Strep Throat - Treatment

Strep throat is treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics are substances derived from bacteria or other organisms that fight the growth of other bacteria or organisms. Penicillin is the most common antibiotic used. The penicillin is usually given orally (by mouth). The usual treatment lasts for ten days. Patients are advised to be sure that they take all of the medication given. If they stop too soon, the infection may return. Penicillin is sometimes be given by injection. A long-lasting form of the drug (Bicillin) may have the same effect as a 10-day treatment with pills.

About 10 percent of the time, penicillin is not effective against the strep bacteria. In that case, another antibiotic is prescribed. People who are allergic to penicillin may also require an alternative. Other antibiotics used in such cases include amoxicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, or cephalosporin.

Though strep throat usually gets better on its own after four or five days, antibiotics are usually prescribed anyway, to prevent complications such as rheumatic fever from developing.

Home Care for Strep Throat

Some simple home care treatments can be used to make a patient with strep throat more comfortable. These treatments are used in addition to, not in place of, antibiotics. These home treatments include:

• Pain killers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Aspirin should not be given to children because of the risk of Reye's syndrome (see Reye's syndrome entry).
• Gargling with double strength tea or warm salt water
• Drinking plenty of fluids, excepting for acidic fluids such as orange or grapefruit juice
• Eating soft, nutritious foods, such as noodle soup
• Avoiding smoking and second hand smoke
• Resting until the fever is gone and then resuming normal activities gradually
• Using a room humidifier

Most throat lozenges and sprays available in drug stores should be avoided. They are likely to make a strep throat worse.

Alternative Treatment

Most alternative treatments are designed to ease the symptoms of strep throat. They do not help to cure the infection. One recommended treatment is the use of the bacterium that occurs in yogurt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, (pronounced LACK-toe-buh-SILL-us as-ih-DOFE-uh-luhss) to counteract the effects of antibiotics on bacteria that occur naturally in the intestines.

Other suggested treatments include:

• Inhaling the fragrances of certain herbs, such as lavender, thyme, eucalyptus, sage, and sandalwood
• Gargling with a mixture of water, salt, and tumeric, alum, sumac, sage, or bayberry
• Taking a tea made from osha root, sage, Echinacea, or cleavers