What Antibiotic Is Used To Treat Strep

Caution Monitor That Sore Throat

Pay attention to sore throats, especially in children. If your child has a severe sore throat without other cold symptoms, accompanied by a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, or a milder sore throat that persists for more than two or three days, see a doctor. It may be strep throat, which should be treated with antibiotics.

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How To Use Cefixime Oral

Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor, usually once a day. In children, this medication may also be taken twice a day . If you are taking the chewable tablets, chew thoroughly and then swallow.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. In children, the dosage is also based on weight.

For the best effect, take this antibiotic at evenly spaced times. To help you remember, take this medication at the same time every day.

Continue to use this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished, even if symptoms disappear after a few days. Stopping the medication too early may allow bacteria to continue to grow, which may result in a relapse of the infection.

Tell your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.

What Causes Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever results from an inflammatory reaction to certain group A streptococcus bacteria. The body produces antibodies to fight the bacteria, but instead the antibodies attack a different target: the body’s own tissues. The antibodies begin with the joints and often move on to the heart and surrounding tissues. Because only a small fraction of people with strep throat ever contract rheumatic fever, medical experts say that other factors, such as a weakened immune system, must also be involved in the development of the disease.

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Antibiotics For Strep Throat

Penicillin, amoxicillin and cephalexin are mostly used to treat strep throat infection. They are the top choices of doctors because they’re safe, inexpensive, and they are quite effective in strep infection.

If you or your child is allergic to these antibiotics for strep throat, you may be given these medicines for strep throat by your doctor:

• Erythromycin

Alternatives To Antibiotics For Strep Throat

In addition to taking the above antibiotics, doctors also prescribe trying some remedies to get relief from symptoms of strep throat.

• Gargle with salt water to clear the throat and get relief from the pain.
• Using throat sprays that contain topical anesthetics can provide relief temporarily.
• Keep the throat moist with lozenges
• Sip on warm beverages such as tea with honey, herbal teas, etc. regularly
• Use apple cider vinegar in diluted form while gargling

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What Are The Risks Of Taking Antibiotics For Sore Throat

Antibiotics may cause side effects, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

Besides side effects, there are other good reasons not to use antibiotics unless you really need them.

• Antibiotics cost money.
• You will probably have to see the doctor to get a prescription. This costs you time.
• If you take antibiotics when you don’t need them, they may not work when you do need them. Each time you take antibiotics, you are more likely to carry some bacteria that were not killed by the medicine. Over time, these bacteria get tougher and can cause longer and more serious infections. To treat them, you may need different, stronger, and more costly antibiotics.

Preventing The Spread Of Infection:

Since Streptococcus bacteria are highly contagious through saliva and nasal secretions, prevention of the spread of strep is similar to viral cold or influenza prevention. This includes hand washing and covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Patients should not return to school, day care, or work until they are no longer contagious and have no fever, usually 24 to 48 hours after beginning antibiotics. It is important to finish the entire course of antibiotics even if symptoms disappear, so the infection does not return. If strep throat returns after treatment with antibiotics, there may be close exposure to a strep carrier, a person who carries the Streptococcus bacteria in the throat but has no symptoms of a strep infection. In these cases, it is appropriate to treat the strep carrier to stop recurring infections. Otherwise, strep carriers do not require antibiotics, since they are not at risk of strep infection complications. Streptococcus bacteria can also remain alive on objects such as a toothbrush for several days, so replacing a toothbrush after 24 to 48 hours of antibiotic therapy and thoroughly cleaning orthodontic retainers every day can prevent patients from reinfecting themselves.

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Other Sore Throats Don’t Need Special Medicine So Why Does Strep Throat

Most sore throats are caused by viruses, which cannot be cured with medicine you can only relieve the aches and pains. Viruses heal on their own and cannot be cured with antibiotics or other medicines.

Strep throat is caused by a bacterium. Infections caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics. Strep throat can lead to more serious illnesses, so it’s important to get it treated.

What Can Make My Sore Throat Feel Better

Here are some things that might help you feel better:

• Take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to relieve pain and reduce fever. Children should not take aspirin. Aspirin can cause a serious illness called Reyes syndrome when it is given to children younger than 18 years of age.
• Gargle with warm salt water .
• Adults and older children can suck on throat lozenges, hard candy, pieces of ice, or popsicles.
• Eat soft foods and drink cool drinks or warm liquids .
• Get plenty of rest. Sleep helps your body fight infection.
• Drink plenty of water. This helps keep your throat lubricated and helps prevent dehydration.
• Avoid acidic or spicy foods and drinks .

