Strep Throat

By

Skibum1910

If you have strep throat you need an antibiotic. Strep can cause long term problems called glomerular nephritis if left untreated. It is kidney disease and can occur from an untreated Strep infection OR from an infection you didn't even know you had. My husband has it, very serious So please go to the doctor!

By

tennesue

If you don't know that it's strep, I'd gargle with hot heavily salted water every couple of hours, tea is ok, the main benefit is the heat. Take a flashlight and check the back of your throat. If you see white spots on the back of your throat you may have strep, and as many others have said, you need prescription medicine, tell them you need generic if there's a cost factor...generics will be much cheaper, but you need to get it taken care of before it gets worse. With a regular bad sore throat, heat can bring the infection down.

By

HalfWhit

Strep is nothing to mess with, I often start getting a sore throat because my sinuses are draining. I take an antihistamine of some sort, a cold pill that will dry me up. Almost always that takes care of it immediately. Just don't mess with is if it doesn't go away!

By

slee15

I am going to second and third the suggestions about going to the doctor. There is a big difference in an ordinary viral sore throat and strep throat. I'm not sure how you know it is strep if you haven't been to the doctor but if it really is then streptococcus is a bacterial infection that can affect your heart (rheumatic fever ), kidneys, joints, and brain and you need to be on antibiotics as soon as possible. I am an RN in the ER and I can assure you that it is a dangerous bacteria and nothing to play around with. No amount of tea and home remedies is going to cure it. Plus you can spread it to others you come in contact with,

If it is viral then it is usually self limiting and goes away in a few days and anything that makes it feel better is fine. Any soothing liquids are fine or you can use some of the over the counter lozenges like cepacol or chloroseptic which will numb you throat for a few hours. All of those remedies are to make you feel better they cure nothing, so go get a Strep test at your doctor's office before trying to treat yourself.

By

lynjohnson

My daughter kept getting throat infections and going to the doctor was costing a fortune so the next time she gargled with Listerine a couple times a day along with home remedies and it went away on it's own. Hope you feel better!

By

Teresa Kay

If you have strep then you need to go to the doctor and get an antibiotic. Please go soon. Everyone you are around is being exposed to it. Where I work the kids and adults can not come back until we have been on an antibiotic for 24 hours.

By

Poor But Proud

Strep Throat can kill an adult, so let's hope by now you have already gone. As for the drink, keep in mind that most soft drinks contain ascorbic acid and don't help in soothing the irritated skin in your esophagus. Tea of any kind is best. If you are wanting something cold, make iced tea or drink water. Good luck and next time, please go sooner and don't wait for us. We love to help but some things are just too important to wait.

By

Lilac

Strep throat can go to your heart if not treated. Please go.

By

foxrun41

I had a sore throat and went to the doc. They took a swab of my throat and said I had a strep throat. Only why to correct it is a prescription for an antibiotic. So, make an appointment with your doc do determine if that is what you indeed have.

By

mrs.story

I'm just getting over strep. Yuck. I'm sorry you're going through this. I saw appreciable improvement after 3 days on antibiotics (which is what the doctor told me to expect). I found it easiest to sleep in the recliner, rather than the bed. I had been taking naproxen sodium (generic Aleve) for the fever and discomfort, but the doc suggested I change to Ibuprofen. She said it seems to work faster. Nothing helped the pain very much. If I knew I was going to have to take another pill, or if I knew I was going to try to eat, I used some throat spray to try and help, but really it only helped for a very short time. I didn't each much of anything for those three days. Some good friends told me that they sip warm liquids (tea) when they go through something like this, but that hurt too much for me. I sipped on cool liquids. It still hurt, but not as bad.

If you've been on antibiotics for three days, I'm hoping you'll turn the corner soon. Try both warm and cool, and see what works best for you. I got it on my honeymoon, too, and back then I sucked on popsicles. Hang in there!

By

Jilson

Are you on an antibiotic? If not, you need to get to a doctor. You're considered contagious until you have been on an antibiotic for 24 hours if it reallly is strep; and anyone you come in contact with could get sick from you (or take it home with them). Once on an antibiotic, you should start feeling better within a day or so.

Meanwhile, go with whatever feels better; just be sure to drink adequate fluid.

By

redhatterb

Have you had this diagnosed by a doctor? Otherwise I guess I would do whichever feels the best to you.

By

SuzyQ82

I'd go with what feels best to you. I think warm would relax it. I wouldn't go with hot though, I think that would just irritate your throat. A cool gel pack or a warm bed buddy on your throat may help too. Good luck and feel better!

My throat has been sore for days. I cannot swallow without a very sharp pain occurring in the throat. I've been researching strep and I think I may have it.