how to know if you have viral or bacterial tonsillitis, i mean, i searched the difference of those two but my symptoms can be found at viral and the other one is in bacterial (aside from their common symptoms?

Question

What is the difference between strep / bacterial tonsillitis and viral tonsillitis?

Answer 1

You do a strep test. The symptoms overlap & many of the nastiest looking throats are viral. Most primary care offices carry simple quick tests where a swab picks up the genetic material in the germ & turns the test positive if strep. It only takes a few minutes.

Answer 2

Symptoms are similar: Meningitis is an infection of the tissues surrounding the brain. Symptoms may include fever, headache, a stiff neck (an inability to touch the chin to the chest) and a rash. Generally bacterial meningitis is more serious than viral. However, intravenous antibiotics and other medications are usually initiated until laboratory results and other tests confirm the cause.

Answer 3

Different germs: Bacterial meningitis is bad and can cause brain damage (with bad outcomes such as deafness, blindness, inability to do everyday activities, . . ., and possibly death). The routine types of viral meningitis usually resolve by themselves, with the patients returning to normal. There are some less common types of viral meningitis that do cause damage. These are reasons why meningitis is so serious.

Answer 4

Similar symptoms: The presentation is similar for both. Most viral meningitis improves without long term issues without medication. Most bacterial meningitis is deadly if not treated promptly and aggressively.

Answer 5

Spinal Tap: The standard for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is the lumbar puncture. In the procedure, a needle is inserted in the lower back to get CSF which is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. That fluid is then tested for infection.

Answer 6

Spinal tap: Clinical appearance often raises the suspicion of meningitis. Confirmation is based on the results of a spinal tap. Fluid is removed from the spinal canal below the end of the spinal cord with a needle & sent to the lab for analysis. Tests can confirm the presence of meningitis & provide material that can be used to identify the germ & best treatment options.

Answer 7

Spinal tap: The best way is examination of the cerebrospinal fluid obtained by a lumbar puncture.

Answer 8

Yes: With antibiotics.

Answer 9

Yes: Most are initially treated with several different antibiotics at high doses until lab data shows which med would do the best job acting alone. Early diagnosis & treatment permit the best outcome. There is a risk of complications in all which very with the type of germ & speed of detection and treatment.

Answer 10

Antibiotics: Usually with high doses of intravenous antibiotics, sometimes accompanied by steroids.

Answer 11

Antibiotics: Most cases if not all are treated with intravenous antibiotics. Because it can be a serious disease the treatment is often lenghty depending on the type of bacteria causing it.

Answer 12

Incomplete killing: Mutations in bacteria that lead to resistance can occur when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics in doses that are not strong enough to kill them. The bacteria then can mutate and develop resistance. A favorite professor of mine would always say "dead bacteria can't develop resistance.".

Answer 13

Antibiotics: Bacteria have a great ability to genetically adapt to their environment. After an exposure to a specific antibiotic, a bacterium can modify its genetic makeup to create particular barrier(s). Overuse of antibiotics, inadequate dosing and incomplete dosing can all contribute to the emergence of resistance.

Answer 14

Group A strep: The classical cause of strep throat.

how to know if you have viral or bacterial tonsillitis, i mean, i searched the difference of those two but my symptoms can be found at viral and the other one is in bacterial (aside from their common symptoms?

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