How is strep throat diagnosed?
Your caregiver will look at your throat and do a throat culture. A throat culture is done by rubbing a cotton swab against the back of your throat. Your caregiver may do a rapid strep test. This is a test that can be done while you wait. Your caregiver may also put a throat swab in a special tube and send it to the lab. The test results may be ready in 1 to 2 days. If you have strep throat, other family members may need to have a throat culture too.
