Strep throat - How to deal with it?

Eating foods that are easy on the throat helps the infection to heal quickly. Food items such as soups, mashed potatoes, soft-cooked eggs, cereals etc. fit the bill. Refraining from smoking is necessary since smoke can trigger infection such as tonsillitis and increase inflammation of the throat. Additionally, gargling with salt water for several times in a day helps the throat to heal faster. Cold fluid should be strictly avoided as they can aggravate the infection. Plenty of rest is necessary during this period. Talking less is advised to ensure throat gets as much rest as possible.

Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter medication that proves to be extremely helpful when it comes to relieving throat pain. This medication not only suppresses the fever but also relieve body pain that frequently crops up during this condition. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms do not go away within 48 hours after taking the medicine. Children below the age of 3 shouldn t take this medication. A patient recovering from flu or chicken pox should stay away from this medication as well.

Washing hands several times during the day goes a long way in ensuring that the infection goes away quickly. Group A strep bacteria tend to harbour the most in our hands. Hence, it is necessary to keep the hands clean. Furthermore, it should be ensured that hands are thoroughly washed before eating food. It is advised that a hand wash is used instead of a soap for cleaning purposes.

Sharing daily essentials of an already infected person such as toiletries, comb, costume etc. increases the chances of strep throat in a healthy individual. Sharing of food, shaking hands etc should also be restricted during this time. For an infected person, it makes sense to use a hand sanitizer to ensure that the bacteria doesn t spread to a healthy individual.