3. Redness of the throat
Though a sore throat and difficulty swallowing are two common signs of strep throat, they are also symptoms that are associated with other throat infections. If you are experiencing these two symptoms and you also have a red throat, it is likely that you do, indeed, have strep throat and not another infection.
With strep, the throat often appears extremely red, including the tonsils. Use a flashlight to examine your throat in the mirror. If you aren’t able to check your throat yourself, ask someone else to examine it for you. Pressing your tongue down with a teaspoon can help to keep it out of the way so that you can get a clear look at your throat.
