How to deal with a strep throat?

Ah, the joys of adulthood: paying bills, going to work, and getting stuck with a pesky strep throat – the ultimate adulting experience. If you’re reading this article while clutching your neck with one hand and holding a cup of tea in the other, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered on how to deal with a strep throat like a boss.

What is Strep Throat?

Before we dive into how to handle this bacterial infection that has taken over your life-commitments-by-force (we’ve all been there), let’s take some time to talk about what it actually is.

Strep throat is an infection caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria; it’s highly contagious but treatable (think Regina George from Mean Girls). Symptoms include fever, soreness in the throat, difficulty swallowing and swollen lymph nodes. In more severe cases, you might even develop white spots on your tonsils or have pain radiating into your ears.

There are two kinds of people in this world- those who run towards medical attention when they bear witness havoc being wreaked upon their bodies and those who try every alternative medication under the Sun before finally subjecting themselves under prescribed scrutiny.
If you belong to team number 2: save yourself some time- swallow whatever pride that remains (heh) within you and immediately head for medical attention.
Here are some things that could happen during consultation:

Doctor Visit

For Group A Streptococcus infections like strep throat getting in touch an antibiotic helps mitigate symptoms faster than any home remedies ever would So make sure express symptoms clearly because-

• The physician may opt-in for rapid antigen test(RAT)

What’s RAT? chances are if you’ve landed here through google searches , then RAT conjures up unpleasant thoughts maybe associated with the current pandemic- Right?
Wrong!

RAT is a super-fast, hello-wizard test that involves swabbing your throat (like this whole strep throat thing wasn’t charming enough already). The results come back within minutes to confirm whether or not you have strep. Think of it as Tinder for bacteria ((if we had an urban dictionary equivalent of explanation)).

Treatment Options

Now once the diagnosis has been established there are two things that usually happen,
a) The physician will prescribe antibiotics
b) Physician will ask you to take them over-the-counter.

Assuming option A was ticked:
There are few things one should be prepared for while taking prescribed medications:

• Wear dark pants – This might seem insane at first but trust us, dark-colored pants can actually help hide small accidents if diarrhea happens.
• Oof Can’t gulp pills? well dissolve them-That’s right! Crush in some Flavors and Voila!

We know about inhaling steam with eucalyptus oil and all-Nobody wants to hear you talk like a chainsmoking frog for longer than 10 days(no offense) the voice disruptions tend to linger on but Did You Know?

• Good singing technique practices help alleviate strains caused by Strep Throat?
  It may sound funny but it’s quite effective. If singing is out of question then other alternatives include :

• Whispering through your day: give those vocal cords some rest.

• Use hand signals when communicating instead.

Home Remedies That Actually Work

While antibiotics may provide relief from symptoms almost immediately ,there are few home remedies mentioned below efficiently complements medication;

Gargling With Salt Water

C’mon admit it thinking of putting salt water into your mouth hurts more than actual pain? But believe us gargling with warm saltwater makes you feel like you are doing some heavy lifting to fight against the pain.
Here’s how to do it :

• Mix 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of salt with a cup of warm water
• Gargle for about 30 seconds and spit out

Honey

Honey is an all-rounder – it heals cuts, burns and provides relief from cold coughs as well. Consuming honey coats the throat providing instant relief.

Making use of organic honey here will be beneficial.

“Sweet! But Wait……”

As good as consuming honey sounds only do so if your strep throat isn’t in its budding phase otherwise situation could go way downhill(bring on those infections)(and trust us nobody wants that).

Sweet Relief: Popsicles And Ice Cream

Drinking anything other than lukewarm liquid proves challenging henceforth swallowing solid food appears like quite a task .But who needs solid food when we can have ice cream right?

Grabbing “Sliced Fruit Bar” is surely going to supply one with sufficient amount of nutrients while soothing down ones pain persistency.

Final Words

Dealing with strep throat can be a daunting experience but following these tips should help alleviate symptoms. Remember if after two days post-medication process seems prolonged opt-in for another visit to health care professional because being healthy ought not wait!
So grab yourself plenty rest, loads fluids and start stocking up on those soft foods & popsicles!