Group A Strep is an infection is running rampant these last few months.
Often times people seem to be fearful of Group A Strep…and I get that! Knowledge brings a sense of grounding so as not to let wild thoughts lead you to fear. So here goes! Let’s chat about what it is, how to look for it, how to test, how to treat and how to support the body post-infection and lastly, what’s scary about it AND what we can do to mitigate risk!
Most commonly, we know strep A bacteria to cause strep throat and less so yet also common non-fatal issues are skin rashes. Examples of these are a perianal rash or impetigo, or a plain open infected wound.
Classic symptoms are sore throat, swollen glands, fever and upon examination, red tonsils with white spots. And we’re talking a reallllly sore throat. Impetigo looks like honey droplets usually around the mouth, yet can be around the nose and less common on the rest of the face. Perianal rash – often it will be red in the area on examination and itchy!
Currently, what is interesting is that we are seeing some very atypical symptoms – ear pain/ache, eye pain/ache, swollen tonsils with no signs of a sore throat, and most often, coinciding with a fever.
Why is this? My short answer is that I’m not sure. My long answer, mostly filled with questions, is as follows. Could this be that we are ‘over testing’ as there are so many viral infections running rampant that come with a low-grade fever, that just will notttttt go away? So that we end up testing AND getting positives because part of the population are strep carriers. So what is actually occurring is that we have a viral picture (presenting in the ear, eyes etc) and then strep shows up? Another question – is there a connection between catching covid and catching strep? Just to be clear – I’m asking a question, I’m not making a statement. You can see my mind is running though. Lastly – are we seeing our systems just fighting so many infections in the last 9 months that we have not been seeing for a while or if at all, and strep is one of them running rampant!…with a twist…
Right now I tend to be a bit more hyper-vigilant (or vigilant lol) when it comes to ruling strep out by getting tested. This is because an untreated strep infection can be an issue (let’s chat about that later).
Testing can be done with a simple throat swab, perianal swab, or skin scrape of a wound. Ask your medical doctor for this. Rapid strep tests (in Calgary) are offered at pharmacies, yet there is a shortage, so the best bet is to head to a walk-in or your GP. Results come back in 48 hours typically.
I don’t like to mess around with strep, and I head straight to the first person who holds up a bottle of antibiotics. Yes, please. Well, I’m partly kidding, not any person, just someone with a prescription pad ;).
In all seriousness, I typically will suggest antibiotics when it’s a new infection. Just as important, I’ll support the body afterwards depending on the severity of the infection, the state of the patient’s immune system, and what treatments have been given at that point so far. This can look like ongoing antibacterial herbal support, supplements to help ‘drain’ lymph nodes and support throat, probiotics and gut healers post antibiotics, and biofilm busters.
Side note: biofilm can form around strep bacteria. This makes it hard for the system to find the strep to kill it. So typically, in a reoccurring strep infection, this is ultimately the most important part of the treatment plan.
Now, above I’ve brought up the question are we over-testing? And therefore are we over-treating? Here’s the thing: The patient comes into my office with nasal/chest congestion/enlarged tonsils/ear pain/eye with fever. I may refer for a throat swab. If positive, then suggest antibiotics. Yet if a patient is coming in consecutive times with strep positive or the same symptoms as above, I would not keep suggesting running for antibiotics. These are the scenarios where I’d question being a carrier and/or viral infections/poor immune functioning and look at how we can support the body otherwise. Does this make sense?
One of the sequela to strep is called rheumatic fever. This is when the bacteria gets deeper into the system and can affect the heart, lungs, and joints and cause inflammation in all areas. Due to the fact that strep can hide so well when we get to this point (rheumatic fever), we may have a more challenging time clearing it. To be clear, it’s doable! Another subsequent health issue I deal with a lot in my practice is pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with strep infections (PANDAS). This is where the strep causes inflammation in the brain, and neurons start firing in a funky way, causing motor tics, OCD-like tendencies, anxiety, and sleep issues, to name a few.
The good news? We can support the body through this too! I think this deserves a whole other writing piece, so stay tuned….
What do we do to mitigate the risk of these deeper issues? We do all the simple things to take care of our kiddos immune health. Gut health is most important as that is the basis of our immune system!
Strep seems smart yet with a good foundation of health, along with support for the immune system, our bodies can be smarter. Smarter? More smart? Ask away with questions!
