As medical director and family medicine physician at OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center PromptCare in Bloomington, Illinois, Dr. Lamont Tyler sees patients with a range of chronic and acute conditions. One acute illness Dr. Lamont Tyler and his colleagues treat is strep throat, which Dr. Tyler has spoken about on his weekly radio show Doc Talk.
Strep throat is most commonly seen in children aged 5 to 15, but adults can also contract the illness, which is spread by touching the droplets emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This infection exhibits many of the same symptoms as other throat infections, including severe throat pain and difficulty swallowing. Strep throat also typically causes a fever of 101 degrees F or higher, swollen tonsils, and small red spots on the hard or soft palate. Skin rashes and vomiting may also occur. The infection is caused by the group A strep bacteria, which means that it can be treated effectively with antibiotics. Diagnosing and treating strep throat properly is vital, as the condition can sometimes lead to complications such as rheumatic fever, which can damage the heart valves. Diagnosing strep throat involves swabbing the back of the throat and testing the sample in a laboratory. Once antibiotic therapy is begun, the patient should feel better within a couple of days, but patients should always finish the entire course of antibiotics to prevent a recurrence of the infection.
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AuthorAs Medical Director of OSF St. Joseph Medical Center’s PromptCare, Dr. Lamont Tyler takes pride in the diverse array of services offered to all individuals on a walk-in basis. Archives
August 2017
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