Home Care in Davis CA: Older Adults and Strep Throat – Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Home Care in Davis CA

July is International Group B Strep Throat Month. Strep throat is a condition that is most commonly found in children, but has also been found in older adults. According to Oxford Journals, elders account for less than 40 percent of group b strep throat cases. Although it is common among children, it can cause serious complications to the health of seniors. The best way to help an aging loved one recognize and treat this illness is to become educated on what symptoms to look for.

Symptoms

If any of the following symptoms are noticed, the elder’s doctor should be contacted as soon as possible.

Coughing
Aching
Sneezing
Difficulty swallowing
Yellow or white spots on the back of the throat
Fever of at least 101 degrees
Swollen lymph nodes
Headache
Swollen tonsils
Severe sore throat
Pain in the stomach
Red rash on the skin
Vomiting
Reduced appetite

Strep throat is an extremely contagious illness that can be spread by simply touching another person or an item that has been touched by someone with strep throat. Even sharing the air with someone with strep throat could cause it to spread to others. If the illness is not detected early enough, the senior May experience severe health complications.

Complications

Since strep throat is usually developed in children, older adults are more likely to get complications with the illness.

Scarlet fever: Scarlet fever usually starts out as a red rash on the chest or stomach and ends up spreading all over the body. The face may also become flush, while the tongue transforms into a bright red color.
Tonsillitis: when strep throat is left untreated, it could lead tonsillitis. This condition causes the lymph nodes to become inflamed, which happens when the tonsils have a difficult time filtering out the strep bacteria. Symptoms to look for include white spots on the tonsils, they become red, the jaw and throat become tender to the touch, headache, and fever.
Post-streptococcal Glomerulonephritis: When the kidneys become inflamed and unable to filter urine, they may have post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The elder may urinate less frequently, blood may be in the urine, the abdomen will begin to swell, and increased swelling in the lower extremities.

Treatment

Antibiotics are usually treated because they can rid the body of the infection very quickly. If you are concerned that your loved one will contract strep throat or other viruses that could compromise their health, a home care provider can be hired to watch over the elder and help monitor their health.