What Antibiotics Do You Get For Strep Throat

Should Contacts Of Individuals With Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease Be Tested And Treated

The risk of secondary cases of invasive GAS disease among persons with casual contact to a case is very small. However, there are occasional reports of close contacts such as family members developing severe disease. In general, it is not necessary for all persons exposed to someone with an invasive group A streptococcal infection to be tested or receive preventive antibiotics. If household contacts are in good health, they should be watched for signs of GAS infection, but will not need to take preventive antibiotics. However, those who are at higher risk of invasive disease if infected should discuss the benefit of preventive antibiotics with their healthcare provider.

Strep Throat Home Care

Until the antibiotics start to work, these home treatments can help you or your child feel better:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to bring down a fever and ease the sore throat. Don’t give aspirin to children and teens. It can cause a rare but serious condition called Reyeâs syndrome.
• Rest: Stay home from school or work. You need extra rest to help your body fight off the infection.
• Gargling: Rinse with a mixture of a quarter-teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of warm water to relieve a scratchy throat.
• Lozenges and hard candy: Older kids can suck on these to feel better. Avoid giving small pieces of candy to children 4 and younger.
• Lots of fluids: Do this especially if you have a fever. Water and warm liquids such as soup or tea soothe the throat and keep you hydrated. If cold feels better on your throat, suck on a frozen pop or ice chips. Avoid orange juice, lemonade, and other drinks that are high in acid. These can burn your throat.
• Soft foods: Examples include yogurt, applesauce, or frozen yogurt. They’re easier to swallow.
• Cool-mist humidifier or saline nasal spray: Moisture can help make your throat feel better.

Steer clear of anything that might bother your throat, like cigarette smoke, paint fumes, or cleaning products.

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How Long Does It Take For Antibiotics To Cure Strep Throat

After doctors diagnose strep throat, they will typically prescribe an oral antibiotic. Once antibiotic treatment has begun, symptoms will usually start to improve within a day or two.

After 24 hours, a patient will be clear to return to school or work if they feel well enough to do so. However, they will likely be encouraged to stay home and rest for a few days.

It is important to note that even after a patient begins to feel better, they must continue with antibiotic treatment. Most courses of antibiotics are ten days long, and each dose must be finished to ensure that the body is free from infection.

Leaving a course of antibiotics incomplete increases the risk of recurring infection, promoting antibiotic resistance, and will allow the bacteria to multiply in the bodyoften growing more robust than before. If these bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, they can do even greater harm.

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What Are The Risks Of Taking Antibiotics For A Sore Throat

Every time you take antibiotics, some bacteria escape the drug. Over time, these bacteria become stronger and cause more serious infections. To treat them, you may need different antibiotics that are stronger and more expensive. Thats why it is important that you only take antibiotics when you need them. Failure to do so could mean that antibiotics will not work when you need them in the future.

Indeed, antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there are more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. each year, and over 35,000 people die as a result.

Other reasons to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use are that these medications can cause many side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes. Also, you need a doctor’s visit to get a prescription, and antibiotics cost money.

Whats The Best Way To Avoid Getting Strep Throat

Strep is pretty common, and most people will get it at some point in their lives. But there are some common sense ways to avoid it:

• Wash your hands regularly and correctly

• If youâre sick, wear a mask to avoid spreading respiratory droplets

• Avoid prolonged contact with someone who is sick

• Donât share drink glasses or food with a sick person

If you practice good standard hygiene, itâll go a long way toward reducing your chances of getting strep.

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Developing Strep Throat Immunity

The reason is that folks who take antibiotics for strep throat seem to get it over and over and over again. Sometimes they get strep throat again within mere days or weeks from the previous infection. Have you noticed this vicious cycle too?

Wouldnt it be a far better and healthier approach to fight it off one time and be done with it possibly for the rest of your life?

My retired MD Dad is of the philosophy that if you give the body a crutch every time it gets ill, it will always expect and demand that crutch. This results in immunity getting weaker over time. I have witnessed the truth of this philosophy through observation. Those who have the tendency to over-medicate their illnesses whether it be with antibiotics or even natural remedies can unwittingly experience a downside.

