Strep Throat : Symptoms, Causes and Home Remedies

Strep throat is a bacterial infection in the throat and the tonsils. The throat gets irritated and inflamed, causing a sudden, severe sore throat. Strep throat is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15, although it can happen in younger children and adults. Children younger than 3 can get strep infections, but these usually don't affect the throat.

Strep throat is most common in the late fall, winter, and early spring. The infection is spread by person-to-person contact with nasal secretions or saliva, often among family or household members.

Strep throat may be very mild, with only a few symptoms, or it may be severe. Often, persons with strep throat get sick 2 to 5 days after they are exposed to the bacteria that causes the illness.

Symptoms usually begin suddenly, and can include:

.Fever that begins suddenly and is often highest on the second day
.Red throat, sometimes with white patches
.Sore throat
.Headache
.Stomach ache
.Nausea
.Chills
.General discomfort, uneasiness or ill feeling
.Loss of appetite and abnormal taste
.Tender, swollen lymph nodes in the neck
.Difficulty swallowing

Strep throat will go away in 3 to 7 days with or without treatment. Doctors usually treat strep throat with antibiotics even though they may not make you well faster. There are also many home remedies that you can make yourself feel better while you are waiting for the strep infection to go away.

. Drink plenty of fluids to help keep your throat moist.

. Drinking warm liquid particularly lemon tea with a dash of honey is an excellent home remedial option.

. Gargle several times a day with warm salt water (1/2 tsp of salt in 1 cup water).

. Drink cold beverages, or suck on popsicles, and ice cream to soothe the throat

. Suck on hard candies or throat lozenges but should not be used in young children because of the choking risk.

. Herbal teas containing ingredients such as licorice may also provide significant pain relief.

. Chamomile tea is one of the best natural remedies for strep throat. Its analgesic properties can provide rapid relief for throat pain.

. Eat foods such as soups, cooked cereals, mashed potatoes, soft fruits, yogurt and soft-cooked eggs as they are easy on a sore throat.

. Use a humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer in your bedroom to help soothe a dry and itchy throat.

. Simmer some basil leaves in hot water. Add some crushed ginger and peppercorn as well as a dash of honey to it and drink the mixture a few times a day.

. Simmer some crushed basil leaves in water and use the brew for gargling.

. Add some powdered cinnamon to water and boil it. Add a spoon of honey and some pepper powder. Drink this mixture.

. Add some fenugreek seeds to water and boil. Strain the water. After the mixture has cooled a bit, use it for gargling a few times a day.

. Heat milk and mix some turmeric to it. Drink this mixture before your bedtime.

. Pour hot water in an inhaler and add eucalyptus oil to it. Put a towel over your head and inhale the steam deeply to relief strep throat.

. Boil some milk with basil leaves, ginger and turmeric. Drink this milk when still warm for relief.

. Add some mashed garlic in your soup. This will soothe your throat.

. Tamarind water can also be used as gargle which could help in lots of other throat problems other then strep throat.

. Gargle with a mixture of two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and water. Do this every hour for faster effect.

. Add a teaspoon of honey to the apple cider vinegar and water and drink it.

. Drink pomegranate juice at regular intervals to help in healing strep throat infection effectively.



~source:remedyluv.com~