There are times when kids complain to their parents about throats that feel hoarse and scratchy. It can be signs of strep throat symptoms that happen to adults as much as to kids. You might think it is a regular cold and cough, but it could be slightly more serious than that. Here we will discuss what is like having a strep throat and how to cure it.
Strep throat is caused owing to bacteria and is very common among children. It is an infection that occurs because of the Streptococcus bacteria causing an increased amount of inflammation in your throat. The age group that this condition affects more would be from 5 to 15 years. It is contagious and can spread from one person to another through continuous sneezing. These can be listed as one of the earlier strep throat symptoms that are easy to identify.
Causes of Occurrence and Strep Throat Symptoms
As mentioned before, strep throat occurs owing to sneezing or coughing or whenever you are in close contact with the infected person. Some of the affected droplets can come in contact with you, and lead you to have the same condition as the person already suffering.
The strep throat symptoms are similar to a sore throat but aren’t always the same. Persistent cold is another reason which can cause this condition. The most common way that you would be able to identify this condition would be when you have a very tenacious running nose. Also, when you have this condition your throat becomes hoarse and causes difficulty in swallowing food and other fluids.
Common symptoms of strep throat
- Fever – Perhaps one of the most common strep throat symptoms would be an increased amount of fever that can go up to 38 degrees or more. It is imperative that you should visit your doctor in this instance.
- Throat Infection – Patients can also face conditions like a sore throat. Over time it can become red and swollen along with white patches on them. If this happens, the doctor will be prompt to point out.
- Headache – You can get a persistent headache during the onset of the symptom.
- Chills – The condition can result in untimely chills throughout the course of the day.
- Appetite Loss – You might not want to eat as much as you usually do
- Lymph Nodes – Strep Throat symptoms also include the formation of swollen lymph nodes in the neck which can be dangerous.
All of the above-listed strep throat symptoms take place in the span of five days once they are confirmed. It is essential that during the inception of common symptoms in this respect, you should get it checked by your doctor. It is also important that immediate contact is avoided in this case for a brief period of time since the condition is contagious. You must also avoid touching the things that have been touched by the patient if you’re not the one suffering.
Strep Throat Causes
One of the important causes of this infection would be the bacteria called the Streptococcus Pyogenes, it is also known as the Group A Streptococcus. Streptococcus or Streptococci are aerobic organisms that are the main cause of multiple diseases and ailments. The symptoms can vary from an individual to another as per their existing health conditions.
As we are aware that the disease spreads from person to person through droplets of cough owing to incessant sneezing. This can also spread due to close contact with the affected individual. For instance, if the afflicted person touches an object, then a healthy individual might get affected by it as well.
Risk Factors
There are some of the vital risk factors that may aggravate the condition of strep throat eventually. Some of these factors are:
- Tender Aged Children – This condition is very rampant in a younger age group, mainly children. They get caught by the bacteria from afflicted individuals in many cases.
- Year Duration – There is no specific time with regards to the occurrence of this condition, but the usual time of the year is during winter wherein the effect is quite higher. The effect of the bacteria is mainly higher when there are a lot of people around.
Reactions based on Inflammations
There are many infections caused by Strep Throat and these are mainly the ones that result in swelling or redness. Some of these conditions include:
- Scarlet Fever – This condition is also termed as scarlatina, and it is very common on those that suffer from strep throat. One of the characteristics of this infection is red rashes in an individual’s body, which is followed by fever and throat infection.
- PSGN – Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis or PSGN is a kidney infection that occurs within the span of 10 to 14 days once the strep throat has settled in. Some of the common manifestations that can be seen are puffy eyes, swollen ankles, and more.
- Rheumatic Fever – This is another inflammatory condition if the treatment for strep throat has not been carried out properly. This condition can cause inflammatory conditions in your heart, joints and also in your blood vessels.
- Poststreptococcal arthritis – Poststreptococcal Arthritis or PSA is an inflammation caused in the individual’s joints. If the conditions are not favorable, then the symptoms might take 3-12 months.
There is another condition that has been suggested, known as the Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder. It is related to the Streptococcus variant A, also known as PANDAS. The conditions related to this affect the neuropsychiatric levels of the children. This can be considered as one of the strep throat symptoms that might occur at any point in time. Conditions like the PANDAS can also cause OCD among children of younger age groups, and strep infection can worsen it a lot.