Attempting to squelch illness at the first sign of a sniffle, for example, is not a wise approach in my opinion even if nontoxic.

The immune system stays strong when it is allowed to fight and defeat an illness with no interference. Ideally, rest and nourishment only should be provided.

Now, I do think that much consideration needs to be given to the health of the individual before forgoing the meds. A child with autoimmune issues who is not eating well in the first place probably should just take the antibiotics.

On the other hand, a robust healthy child with no autoimmune illness who is consuming an excellent diet has a superb chance of handling the infection well with no intervention.

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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How Do I Know If My Child Has Strep Throat

Visit your healthcare provider if the symptoms suggest strep throat. Your child will be examined and may be given a strep test . Viral illnesses can have the same symptoms as strep throat. This is why it’s important that a throat swab be done to confirm the presence of the Strep bacteria in the throat.

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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Personal Stories About Taking Antibiotics For Sore Throat

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

I was sick a lot as a kid, and I was always taking medicine. Maybe it helped at the time. But in the past few years, when I’ve gotten a bad sore throat or sinus infection, antibiotics haven’t worked. I’ve had to try two or three different ones each time. That gets expensive. The next time I get a sore throat, I’m going to try just staying home, resting, and taking care of myself instead of taking antibiotics.

Jesse, 34

My 8-year-old daughter got strep throat last month. I thought it was just a cold, and I kept her home from school for a few days. But she wasn’t getting better and she felt so miserable. I was also worried about ear infections. She gets a lot of those too. The doctor did a strep test and suggested she take antibiotics. Amy started feeling better a few days later. I think antibiotics were the right way to go this time.

My insurance doesn’t pay for all of my medicines, so I try to make sure I really need the ones I do take. The last time I had a bad cold, my throat got really sore. The pain made it hard for me to swallow. I called my doctor’s office and the nurse said I could come in if I felt I needed a prescription. I thought I’d wait and see instead. I took ibuprofen and drank a lot of tea and honey, and in a few days I felt better. I’m glad I didn’t spend the money on a doctor visit and medicine.

Esther, 42

Testing Confirms Presence Of Bacteria

Classic symptoms of strep throat include a painful sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever, swollen neck glands, nausea, and headache. Upon examination, the throat appears red, often with white or yellow dots or streaks, tiny red dots on the upper palate, and swollen tonsils. Sore throats accompanied by cold or flu-like symptoms, such as nasal congestion and cough, are typically caused by a virus, and antibiotics are not effective to kill viruses. To avoid the unnecessary use of antibiotics and development of resistance, the diagnosis of a bacterial infection is essential before prescribing antibiotics. Since symptoms alone cannot definitively diagnose strep throat caused by bacteria, a rapid strep test detects the presence of a bacterial infection using a swab of the throat, followed by a culture if the rapid test is negative.

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How Can You Tell If You Have Strep Throat

The only way to diagnose strep throat is with a throat swab. Your healthcare provider will rub the back of your throat with a medical swab that looks like a long Q-tip. A rapid strep test or a throat culture can look for the streptococcus bacteria on the swab.

But how can you tell if its worth going to get a strep test in the first place? Your symptoms will give you an important clue.

When sore throats are caused by viruses, people usually experience some or all of the following:

• Cough

• Daycare center workers

• Healthcare providers who work with children

If you have symptoms that are more consistent with strep throat or if you are at risk of having strep throat because of your age or job you should see a healthcare provider for a strep test. If you arent sure about your symptoms or risk, its better to see a healthcare provider and have a strep test done. This is especially important for children and teens, as they are more likely to develop complications from strep throat.

Argument #: Antibiotics Reduce The Rate Of Suppurative Complications

There are a number of potential complications associated with strep throat including acute otitis media , sinusitis and peritonsilar abscess .

A more recent study demonstrated an overall suppurative complication rate of 1.3% and no difference in patients who received antibiotics versus those that did not .

Bottom Line: It appears that we would have to treat 100s of patients to prevent one PTA an easily treatable entity.

