Is there any medically practiced alternative to a throat swab when diagnosing strep throat?

Sorry it seems not. But maybe you could persuade your doctor to just look at the back of your throat before he or she does the throat culture. Ask them if they can diagnose without doing a throat culture. Im sorry i couldnt help more but i know how you feel about throat swabs. I wish they would make an over the counter medication so we didnt have to waste our time coming to the office, the doctor making our throat worse, and then have to pay alot of money for two bottles

The nurse swabs your throat with what appears like a lengthy cotton swab. She takes your throat custom and if it grows, you've strep. The nurses used to ought to chase me around the room at the same time as i develop into little. i'd scream bloody homicide, and a nurse and my mom would ought to carry me down on the table at the same time as yet another nurse did it. Then, I requested if i ought to do it myself with the nurse observing to make positive i did not contaminate it. Ask your nurse if you're able to do it your self- it really is so a lot extra suited!

Nope, you need a culture. Other things can have the same symptoms as strep. The best bet for doing a throat culture is to exhale very slowly while they do it. It helps to control your gag reflex.