When you get a sore throat, besides feeling miserable you may not do anything. However, just to warn you, it may be strep throat, which should not be taken lightly. There are several complications that can arise from untreated strep throat. Some of them include coronary heart disease, rheumatic fever and kidney problems.
Thanks to the invention of antibiotics, strep throat is no longer fatal as it was decades ago. Antibiotics allow strep throat to be treated so that complications do not arise. But many people fear use of antibiotics. Untreated strep throat can lead to scarlet fever or tonsillitis.
Many people who do not treat strep throat risk ear infections, sinusitis, mastoiditis (infection of the mastoid process, a part of the skull behind the ear, glomerulonephritis (infection of the blood vessels in the kidneys) and peritonsillar abscess (collection of pus near Egypt along the tonsils).
Remember, strep throat is contagious and if someone in the family has it, the chances of other family members getting the infection are very high. Strep throat is spread through close contact, sneezing and coughing.
You certainly will not be happy with a strep throat considering that you will be suffering from swollen lymph nodes, swollen and painful tonsil, cough and fever. Strep throat is often mistaken for a sore throat but you should leave the diagnosis to a qualified doctor. Rather than bear the discomfort and risk complications, it is best to visit a doctor and get proper treatment for this bacterial infection.