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How Can I Feel Better

Drink lots of cool liquids, such as water or ginger ale, especially if you have a fever, since you’ll feel worse if you become dehydrated. Stay away from orange juice, lemonade, and other acidic drinks because they can sting your throat. Frozen foods such as ice cream or popsicles can help to numb throat soreness. Warm liquids like soups, tea with honey, or hot chocolate also can be soothing. For fever and pain, your doctor may suggest an over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Follow the package directions on how much to take and when.

When To See Your Doctor

It’s very difficult to tell the difference between a viral sore throat and strep throat. Every time your child has a sore throat take them to get their throat checked straight away. This could be by your doctor or nurse or at a school clinic.

Dont wait to see if your childs throat gets better. Strep throat needs to be treated immediately. Treating sore throats early can stop rheumatic fever from developing.

Ask your children to tell you when they have a sore throat so they can be checked. Your child may get a lot of sore throats but you need to get it checked every time and straight away.

Video source: KidsHealth. Copyright Kylie Sullivan 2017. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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The Top Things To Remember About Strep Throat

While theres a lot of information out there on strep throat, here are the important things to keep in mind at this time of year and always:

• If you have generic cold symptoms with a sore throat, you probably dont need a strep test a virus is the more likely culprit.
• If you have throat pain, a fever, and not much else, go ahead and get tested.
• Strep tests are easy, fast, inexpensive, and painless.
• Strep throat is easily treated with affordable antibiotics.
• Keep washing those hands!
• Dont depend on the internet for your diagnosis count on experienced urgent care and primary care providers for a convenient, personalized diagnosis you can trust.

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What Are Some Home Remedies For Sore Throat

If you dont have fever or any other concerning symptoms, you can try treating your sore throat at home. If your sore throat is from a virus, these remedies may help you feel better. Unfortunately, none of them will cure your sore throat or make it go away faster. Only time can do that. But while youre waiting, it helps to be as comfortable as possible.

If you have strep throat, these things can also help relieve your sore throat until the antibiotics start to kick in. People with strep throat usually start to feel better 24 to 48 hours after starting antibiotics.

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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

When To Call The Doctor Or Health Care Provider

• Develop a rash or diarrhea.
• Have a sore throat that lasts more than 3 days.
• Cant eat, drink, or show signs of dehydration .
• Do not pee for 6 or more hours. Urine is very dark.
• Have a dry, sticky mouth.
• Have no energy or are hard to wake up.

HH-I-122 11/89, Revised 5/22 Copyright 1989, Nationwide Childrens Hospital

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Are There Home Remedies For Strep Throat

Home remedies for strep throat should only be used in conjunction with antibiotic treatment. Otherwise the infection can get worse and spread. In addition to antibiotic treatment there are some home remedies you can use for symptom relief: Drink plenty of fluids, consume cold liquids and foods, use a cold humidifier, suck on throat lozenges, mix about one to two teaspoons of salt in eight ounces of water.

Strep Throat When Pregnant

If you think you may have strep throat during your pregnancy, see your doctor right away to discuss treatment options.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics and will carefully monitor your medications. Get a better understanding of how to treat strep throat when youre pregnant.

The bacteria that causes strep throat, group A streptococcus, is not the same as group B streptococcus, which is found around the vagina or rectum. While group B streptococcus can be passed to a baby during delivery, its unrelated to the bacteria that causes strep throat.

Because strep throat is a bacterial infection, a doctor will typically prescribe an antibiotic to treat it. These medications inhibit the spread of bacteria and infections.

There are eight different antibiotics recommended by the to treat strep throat. They include:

• penicillin
• clarithromycin
• azithromycin

Penicillin and amoxicillin are the most common medications given for a strep infection. If youre allergic to penicillin or amoxicillin, your doctor may prescribe a different medication, like the antibiotic azithromycin. Find out more about azithromycin for treating strep throat.

The doctors choice of antibiotic can also depend on whether the strep bacteria in a particular geographic area have become resistant to certain antibiotics.

The notes the following benefits of antibiotics for strep throat:

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