Strep Throat Treatment
Thankfully the condition for strep throat is not as bad as it seems and appropriate medications are available for this condition. The medications can mainly help outpatients in alleviating the symptoms by a considerable amount. Let us take a look at two of the most important ones:
Antibiotics
If your kid has the condition of strep throat, then the physician would suggest an oral medicine. This must be taken within 48 hours of the initiation of this condition, and medicines can help drastically reduce the adverse effects and intensity of the ailment as well. The risk of unduly complications would also reduce. This ensures that this condition does not affect other healthy individuals.
Once the treatment is taken, the individual that is afflicted will feel the positive effects of it within a day or two. If you do not feel your condition changing within the stipulated time, contact your physician or doctor immediately.
If your children are taking proper medication as prescribed, then he/she can return to their daily activities with no issues. This needs to be done within the first 24 hours after the first medication has been initiated. Therefore, it is preferred that medications should not be stopped before the complete course.
Symptom Relievers
If you are facing incessant throat pain and an increased amount of fever as well, then you can try some of the pain relievers that are given by your doctor only. Self medications in these conditions would not be a good option to consider. It is a very common practice to give aspirins to young kids. However, you must consult the doctor and not self-medicate.
Strep Throat Antibiotics
Most of the antibiotics preferred for strep throat are with respect to clear guidelines and should not be taken or ingested without prior consultation. Antibiotics are only designed to decrease the total time taken so that the disease decreases its aerobic impact. Therefore, it is essential that they must be taken as per the time prescribed by your doctor.
Another important thing to understand in this respect should be that even if you have taken antibiotics, you still might suffer from mild symptoms of the disease. All of these points are very crucial for the analysis. Some of the antibiotics that are preferred for this condition include,
- Acetaminophen – This is also known as Paracetamol and this essentially decreases the fever type conditions and relieves pain to some extent as well.
- Ibuprofen – This is a medication that prevents the inflammatory conditions caused by strep throat symptoms, and for the treatment of fever as well.
Both of these antibiotics have very diverse effects, hence it is imperative that the consumption timing should be considered as well. If you are taking this medication back and forth, then it is crucial to speak to your doctor with immediate effect.
Strep Throat Remedies
Strep throat is a condition that can be treated through antibiotics as well as remedies that eliminate traces of the bacteria lying within. It is vital that you should have these remedies at hand if the conditions are not normal with just medicines. Let us take a look at some of these easy ways to treat a strep throat:
1. Take a lot of rest
We always forget to rest up because of our usual hustle and bustle. It is important that an ample amount of rest be taken for a set amount of interval. A lot of people do not know this but sleep is essential, and it helps fight body contaminations and infection. If you or your child is unwell, then you must stay home until the fever breaks. Antibiotics must be taken in a timely manner, and the course must be done for up to 24 hours. This would ensure that your sleep patterns remain stable, and medicines would affect faster.
2. Hydrate Yourself
You need to consume lots of water to keep your throat smoother, and less irritable. Plus, it would help in swallowing food as well. As you are aware that our body mostly consists of water, then you must drink a lot of water to keep it healthier than usual. It would make you feel more comfortable, and make your throat less irritable.
3. Consume palliative foods
It is essential that you consume palliative foods, some of these include soups, applesauce, hot broths, mashed potatoes, and softly cooked eggs as well. You can also consume cold food items like cold-drinks, sherbets, ice pops, frozen yogurt, and so on and so forth. Consumption of spicy foods must be avoided at all costs since that can affect your throat negatively.
4. Gargling
It may seem insignificant but gargling helps you with alleviating the pain in your throat. This is recommended for both children and adults for quick relief. The steps are quite simple, take a quarter teaspoon of salt with over 8 ounces of water. Make sure the water is warm for an instant effect. Gargle with the liquid properly and get relief.
5. Make use of a humidifier
It is imperative that the atmosphere around you has moisture or essentially it should be humid. You can make use of a mist humidifier so that it decreases the level of bacteria in and around your home. You can even make use of saline nasal sprays that would give you instant relief against the blockage of the nose owing to the mucous membrane.
6. Do not use irritants
Stay away from irritants and allergic stuff that might aggravate your condition further. As mentioned before, you must avoid the consumption of spicy food to avoid throat irritation. Plus, you should stay away from cigarette smoking, as it might lead to tonsillitis. Avoid areas consisting of a lot of smoke, and other fumes emanating from paints, and other chemical products, and so on.
Final thoughts
These were some of the ways you can curb the condition of your throat and go in for a better lifestyle change in overall.