Overview

Your healthcare provider will do a physical exam and ask you about your symptoms. They’ll usually do a rapid strep test to check for the group A strep bacteria. This test involves swabbing your throat and testing the sample. The test quickly shows if the bacteria is the cause of your illness. However, it can miss up to 30% of strep cases.

If the test comes back negative, your healthcare provider may do a throat culture. A throat culture takes approximately 24 to 48 hours to determine if bacteria grow from the sample. A throat culture sometimes finds infections that the rapid strep test misses.

Alternatively, your provider may give you a rapid molecular strep test to determine if you have strep throat. No culture is required with this test.

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Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.
The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:
  • High blood pressure.
  • Diabetes.
  • Heart failure.
  • Some types of heart valve disease.
Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:
  • Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
  • Don't smoke or use tobacco.
  • Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
  • Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
  • Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Reduce and manage stress.


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