How to tell if you have Strep Throat! (Without having to see your physician)

This is Streptococcus

In the latest issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (5 November 2013, volume 159) a group of researchers wondered if regular, non-medical folks would be able to accurately diagnose Strep throat (Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis) on their own. Furthermore, they wondered that if one could diagnose Strep throat accurately (or not) then it would avoid time-consuming office visits.

They set up kiosks at 600 CVS drugstores across the country for 2 years with a simple questionnaire that could be completed in a minute for most patrons. Over 75,000 people used the questionnaire to determine if their sore throat was Strep throat that required a course of penicillin (yes, penicillin is still the best treatment for Strep throat.) There was only one caveat: the rate of predicting Strep throat is based on the relative prevalence of Strep throat in the community. That is, “is there an epidemic of Strep throat in the community?”

The bottom line is that the questionnaire was nearly as effective and sensitive tool at predicting Strep throat as the rapid Strep throat test that is done in your physician’s office.

I’ve found an easy to use tool that you can go to on the internet to find out if you have Strep throat. In order to do this test you will need a couple of tools:

A flashlight
A mirror
A good thermometer (doesn’t have to be rectal)
Your fingers

Step 1: Shine the flashlight in the back of your throat while looking at the back of your throat in the mirror. If you still have your tonsils (they are on either side of the back of your throat and look sort of like wrinkled red grapes) look for white deposits on the back of the throat.

Step 2: Check your temperature. If you are using a thermometer you put in your mouth, make sure to put the tip in the lower back of your tongue (either side) just next to your teeth (just a little pinch ‘tween the tongue and teeth)

Step 3: With your fingers feel the spots on your neck just below the angle of you jaw. Is this area tender? Can you feel an enlarged, rubbery consistency mass? If the answer is yes, then you have enlarged, tender lymph nodes

Step 4: Go to the computer, type in http://www.mdcalc.com/modified-centor-score-for-strep-pharyngitis/ and answer the questions. If you score high enough and the tool says that you probably have Strep throat, call your doctor for a prescription of Penicillin (or erythromycin, doxycycline if you are truly allergic to Penicillin). Save your money and don’t get the Augmentin because Strep does not make beta lactamase. Gargle with listerine or salt water, use tylenol or ibuprofen to help with the pain and soon you will get better.