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To Prevent Spreading The Infection:

14. Avoid Contact

As long as you have strep throat symptoms, dont sneeze or cough on others in order to stop the bacteria from spreading. Do not share glasses, utensils, plates or food with anyone for two weeks. Use a powerful and natural soap, like castile soap, to wash your dishes and the surfaces in your bathroom and kitchen counter.

15. Wash Your Hands

Be sure to wash your hands throughout the day, especially if you are around other people. Use an antibacterial soap to get rid of any trace of group A strep. One example is this Homemade Hand Soapwith castile soap and peppermint oil.

16. Replace Your Toothbrush

Replace your toothbrush when you first show symptoms of strep throat and then again after you are well. This will help you to avoid reinfecting yourself with another group A strep infection.

Get Strep Throat Treatment Online

If you or your child are experiencing throat pain, painful swallowing, and other common strep throat symptoms, we have good news: you dont need to visit your doctors office for strep throat antibiotics.

Instead, you can schedule an online appointment with one of the trusted doctors at PlushCare. If your doctor thinks strep throat antibiotics are right for you, they can send an electronic prescription to your local pharmacy.

Book an appointment with a PlushCare doctor and get an antibiotic prescription today.

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Do Patients With Strep Throat Need To Be Treated With Antibiotics

Background: Streptococcal pharyngitis is a common presentation to primary care and Emergency Department physicians. Every year, 10 million patients in the United States are treated with antibiotics for pharyngitis. However, less than 10% of these patients actually have strep pharyngitis . Prescribing of antibiotics for these patients centers on three arguments:

So, do patients with strep throat need to be treated with antibiotics?

While treatment of strep throat seems relatively benign, there are significant harms that need to be considered:

This means that out of 10 million patients treated with antibiotics, as many as 24,000 of them will have fatal or near-fatal allergic reactions.

Thus, its important to determine if the benefits of antibiotic treatment outweigh the risks.

What Is A Strep Test

A strep test looks for Streptococcus bacteria in the throat. The test is painless and takes very little time. The tip of a cotton swab is used to wipe the back of the throat. The swab is then tested.

The rapid strep test takes approximately 20 minutes. If the test is positive , the patient has strep throat. If the test is negative , the doctor may send the throat swab to a laboratory to double-check the results. Some doctors may not do a rapid strep test and instead just send the throat swab to the laboratory.

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Conventional Strep Throat Treatment

The most common strep throat treatment is antibiotics, such as penicillin or amoxicillin. Research suggests that just mentioning a sore throat to a doctor almost guarantees a prescription for antibiotics, even though viral infections cause 85 to 90 percent of sore throats in adults.

Studies show that antibiotics are only somewhat helpful when used for strep throat. They can improve symptoms at 3 to 4 days and cut the length of the illness by about half a day. Antibiotic treatment doesnt seem to affect time off from school or work.

Over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are also used to relieve the pain related to strep throat.

Best Antibiotics For Strep Throat

Dr. Umer Khan

Dr. Umer Khan

Medically reviewed by Dr Umer Khan, MD who is a Board Certified physician practicing in Pennsylvania. His special interests include wellness, longevity and medical IT.

Strep throat is a bacterial infection that can lead to throat pain, painful swallowing, and swollen lymph nodes around the neck. While strep throat is typically treated with a combination of at-home treatment and medication, antibiotics are the best way to get rid of strep throat.

If youre worried that you or your child may have strep throat, its important to know which antibiotics are going to help you start feeling better. Read on to learn which strep throat antibiotics your doctor may prescribe to effectively manage your symptoms.

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Children And Certain Adults Are At Increased Risk

Anyone can get strep throat, but there are some factors that can increase the risk of getting this common infection.

Strep throat is more common in children than adults. It is most common in children 5 through 15 years old. It is rare in children younger than 3 years old. Adults who are at increased risk for strep throat include:

• Parents of school-aged children
• Adults who are often in contact with children

Close contact with another person with strep throat is the most common risk factor for illness. For example, if someone has strep throat, it often spreads to other people in their household.

Infectious illnesses tend to spread wherever large groups of people gather together. Crowded conditions can increase the risk of getting a group A strep infection. These settings include:

• Schools

• Up to 3 in 10 children with a sore throat have strep throat
• About 1 in 10 adults with a sore throat has strep throat

What Is The Best Medication For Strep Throat

The best medication for treating strep throat should be discussed with your doctor and will depend on your medical history and current medications you may be taking.

Dosage is determined by your healthcare provider based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.

