Strep throat can be hard to diagnose.

Strep throat is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus. This bacteria is highly contagious and can be spread through airborne droplets.

It’s got very common symptoms that are associated with other viral infections or even sore throat. Some of its most common symptoms include pain in the throat, difficulty swallowing, experiencing pain when swallowing, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, fever, headache, and nausea, among others.

There are some symptoms of strep throat that are not very common but some people had experienced it. And their experience could have been deadly if it wasn’t diagnosed earlier.

And the disturbing part about this is that these are also experienced by children under the age of seven.

A mom-follower shared her story on the Simply Real Moms Facebook page about what her son went through.

“I wanted to share something with you all that happened to my son in hopes that it will help someone else who may find themselves in our shoes. Last Tuesday, my youngest son woke up with a fever… On Thursday morning, he was looking bad and I noticed weird red marks on his face… By that evening, my son was covered in a splotchy rash. I was hoping in my heart that he just had a fever rash and put him to bed,” the mom shared.

She wanted to warn other moms and parents that rash and red swelling may seem innocent symptoms but could indicate something bigger.

“When he woke up on Friday, the rash and marks on his face were still there and his fever was so hot, it was hard to hold him. I took him into the [doctor] to see what was going on just in case and… they wanted to test him for strep throat. He tested positive for both strep throat and influenza and the [doctor] said that a rash and the facial marks are common symptoms. I had NO idea and… neither does anyone I’ve told over the past few days and so I feel obligated to let other parents know,” she continued.

When she posted this on the page, so many moms related to her and shared their own stories.

Some had children who experienced the same symptoms but affected their blood vessels, hip joints, lungs, and stomach.

Another mom had to share her own story when her son, Luke, was diagnosed with strep throat.

Luke had the flu, which didn’t seem to want to go away. His eyes were already red and swollen and she took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with strep throat.

At first, it looked as if he [cried] really hard, which he did all night from being sick. Then his eyes continued to get worse and started to develop a scaly look… I took him to the doctor and they said they have seen the flu and strep do weird things and marked it off as that. [He] got a little better and then we woke up on day 6 and they looked as if a bee had stung him. I completely freaked and took him to OU [Medical Center],” Candace McMahan, Luke’s mom, shared.

When the doctors performed a CT scan on Luke, they discovered that he had an infection in his sinuses and behind his eyes. They performed surgery on him the next day and were able to clear out the infection.

Thankfully, strep throat can be treated with ten days of antibiotics.

“If you have any redness or swelling in your eyes, take it very [seriously]. Your eyes are close to your brain. I am so grateful the infection didn’t get in his brain,” Candace pleaded to those who read her post.

And most importantly, since strep throat is bacterial, it can be prevented through three important ways.

Wash your hands. Wash them thoroughly whenever you come into contact with the outside world. If soap and water are not accessible at the moment, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.

Cover your mouth. Strep throat is contagious and spread through the air. Make sure to cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Some people may have strep throat but not show any symptoms.

Stop sharing personal items. Avoid sharing glasses, utensils, and other items that will aid in spreading the bacteria. And be sure to wash your items in hot water with soap, just to be sure.

Strep throat is curable but if it is still left undiagnosed and untreated, it could lead to something worse.

Please share with other people that you know, especially the parents, so they can exercise the necessary safety precautions.

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