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. On the sites I have seen, warm tea and honey was recommended. Does it really work? If so, how much tea and how much honey should you add? Please help. It hurts really badly!
Thanks a bundle,
Rachel
Strep can be a nasty infection and is contagious. To find out whether or not you have strep throat, get a throat culture at your doctor or health department. It needs to be treated with antibiotics. Here's a link with information about it and other things it might be.
http://www.medicinenet.com/strep_throat/article.htm
About the tea and honey, just brew a cup of tea and put in a tablespoon or so of honey.
Susan from ThriftyFun (03/07/2005)
By ThriftyFun
Something else that is good for the throat is licorice tea, it coats your throat nicely.
You can use bagged tea, but it will not be as strong as using the root. If you have access to a place that sells herbs in bulk you can buy chopped up licorice root. Add two tablespoons of loose root to boiling water, cover and steep for at least 15 minutes. Strain and enjoy.
By Stella
Gargle with very warm salt water several times a day. Make sure you get to a doctor, it can be very serious.
(03/07/2005)
By jennydo
If there's the slightest thought that it is strep, then get thee to a doctor and have it cultured. Strep is nothing to play around with. If not treated in time it can damage various body organs. I had an acquaintance who had strep and didn't treat it and it harmed his kidneys. He has had two kidney transplants since then. This could have been avoided if it had been treated more quickly. If finances are a concern, then find a free medical clinic for people with low income. And take all 10 days of the antibiotic even if you feel better in 3 to be sure you've killed the infection.
(03/07/2005)
By Linda Hug
The ladies who suggested tea are right. Also, you can get medicinal throat lozenges. I would certainly see my doctor, because strep throat can be very dangerous.
In the meantime, you may also try a salt and water gargle.
Hope you improve very soon! (03/07/2005)
By Alleen
I can tell you from experience that anything warm soothes the throat. I have had strep many times all in the last 7 years, and it is different every time with the exception of the sore throat. The first time I had it, I thought I had the flu. I had never had strep or the flu, but I felt worse than I ever had before, had fever, very achy, and then came the sore throat. I also was nauseated and vomited. I tried a lot of sore throat OTC medications and Tylenol sore throat is the best. It sort of numbs it. You must get an antibiotic to rid yourself of it. I do not have health insurance, but this is one thing that I fly to the doctor for! Good luck. (03/08/2005)
By Amanda Cope
Please get to the doctor. You must take antibiotics for the full course. I have also heard that untreated strep (or not finishing antibiotics) can cause kidney (and heart) damage. The doctor will do a culture to determine. (03/08/2005)
By Kelly
Yes, get to the doctor and get antibiotics. However, antibiotics will also kill the "good" germs in your stomach and bring your total immune system down a notch, so make sure you get plenty of nourishing fluids into our body at the same time. Take zinc and vitamin C, eat yogurt and as much chicken soup as you can handle (homemade is best, way less sodium), stay away from caffeine and junk foods. You will boost your immune system while the drugs do their job, and you will recover faster. (03/09/2005)
By Shari
You can cut a piece of fresh garlic clove the size of a large vitamin (remove skin first) and take one three times a day like an antibiotic. It has antibiotic and antiseptic properties.
My son is brave and chews it before he swallows it, but it seems to cut the time he feels throat pain in half.
Two other natural antibiotics that don't kill good bacteria are found in health food stores: concentrated grapefuit seed extract and SilverBiotic (colloidal silver) Both work great!! (03/11/2005)
By Fran Marie
I, personally, think you ought to go to the doctor to see if it's strep throat or not. If he doesn't give you something for it. I have a pal who strongly believes in the medicinal purposes of organic apple cider vinegar. For sore throat pain, she gargles several times a day or as often as needed with the organic apple cider vinegar. (03/14/2005)
By badwater
If you do indeed have strep throat you must take an antibiotic prescribed by your physician. It will not go away on it's own and can lead to more illnesses. If it is just a sore throat, perhaps due to sinus drainage or allergies, then a cup of tea with a teaspoon of honey should soothe your throat. (04/24/2007)
By Ann
Use white vinegar and an eyedropper. Lay flat on your back and have a friend shine a flashlight into your throat. They should apply the vinegar to all inflamed and infected regions. Keep applying one drop at a time until the scratchiness is gone. What the vinegar is doing is killing the bacteria. It may burn slightly, but that just means it is actively working. (10/04/2007)
By Thomas
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The reason strep throat is contagious is because GAS bacteria live in your throat and nose making it easy for them to spread to other uninfected people around you. The bacteria travel through small droplets of water, which are released out when you sneeze or cough. As the droplets are sneezed out, they carry the infectious bacteria and land on any surface they find. If you touch any surface which has the bacterial droplets on them and then touch your nose or mouth with your contaminated hands, the infection then starts spreading in you. Similarly, if you share a glass or plate with the infected person or shake their hand, there is a high chance that you may become infected as well. It is best to wash your hands following casual contacts. As mentioned earlier, the bacteria GAS is responsible for causing strep throat, but the Streptococcus class of bacteria also causes impetigo, an infection which causes red sores all over the body, rheumatic fever in addition to some more. The bacteria start growing in the throat or skin which leads to pus formation and non-inflammatory continuation of previous infection. Impetigo is contagious while rheumatic fever is not contagious however, strep throat can come before it, which certainly is contagious. At some times, if you touch skin sores caused by GAS, like impetigo, you can become infected easily. It is again recommended that you wash your hands. Sometimes you can become infected from food that contains the GAS bacteria. Although it does not happen often, strep throat is foodborne as well. In the past, outbreaks of strep throat used to happen quite commonly due to contamination and consumption of raw milk. But now foodborne strep throat is rare so if many people complain of strep throat after eating food together in a venue, it can indicate contaminated food. When it comes to strep throat, the bacteria starts infecting by colonizing in the throat. The bacteria adheres to the dermal epithelial cells which is due to a specific bacterial surface ligand binding with receptors in the throat. The strong adherence is one of the reasons strep throat cannot be simply washed away so easily. In fact, salivary fluid and mucus passing down the throat cannot scrape the bacteria strongly adhered to the skin of the throat so they continue damaging the tissues in the throat. Previous infections are also crucial as any exposure leads to weakening of the dermal barriers so when strep throat happens again, the bacteria are able to adhere to the host cells quite easily. Studies have also shown that at certain sites, the other bacteria are in competition with the infectious cells for adherence to the host cells.
Reference: bit.ly/
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