Strep throat is a contagious infection of the pharynx (throat) by the streptococcal bacteria, resulting in pain and inflammation. Symptoms of strep throat are sore throat, pain during swallowing of foods, headache, fever, general ill feeling, appetite loss, ear pain especially when swallowing, tender or swollen red glands in the neck, tonsil swelling, redness, and infection. The infection spreads through saliva and nasal secretions through coughing, sneezing, and touching. Strep throat is caused by person to person contact with an infected individual. Strep throat occurs most commonly in children between the ages of 5 and 15, but it affects people of all ages.
Strep throat if left untreated can cause complications such as tonsillitis, sinusitis, ear infection, fever and rashes, inflammation of kidney and rheumatic fever.
Strep throat can be prevented with proper hygiene. Proper cleaning of hands prevents all kinds of infection. Hence it is important to clean your hands every time it gets dirty and also teach the same to your children. Educate on your children on covering their mouths while coughing or sneezing. Despite take care, if you or your child still gets infected, none should use the same utensils, drinking glasses or share any other common sources of infection transmission.
Doctors will prescribe antibiotics when the condition gets worse, though one still has to take utmost self care.
– Getting plenty of rest and sleep helps to fight body infection.
– By drinking plenty of water the throat is lubricated, moist, eases swallowing and prevents dehydration.
– Eat foods such as soups, cooked cereals, mashed potatoes, soft fruits, yogurt and soft-cooked eggs as they are easy on a sore throat.
– Cold foods such as frozen yoghurts, fruit popsicles are also soothing. It is ideal to avoid spicy and acidic foods.
– Gargling with warm salt water several times a day helps to relieve throat pain.
– A cool mist humidifier will put more moisture in the air, making sticky, dry, irritated throats feel better.
– Saline nasal sprays also help to keep mucous membranes moist.
– Irritants such as smoke, pollution, paint or products with strong odor and smell can irritate the throat, lungs and increase the likelihood of infection.
– Warm soaks will soothe throat pain as well, and reduce inflammation to glands.
– Sage taken in a pill or tincture form will reduce the inflammation in the throat and ear areas.
– Garlic is also effective for speedy recovery and removal of bacteria with its natural antibiotic properties.
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