Will Strep Throat Go Away on Its Own? - Verywell Health
Strep throat is an infection in the throat and tonsils caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. Individuals with strep throat typically complain of a very sore throat, often accompanied by a fever.
While strep throat most commonly affects children between ages 5 and 15, anyone can develop the contagious infection. Strep throat is one of the main reasons people visit the ER.
Without treatment, strep throat usually goes away within a week or so. However, healthcare providers recommend antibiotics to speed healing, prevent transmission, and reduce the risk of serious complications.
This article discusses everything you need to know about strep throat and what happens if you don't seek medical treatment.
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What Happens If Strep Throat Is Left Untreated?
Healthcare providers consider strep throat a condition that requires prompt treatment. If strep throat is not treated, it can increase a person's risk for developing complications, such as:
- Kidney inflammation: Inflamed kidneys can ultimately advance to kidney failure.
- Rheumatic fever: A serious illness that can lead to stroke and permanent heart damage, rheumatic fever most often occurs in children ages 5–15.
- Abscesses: These are infected pockets in the throat.
- Scarlet fever: This is an illness that causes a signature rash that spreads throughout the body.
Treating strep throat with antibiotics can also lessen the duration that a person is contagious and speed up the time it takes to heal.
How Long Does Strep Throat Last?
Most of the time, strep throat lasts about three to five days. Once you take antibiotics, you are less contagious within 24 to 48 hours. If left untreated, you could be contagious for two to three weeks.
How Do You Know If You Have Strep Throat?
Besides a sore throat, you may experience other symptoms with strep throat, including:
- Fever
- Red and swollen tonsils
- White patches or streaks on the tonsils
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Red spots on the roof of the mouth
- Headache
- Chills
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rash
People with strep throat usually don't have a cough, stuffy nose, hoarseness, or pink eye (conjunctivitis). These symptoms may be signs of a viral infection, such as the common cold.
Most Sore Throats Aren't Strep
Most sore throats are due to viruses and not a strep infection. About 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat have strep. Roughly 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep.
What Causes Strep Throat?
Strep throat is caused by exposure to group A Streptococcus bacteria. It spreads quickly from person to person. You can get the infection via direct contact with someone with strep throat.
Bacteria are often spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, talks, or sneezes. Touching a contaminated surface or drinking from a cup after someone with strep drank from it can also transmit the infection. Rarely, group A strep bacteria are spread through foods that aren't handled properly.
It typically takes two to five days for someone exposed to the infection to develop symptoms of strep throat.
Treating Strep Throat
If your healthcare provider suspects you have strep throat, they may recommend a rapid strep test, which involves using a cotton swab to take a sample of the fluids at the back of the throat. This test takes only about five minutes to show the results.
If your test comes back negative, but your provider still suspects strep, the sample can be sent to a lab for a throat culture, which usually yields results within a couple of days.
Treatment for strep throat typically involves taking an antibiotic for 10 days. Penicillin and amoxicillin are common choices.
Symptoms should wane two to three days after starting on antibiotics. You should keep taking the medicine even if you begin to feel better. If you stop, harmful bacteria can linger in the throat, and your symptoms may return.
Carriers Don't Always Need Antibiotics
Some people test positive for strep but have no symptoms. These "carriers" usually don't need antibiotics and are less likely to spread the bacteria.
How Long Is Strep Throat Contagious?
When an individual with strep throat has been taking antibiotics for 24 hours and has no fever, they aren't considered contagious. However, someone with untreated strep throat can infect others for two to three weeks.
Strep With No Symptoms
People who develop strep throat and don't have symptoms are still contagious.
How to Prevent Strep Throat (and Slow the Spread)
You may not be able to prevent strep throat completely, but you can reduce the risk of spreading the infection by:
- Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after coughing or sneezing
- Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze
- Discarding used tissues
- Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren't available
- Washing glasses, utensils, and plates after you use them
When Can You Return to Work or School After Strep Throat?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises returning to work or school when you no longer have a fever AND have taken antibiotics for at least 12–24 hours.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
You should see a healthcare provider if you think you have strep throat. Symptoms, such as a sore throat, enlarged tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, and fever, could be red flags.
You should also inform a healthcare provider if you're exposed to someone with strep throat and develop symptoms.
Summary
Healthcare providers recommend that most people take antibiotics if they test positive for strep throat. The only exception to this would be carriers of strep who don't have symptoms. Though strep throat may go away on its own, not treating the infection can lead to longer healing times, a greater likelihood of spreading strep, and a potentially higher risk of developing complications.
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