Screening and diagnosis

The doctor will check your tonsils and the back of your throat for signs of infection, such as redness and pus. If your tonsils appear to be infected and you have other signs and symptoms of strep throat, you'll need a throat swab. With this simple test, the doctor rubs a sterile swab over the back of your throat to get a sample of the secretions. It doesn't hurt, but it may cause momentary gagging.

The sample will be checked in the lab for the presence of streptococcal bacteria. Test results are available within minutes to hours, depending on the testing method. If the strep test is positive, you'll need antibiotics to treat the infection.

Complications

Left untreated, tonsillitis can lead to a collection of pus between a tonsil and the soft tissues around it. This is known as an abscess. The abscess may cover a large part of the soft area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft palate). Sometimes the swelling can be so severe that the roof of the mouth and tongue meet, blocking airflow and making swallowing extremely difficult. Rarely, the abscess may spread into the bloodstream or into the neck or chest.
Some strains of streptococcal bacteria that cause tonsillitis can also cause kidney inflammation (nephritis) or rheumatic fever, a serious condition that can affect the heart, joints, nervous system and skin.