngitis, in stead of tonsillitis, present mostly in children.
Strep throat can be successfully treated because it a bacterial infection provoked by group A streptococcus bacteria. It is much more severe in adults over 40 than in children because the immune system of a child is much stronger and fights better any form of viral or bacterial infection than that of an older adult. The cases of strep throats are not only more frequent in children but also easier to treat. The recovery is also quicker in children. In adults, this condition leads to severe complication, unless it is properly treated.
Adults with strep throat need to rest a lot and to take proper care of themselves in order to have a prompt recovery. What makes strep throat more severe in this category of patients is the fact they usually neglect their health, they are under a lot of pressure and have soliciting daily activities.
Many adults are too busy to go see their doctors and try antibiotics for strep throat on their own, at home. This may cause more damages than benefits: inappropriate medication for strep throat usually makes the condition worse. The streptococcal bacteria may develop immunity to certain antibiotics, which will also slow the effects of further medications.
Age decreases the immune system’s ability to fight infections, which makes infections such as strep throat more difficult to tolerate, especially in adults older than 40.
Strep throat must be properly treated in order to prevent its development into a severe condition in adults. As an adult, you should pay more attention to your health; visit your doctor and treat your condition with the prescribed antibiotics. Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy balanced diet and rest because these factors will speed up your recovery.