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Southern Cross Medical Library

The purpose of the Southern Cross Medical Library is to provide information of a general nature to help you better understand certain medical conditions. Always seek specific medical advice for treatment appropriate to you. This information is not intended to relate specifically to insurance or healthcare services provided by Southern Cross. For more articles go to the Medical Library index page.

Machine Learning And Artificial Intelligence

In the past few years machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques have been proposed to help physicians diagnose strep throat. One novel approach uses the camera and flashlight built into a smartphone to take a picture of a patients throat. An add-on device is attached to the smartphone to minimize the reflection of light into the camera sensor. Image correction algorithms are then implemented, and k-fold validation applied for classification. Experimental results from a sample of 28 healthy and 28 strep-positive subjects show that the image processing method has specificity of 88% and sensitivity of 88% . Given the small sample-size this approach will require validation in future studies. Another method that has been suggested is to program neural networks to assist diagnosis. One study using data from thirty-eight variables contained in 240 patients medical records found that a neural network can correctly diagnose pharyngitis in 95.4% of cases . Whether this promising result can be replicated in diagnosing GABHS should be examined. Artificial intelligence software has also been employed to automate the process of examining throat cultures to identify GABHS. Automatic detection of GABHS produces results that are superior to classification decisions made by lab technicians, improving diagnostic accuracy .

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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Strep Throat

Signs of strep throat include:

• sore throat
• red and swollen tonsils
• painful or swollen neck glands

Not all sore throats are strep-infected throats. Often, kids have a sore throat because of a virus, which will usually clear up without medical treatment.

Kids who do have strep throat might get other symptoms within about 3 days, such as:

• red and white patches in the throat
• trouble swallowing
• strep rash

Has Prior Antibiotic Therapy Eliminated Protective Throat Bacteria

Prominent, normal bacteria of the throat include another type of streptococci . These bacteria make natural antibiotic substances in the throat. Penicillin or amoxicillin therapy may change the natural environment for throat bacteria by killing these alpha hemolytic streptococci their elimination provides an opportunity for disease-causing strep to gain access to the throat cells. This is another reason for patients to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.

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What Is Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever can develop following a Strep throat infection or scarlet fever. Although rare in the contiguous U.S., the disease is still prevalent in children of Samoan descent living in Hawaii and residents of American Samoa.

Symptoms of rheumatic fever usually show 14 to 28 days after a Strep infection. Because the bacteria trick the body’s immune system into attacking healthy tissues, the disease can affect the heart, joints, skin, and brain.

Symptoms of rheumatic fever include:

• Fever

Is The Patient Not Responding To Antibiotics

Even when all strep infections are laboratory confirmed with throat cultures or rapid strep detection tests, and the antibiotic is finished, failure to respond to treatment still occurs. The highest treatment failure rates observed are with penicillin about two-thirds of presumed strep throat infections are treated with either penicillin or amoxicillin. Penicillin and amoxicillin treatment failures vary geographically, and the incidence of penicillin treatment failures for strep throat infections may be rising. Patients most likely to experience a penicillin or amoxicillin treatment failure are those who have recently received treatment with these drugs and are then retreated with the same antibiotic.

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Strep Throat: Symptoms And Treatment

15 October 18

Strep throat is an infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or Group A Streptococcus .

Streptococcal pharyngitis is highly contagious and can spread by nasal secretions and saliva. Strep throat most often afflicts children younger than 16, and is most common in the United States in the winter and spring, according to the Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Talk With Your Doctor

If you have strep throat, your doctor will prescribe the antibiotic they think is most appropriate for you. In most cases, this would be penicillin or amoxicillin. However, some people are prescribed a Z-Pack or generic azithromycin.

If you have further questions about either medication, be sure to ask your doctor. Your questions might include:

• Is this the best drug to treat my strep throat?
• Am I allergic to penicillin or amoxicillin? If so, are there any other drugs I should avoid?
• What should I do if my throat still hurts after I finish my medication?
• What can I do to relieve my sore throat while I wait for the antibiotic to work?

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Pain And Fever Without A Cough Are Common Signs And Symptoms

In general, strep throat is a mild infection, but it can be very painful. The most common symptoms of strep throat include:

• Sore throat that can start very quickly
• Pain when swallowing
• Fever
• Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus
• Tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth
• Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck

Other symptoms may include a headache, stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting especially in children. Someone with strep throat may also have a rash known as scarlet fever .

The following symptoms suggest a virus is the cause of the illness instead of strep throat:

• Cough
• Conjunctivitis

It usually takes two to five days for someone exposed to group A strep to become ill.

A sore throat that starts quickly, pain with swallowing, and fever are some of the common signs and symptoms of strep throat.