WestsideMed, an Atlanta, Georgia, urgent care, recently advertised its various services, including strep throat testing in Atlanta.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES, September 6, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Noted urgent care, WestsideMed, knows how to serve the Atlanta area. WestsideMed offers many primary and lab services along with urgent care services.

In a recent article on its blog, medical professionals at WestsideMed describe strep throat and the subsequent strep throat testing process.

“Strep throat, or streptococcal pharyngitis, is a bacterial infection that causes painful sore throat symptoms. The bacteria affect the throat and tonsils,” states WestsideMed’s founder, Ariel Esteves. “Children are much more susceptible to strep throat and adults who have regular exposure to children from school and daycare settings.”

And indeed, strep throat is a prevalent ailment amongst children, spreading quickly through the population. According to the CDC, those with strep throat spread it through talking, coughing, and sneezing, passing the infection via droplets.

“That’s why testing at the first signs of strep throat is crucial to the recovery process. And to reduce its spread,” says Esteves.

Strep Throat Testing At WestsideMed

Luckily for people suspecting a strep throat diagnosis, discovering the illness is straightforward.

There are two strep throat tests, the rapid test and the throat culture. The former, as the name suggests, provides quick results. However, like recent COVID-19 rapid tests, they may not always have an entirely accurate result. That’s where the latter test, the throat culture test, comes in handy for medical professionals.

“With throat cultures, doctors take a swab and apply it to infected areas, like the tonsils. Doctors also swab around rashes and other reddened areas on the roof of the mouth and throat,” states Esteves.

“The throat culture is a much more comprehensive test, allowing for a more detailed and definitive result. While rapid strep throat tests are ideal for their simplicity and speed, they may not be enough. Medical professionals send the swab to the laboratory for results.”

And strep throat testing isn’t the only lab service WestsideMed provides its many patients. The urgent care provides blood tests and COVID-19 tests in Atlanta.

Once doctors determine if a patient has strep throat or not, a treatment plan can commence. Such treatment plans consist of antibiotic regimens, namely amoxicillin, and penicillin. These successfully combat the infection and clear symptoms up relatively quickly.

“Other than feeling like their old self, taking antibiotics lowers the chances of spreading the strep bacteria to others. And, of course, antibiotics prevent strep throat from creating further complications like rheumatic fever.”

And indeed, strep throat doesn’t go away on its own. The aforementioned rheumatic fever is a serious medical complication arising from untreated strep throat. Symptoms include tissue inflammation, headaches, fever, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. Additionally, rheumatic fever can, in some cases, lead to further health complications like heart murmurs and enlargement of the heart.

That’s why primary and urgent care providers like WestsideMed take testing and treating the infection so seriously.

“The last thing we want to see is patients develop complications from a detectable, preventable disease,” says Esteves.

And while it may be tempting to see if strep throat runs its course naturally, it’s imperative to test for it if a patient suspects it. “It’s something people can’t put off.”

Effective treatment of diseases and conditions is what makes WestsideMed so unique. By combining primary care and urgent care, along with a diverse team of nurse practitioners, doctors, and specialists, this Atlanta urgent care has what it takes to face nearly any medical hurdle.

This is especially true regarding the WestsideMed approach to chronic care management.

Taking Care Of Chronic Health Conditions With WestsideMed

Along with strep throat testing, the Atlanta urgent care provider offers crucial chronic care management, which focuses on long-term illnesses and medical conditions. These various conditions, like diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, and asthma, often require meticulous health plans.

As such, the Atlanta urgent care offers quality services to help those suffering from these afflictions better manage their day-to-day lives. But it’s more than merely checking in every now and then with a patient.

“Chronic condition management isn't just addressing a health issue and providing medication or advice. It involves developing an in-depth, personalized health care plan that best helps individual patients,” says Esteves.

But chronic care management varies from patient to patient. Some conditions may prove to be more serious than others, and not every patient is the same. WestsideMed recognizes this and adjusts healthcare plans accordingly to reflect this reality.

“With chronic conditions, no one treatment is a cure-all for every patient. As such, medical professionals at WestsideMed take every variable into account when assisting patients.”

Primary And Urgent Care Services In Atlanta With WestsideMed

This blend of primary and urgent care allows WestsideMed patients to check the boxes on nearly all their medical needs in one place. That accessibility, welcoming environment, and staff of experienced specialists and doctors help WestsideMed stand out amongst its peers.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable and welcome when trying to address a medical problem,” says Esteves. “This is a safe place for anyone to address pressing medical needs. Even if a patient doesn’t need to treat a sudden injury, we want to help. We pride ourselves on being LGBTQ+ friendly and offer services to everyone.”

More About WestsideMed

WestsideMed is a primary and urgent care provider in Atlanta, Georgia. Offering numerous services and staffed with talented medical professionals, WestsideMed helps patients, regardless of their medical needs, achieve relief.

Ariel Esteves
WestsideMed
+1 404-692-1050
email us here