6. White patches on the throat and tonsils
One of the hallmark symptoms of strep throat is white patches on the throat and tonsils. The reason for these patches is the bacterium that causes strep. This bacterium can “hang out” on the tonsils and in the throat, and thus cause the development of white patches.
If you have a sore throat that is accompanied by white patches, there is a chance that you could have strep throat. However, there are other conditions that can cause white spots in the throat, such as infectious mononucleosis and oropharyngeal candidiasis. If it is strep throat, the white spots will start to go away once you begin taking medication.