Explanation

A throat swab is what it's called when your doctor takes a sample of mucus from the back of your throat and sends it to a laboratory for testing.

You might also hear it called a throat culture test. Culture just means 'grow' - the test shows what type of bacteria you have growing in your throat.

A throat swab is also sometimes called a strep test. 'Strep' is short for Streptococcus, which is the name of a type of bacteria that can grow in your throat. This type causes the most common bacterial throat infection - strep throat.

Why do I need one?

If your doctor thinks you have a throat infection caused by bacteria, he or she will take a throat swab, as the results will be able to say for sure.

Throat infections may lead to more serious infections, like pneumonia, tonsillitis and meningitis, so they must be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible.

What happens before I have it?

Make sure you don't use antiseptic mouthwash the day before you have your throat swab. Antiseptic kills germs, so it could make your swab results negative.

How is it done?

Your doctor or nurse will ask you to put your head back and open your mouth wide. He or she might tell you to say "Aaaaaaaah", and will then rub a sterile cotton swab at the back of your throat to collect mucus.

This only takes a few seconds and then it's done!

Your doctor or nurse will then send the swab to a laboratory for testing.

Will it hurt?

Throat swabs do not hurt at all, but it might make you gag a little when your doctor puts the swab in the back of your throat. This will only last for a few seconds though.

What happens next?

You can go home after the throat swab. Your doctor will get the results back from the laboratory within a couple of days, and will then discuss them with you. If the results are positive, you might need to take antibiotics to get rid of the bad bacteria in your throat.

What if I have any more questions?

If you have any other questions, you can ask your doctor, or chat to other people about throat swabs in the Medikidz forums and virtual world, Mediland.