Strep Throat Or Sore Throat: What’s The Difference?

It’s that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the leaves are changing, and – ugh, you’ve woken up with a sore throat. But is it just a symptom of that run-of-the-mill cold that’s been going around, or could it be strep throat?

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More than likely, it’s just your average sore throat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only around 10 percent of adults and 30 percent of children who have a sore throat actually have strep throat.

Still, it’s not always easy to tell, especially if you’ve never had strep throat before. So, what actually is the difference between the two?

Sore throat

A regular ol’ sore throat is caused by an infection with one of a whole number of different viruses, including rhinoviruses – which are the most common cause of the common cold – flu viruses, and coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, the pesky blighter behind COVID-19.

Infections like these usually come on more gradually than strep throat, and alongside a sore throat, can be accompanied by a whole host of unpleasant symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and a runny nose. What fun.

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about this kind of sore throat beyond resting, drinking plenty, and taking painkillers if you need them. There’s no cure for the common cold, for example – and as for home remedies, take the advice of the sock onion and snail slime enthusiasts with a pinch of salt.

Strep throat

While one of the symptoms of strep throat might be a sore throat, the cause behind it is much different; while your average sore throat is down to a viral infection, strep throat is a bacterial one that affects your throat and tonsils.

Specifically, it’s caused by Group A Streptococcus, which can often live harmlessly inside the nose and throat. When someone talks, coughs, or sneezes, these bacteria can fly out of the nostrils or mouth within respiratory droplets. If another person breathes the droplets in or touches a surface with them on and then touches their own mouth or nose, then they may become infected, leading to strep throat.

In comparison to a normal sore throat, which gets worse more slowly, strep throat typically comes on fairly rapidly. It also doesn’t come with any other upper respiratory symptoms; the usual signs of strep throat, besides throat pain, are fever, swollen lymph nodes, white patches on the tonsils, and tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth.

It’s also worth noting that strep throat is more common in children than adults – particularly those aged between 5 and 15 years old – but anyone can still get infected, and the likelihood for an adult goes up if they’re often in contact with children, or regularly find themselves in crowded settings.

If someone suspects that they do have strep throat, healthcare providers can take a throat swab and perform one of two tests to determine if Group A strep bacteria are present: a rapid antigen test, which is much quicker, or a throat culture. The latter takes a couple of days to get the results, as it involves sending off the sample to a lab to see if Group A strep bacteria grow.

Should the results come back positive, doctors will typically prescribe a course of antibiotics, which work to kill the strep bacteria or stop them from multiplying. If antibiotics are given, it’s important to take the whole course, and not just stop when feeling better. As tempting as that can be, it can also contribute to antibiotic resistance.

All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.  

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.