What to do if u have strep

Remedies and Treatments For Strep

Once you're diagnosed, your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics to destroy the bacteria that caused the infection. That usually takes 24 to 48 hours. In the meantime, these home remedies for strep throat can alleviate your symptoms: 

Rest and Sleep

When you're sick, your body needs rest and sleep to fight the infection. Stay home from work, or if your child is sick, keep them home from school. Strep is easily spread and remains contagious until you've taken an antibiotic for 24 hours and no longer have a fever. 

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water and clear fluids to keep your body hydrated. Keep the throat moist to alleviate pain when swallowing. 

Eat Soft and Soothing Food

Soup, applesauce, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, yogurt, or a smoothie are good options. The list is endless, as long as the food is soft and easy to swallow. Cold foods like ice cream or popsicles help soothe your sore throat. Stay away from spicy foods or acidic fruits like oranges. 

Turn on a Humidifier

Breathing moist air can relieve discomfort. Cool-mist humidifiers are best, but be sure to clean them daily to prevent mold and bacteria from building up. A nasal saline spray helps too. 

Gargle With Salt Water

Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt into eight ounces of warm water. Take a sip, lift your head back, and gargle the mixture in your throat to relieve pain. Remind your kids to spit out the water instead of swallowing it. 

Avoid Irritants

Cigarettes, heavy perfumes, and cleaning products can further aggravate your throat and could even make the infection worse. Make sure the air in your home or bedroom is clean. 

Prescription Medications

Strep throat is treated with a course of antibiotics. Your doctor will prescribe penicillin or amoxicillin. If you're allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics will treat strep. 

A course of antibiotics will help decrease your symptoms and the amount of time you're sick. Medication wipes out the bad bacteria that caused the infection so you don't spread it to others and prevent certain complications, like rheumatic fever. 

Remedies for Children

If your child develops a fever and a sore throat, it might be strep. Until you know for sure, follow these steps to avoid spreading the infection: 

• Wash hands
• Try warm salt water gargles 
• Stay home from social activities
• Rest 
• Drink fluids to keep the throat moist 
• Take an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. 

An over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller can alleviate symptoms and reduce your child's fever. Try a medication designed specifically for children, or check the bottle to determine the correct dosage. 

When to See Your Doctor

If you suspect strep throat, call a doctor immediately. Strep is contagious until you've been on antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours. This means you should stay home from work, school, and daycare. 

Your doctor will perform one or two tests to diagnose strep. The first is called a rapid antigen test, and it can detect strep bacteria within minutes. If that test is negative, he or she might perform a throat culture. This involves swabbing the throat, then sending it out to a lab to detect bacteria. 

Strep can be dangerous if left untreated, so call your doctor right away. If strep bacteria spreads to other areas of the body, it can cause complications, including:

Strep throat, caused by bacteria, is one type of sore throat that can be treated. It isn't handled in the same way as sore throats caused by colds and other viruses, so your doctor will likely do what’s called a “rapid strep test” to be sure it's strep

If the test is positive (meaning you or your child has it), they’ll probably recommend:

• Antibiotics to kill the bacteria that’s causing it
• Rest to help you get better faster
• Over-the-counter medicines and home remedies to ease symptoms

Antibiotics

This class of drugs is able to kill the group A Streptococcus bacteria that cause strep throat. They will work only on bacteria. They have no effect on sore throats caused by viruses.

Antibiotics can:

• Relieve a sore throat and other symptoms when they are caused by strep
• Help your child get better faster
• Make it less likely it will be spread to others
• Help prevent complications such as sinus and tonsil infections, and more serious things such as rheumatic fever

Doctors most often prescribe penicillin or amoxicillin (Amoxil) to treat strep throat. They are the top choices because they're safer, inexpensive, and they work well on strep bacteria.

Kids or adults who are allergic to penicillin may be able to take one of these antibiotics instead:

• Azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax, Z-Pak)
• Cephalosporins, including cefixime (Suprax), cefuroxime (Ceftin), and cephalexin (Keflex)
• Clarithromycin (Biaxin)
• Clindamycin (Cleocin)

Your child will take antibiotics by mouth one to three times each day. Sometimes doctors give this medicine as a shot.

Side effects

Antibiotics sometimes cause side effects, such as:

• Stomachache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Appetite loss

Usually these side effects are mild. They should stop once your child finishes the medicine. If they are severe or persist, then call your doctor.

People sometimes have an allergy to antibiotics, though it is rare. Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

• Wheezing
• Trouble breathing
• Rash
• Fast heartbeat
• Dizziness

Call your doctor right away if your child has these symptoms.

How long do I take them?

Most antibiotic treatments for strep throat last about 10 days. Kids usually feel better a day or two after they start them. Once they've been on these drugs for about 24 hours, they're no longer contagious and can go back to school.

Even after kids start to feel better, they should finish all their pills. You can leave some bacteria alive if you stop too soon. If strep is not fully treated, it might lead to complications such as:

• Sinus and tonsil infections
• Rheumatic fever, which can damage the heart, brain, and joints
• Kidney problems

When people stop taking antibiotics too soon, the bacteria that cause strep can become resistant to the medication. That means another case of strep would be much harder to control.

Strep Throat Home Care

Until the antibiotics start to work, these home treatments can help you or your child feel better:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to bring down a fever and ease the sore throat. Don't give aspirin to children and teens. It can cause a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.
• Rest: Stay home from school or work. You need extra rest to help your body fight off the infection.
• Gargling: Rinse with a mixture of a quarter-teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of warm water to relieve a scratchy throat.
• Lozenges and hard candy: Older kids can suck on these to feel better. Avoid giving small pieces of candy to children 4 and younger.
• Lots of fluids: Do this especially if you have a fever. Water and warm liquids such as soup or tea soothe the throat and keep you hydrated. If cold feels better on your throat, suck on a frozen pop or ice chips. Avoid orange juice, lemonade, and other drinks that are high in acid. These can burn your throat.
• Soft foods: Examples include yogurt, applesauce, or frozen yogurt. They're easier to swallow.
• Cool-mist humidifier or saline nasal spray: Moisture can help make your throat feel better.

Steer clear of anything that might bother your throat, like cigarette smoke, paint fumes, or cleaning products.