Will strep go away without antibiotics?

So, you’ve got a sore throat and are feeling pretty crummy. You hop on over to the doctor’s office and lo and behold: strep throat! But before you can even ask if there’s anything else you can do (like Google it), your physician is already scribbling out a prescription for antibiotics.

Now listen up – don’t get me wrong here. I’m not saying that taking antibiotics is bad, but sometimes they aren’t necessary(whoa controversial opinion). So let’s take a closer look at the big question: will strep go away without antibiotics?

What Is Strep Throat Anyway?

Strep throat is an infection of the throat caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue – all those fun things.

And how does one actually get infected with this nasty disease? Welllll it looks like sneezing or coughing from someone who has it could pass along those germs right onto your unsuspecting self. Lovely!

To Treat or Not to Treat?

Alright folks, we’re getting down to business now- should one treat strep with antibiotics or just ride it out? Turns out there isn’t really a black-and-white answer.

Benefits of Treating with Antibiotics

Firstly(BAM!) treating strep with antibiotics reduces the duration of symptoms(meaning less time spent staring at walls while lying in bed!) as well as reducing contagiousness(compassion for others amiright?). In fact,taking antibiotic treatment can decrease symptom durations by about 16 hours compared to no treatment(so that’s almost an entire day worths length off)

Additionally(!) , when left untreated(because being lazy is cooler apparently?) ,streptococcal infections(mouthful huh?)can develop into rheumatic fever(a rare but life-threatening condition) or kidney disease. The risk of these complications decreases by treating strep throat with antibiotics.

Cons of Treating with Antibiotics

The overuse and misuse(cause sometimes u just take ’em because why not amiright?)of antibiotics have led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria- meaning that after a while, certain antibiotics will be less effective (dun dun duuuunnn). So taking unnecessary medication could potentially hurt more than help in the long run.

And if you’re particularly sensitive(super fragile if ya know what I mean?), side effects can make taking an antibiotic no fun either. Diarrhea, vomiting , rash – need I say more?

Can Strep Go Away on Its Own?

So here’s the million-dollar question: is it possible for your body to fight off strep throat without any intervention from antibiotics?

Ohhhhhh many people wonder this(said dramatically), but unfortunately there isn’t a simple Yes/No answer(Lame ).

Whether or not one has to actively treat their strep infection depends on various factors like age(ageism amiright?), immune system function(ranked as #1 telekinetic ability apparently) and health history(of course my numerous allergy records affect everything).

However yay! In some instances-strep infections may resolve itself within 3-7 days-even without treatment(at least something works spontaneously guys)-but also keep in mind – riding it out without medication doesn’t mean you’ll shorten recovery time(how rude right?)

Natural Remedies

If strep does go away on its own within a week(it’s actually better if you don’t take any medications!!! pls read before getting outta bed), that still leaves us with the pesky issue/question:

What can we do in the meantime while we wait for our body to heal itself….NATURALLY(wink wink hint hint).

Here are some natural remedies that could provide symptom relief:

Salt Water Gargle

This age-old remedy is a classiiccccc. Mix one tablespoon of salt into a cup of warm water and gargle for 30 seconds(swish swash). Repeat every few hours as needed(lemon optional)

Hydrate and Rest

Drink lots(!) of fluids to stay(how do i say this- HY-DRA-TEDDD YOOO! OK?)hydrated, rest your body(make ur friends envious-you sleep alll dayyyy non-stoppable!!), AND save those energy reserves otherwise used for socializing (who needs it when you have Netflix huh?)

Honey tea with Lemon(oooh just got fancy did we?)

Warm beverages(cup o’ sunshine) can sometimes help soothe a sore throat, so brew up either ginger, chamomile or honey tea instead…heat(& sweet)thinks TREATS.

Then mix in some lemon juice(it tastes bad without it trust me..I have experience).

When Do You Really Need Antibiotics?

But let’s not forget about situations where antibiotics are necessary(gasp!) – so besides the obvious cases(of course my doc always leaves that part out whenever I’m there):

  • Presence of specific strep A bacteria
  • Infection lasts more than seven days(oh hell no!)
  • Immune system compromised(because … reasons)

So if any/all these apply(good luck!), don’t waste any time sorting through home remedies(finally at least someone gives permission to stop trying lol); contact your physician right away for appropriate treatment.

The Final Word

As much as we might hope and pray(still praying btw), there’s only one real definitive answer: sometimes strep goes away on its own(say whaaaaat?),but the best-case scenario is contacting your doctor-for professional advice(but why was I even reading this article then?,you might ask).

As always, a little bit of extra sleep and hydration doesn’t hurt anyone anyway(unless maybe the school or your boss idk), so keep those fluids flowing!

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