FIND OUT ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS OF STREP THROAT & ITS TREATMENT OPTIONS

Strep throat is basically a bacterial infection which makes the throat feel scratchy and sore. This infection is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria and can easily spread from one person to another. This bacteria basically lives in the throat and nose and a person can get this infection from another person who is already sick from it or carrying the strep A infection.

If strep throat goes unnoticed and untreated, it could lead to serious complications such as rheumatic fever, inflammation of kidney and more. This infection is most common in young children, but it of course affects people of all age groups. So if you notice any signs and symptoms of strep throat, then it is very important to consult a doctor urgently to avoid any serious complications. And to help you learn about its symptoms, we got you covered through this article.

As you scroll down, you will find out complete details about strep throat infection, such as what are the common and serious symptoms of it, best treatments and home remedies for it and much more. So just continue to read below to check out all the info.

What are the symptoms of strep throat? 

A sore throat is considered to be one of the main signs that a person has strep. Even though cold and other viruses also cause sore throat, strep infection often causes it quickly which is followed by a few other symptoms. So the most common symptoms and signs of strep throat are as follows-

1. Rashes
2. Fever
3. Harsh cough
4. Painful swelling in my throat.
5. Pain in my throat that might come quite quickly.
6. Swollen and red tonsils, even sometimes with a streak of pus and white patches all over.
7. Vomiting or nausea, mainly in children that are young.
8. Small spots in red colour around the back side of the roof of your mouth, which could be hard or soft palate.
9. Tendered and swollen lymph nodes in the neck area.
10. Pain in the body.

The symptoms of strep throat that require immediate attention of doctor

There could be some signs of stereo throat which might prove to be dangerous for you if not treated on time. So if you experience any of the below mentioned symptoms of the strep infection, then consult a doctor on an immediate basis-

1. Heavy swelling and problems in breathing.
2. A long high fever.
3. A sore throat that is accompanied by swollen and tender lymph nodes.
4. A sore throat that is accompanied by rashes around.
5. A sore throat that is lasting longer than 48 hours.
6. And if the strep infection has been diagnosed and there is still lack of improvements even after taking antibiotics for more than 48 hours

Details of the best home remedies for strep throat

In addition to taking antibiotics for treating strep throat, home remedies can also help to get relief from the signs and symptoms of strep throat, and some of the best ones include the following-

1. Drinking liquids that are warm, such as tea or lemon water.
2. Getting enough rest.
3. Turn on a humidifier that contains cool mist.
4. Drink cold liquids so that it can relieve the sore throat.
5. Try to eat foods that are soft, such as applesauce or yoghurt.
6. Take OCD relievers, like acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
7. You can also gargle using a mixture by adding 1 cup of water and 1/4th tbsp of salt.
8. Suck on throat lozenges such as popsicles or ice.
9. More home remedies like apple cider vinegar and honey could also help to get relief.

Treatments for Strep Throat

As this is a bacterial infection, your doctor or expert will typically prescribe you an antibiotic which will treat it. This medication is used to stop the spread of infections and bacteria in the body. There are 8 different antibiotics which are recommended by the CDC to stop its spread and help treat the symptoms of strep throat. These include the following-

1. Amoxicillin, oral
2. Cefadroxil, oral
3. Azithromycin, oral
4. Penicillin, intramuscular or oral
5. Cephalexin, oral
6. Clarithromycin, oral

Amoxicillin and Penicillin are two of the most commonly used or given medications to treat the strep throat. But if you are allergic to any of these, then your doctor might give you another antibiotic, such as azithromycin. 

Also the antibiotic that your doctor will prescribe you depends on a very important factor, which is whether the strep bacteria has become resistant to some specific antibiotics or not.

The CDC also tells that there are some amazing benefits of taking antibiotics to treat it, like-

1. It reduces the symptoms. 
2. It shortens the length of the illness.
3. It prevents you from getting rheumatic fever, which is a severe response to inflammatory immune and some other problems as well, like peritonsillar abscess.

So it is very important to complete the treatment of antibiotics to overcome the infection of strep in your throat. It is observed that some people stop taking them as soon as they notice some improvements, which can actually trigger it back and bring back the symptoms of strep throat. Thus, always take complete medicines to get the most effective results out of it.

What could be the complications from Strep Throat?

If the throat left untreated, the the strep infection could cause some serious complications, which might include-

1. Rheumatic fever, this is also an inflammation disease which affects the skin, heart and joints
2. Meningitis, when inflammation happens in membranes that covers the spinal cord and brain
3. Sinusitis
4. Infection in ear
5. Pneumonia, this happens when the bacteria that has caused strep infection in the throat to pass down the lungs.
6. Bacteraemia, when bacteria basically enters the bloodstream, which is also called blood poisoning
7. Peritonsillar abscess, this is an infection that is filled with pus and develops at the back of the tonsils
8. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which is a potentially fatal but rare infection of bacteria.

Thus, this is complete information on the common and serious symptoms of strep throat, best treatments and home remedies for it and the complications it might bring. So just read out the whole article and stay safe!