10 Best Home Remedies for Strep Throat and How They Help In An Early Treatment

Have you been facing difficulty in swallowing food? Is it associated with nausea and vomiting? Chances are it could be a strep throat but the symptoms are pretty much similar to that of a sore throat.

These ten home remedies for strep throat will relieve you from all the soreness and hurt that has been bothering you all the while and the good news is all these remedies are handy.

Before knowing the remedies, make yourself clear whether you are really suffering from a strep throat or a sore throat and here is how to identify your problem.

How Do You Differentiate A Strep Throat From A Sore Throat?

Strep throat symptoms are often confused with the signs and symptoms of a sore throat but to make it simple and clear, a sore throat is just one of the strep throat symptoms. A strep throat is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes whereas a sore throat occurs due to a virus.

A strep throat does not show any symptoms of a cough and cold. If you have noticed any of the symptoms related to a cold(1) or a cough like a frequent sneezing or a runny nose, it is definitely not a strep throat.

If you are still confused about your condition, here is a clear explanation of the strep throat symptoms.

Strep Throat Signs And Symptoms

• A sore throat
• Feeling anxious or depressed
• Feeling cold
• A high fever (103 F)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Difficulty in swallowing food
• Bad breath
• Enlarged lymph nodes which may seem tender
• A headache
• Heart and kidney problems (can only occur if the condition worsens)

There is absolutely no need for you to worry about a strep throat because a strep throat can very well be identified during the initial stages of the bacterial attack and you can obtain a permanent relief from all the pain by following some of the best home remedies for strep throat.

What Causes Strep Throat?

If you are under a false perception that a strep throat is a viral infection, you need to realise that the term “strep throat” has acquired its name because of the bacterium called “Streptococcus pyogenes” which can enter into your body through any means.

It is unfortunate to know that the bacterium not only has a probability of entering the body directly, but it can also invade your cells through other means of transmission like sharing foods and drinks, through the air, water droplets or handshakes.

Since the disease is highly contagious and can very rapidly spread from one person to another, you have to keep up a good immune system and also take the necessary precautions when you are exposed to the people and public.

At What Age Can The Bacterium Attack You?

It is sad to know that children who are between five to fifteen years old are more likely to get infected with a strep throat, but the disease can also attack people of any age group. Since the disease is highly contagious, school going children are the most common victims of a strep throat!

There are several million cases of people being attacked with the strep throat every year and it is surprising to know nearly thirteen thousand cases lead to some dangerous health complications like kidney, heart or lung infections.

You need not worry much because identifying the disease during its early stages and following some best home remedies for strep throat can prevent you from causing such serious health problems.

How To Cure Strep Throat Naturally? –  Ten Best Home Remedies For Strep Throat

If you have identified the strep throat signs at the early stages, you really need not rush to your doctor to go for an over the counter medication. A daily regime consisting of these simple and natural remedies for strep throat will relieve you from the suffering.

Here is the best possible solution for you if you have been wondering how to get rid of strep throat!

1. Salt Water Gargle Soon After You Floss Your Teeth

You wish to wake up with a beautiful smile early in the morning, but your sore throat can sometimes be so irritable, you will wake up with much pain and agony which can make you depressed.

But, here is a simple yet most effective tip that you can follow to prevent the hurt from ruining the rest of your productive day. You can boil a cup of water and add half a teaspoon of salt to this water.

You just have to gargle with this salt water five times in a row, soon after you are done flossing your teeth.

How Does It Work?

Salt water gargle has been one of the best remedies for strep throat and the main reason why people use Epsom salt instead of a regular salt is that, this can act as the best disinfectant to flush the bacteria away. The more number of times you gargle, the best will be the result.

2. Drink More Fluids And Water

No matter what kind of a disease or illness you are suffering from, drinking water at regular intervals helps you in ways you can never really imagine. If you fail to do so, you can set a reminder or an alarm to keep drinking water at regular intervals to stay properly hydrated and to stay away from any sort of bacterial or viral infections.

If you feel that water does not appetize you much, you can replace it with any kind of a fresh fruit juice which will also give you some additional nutrients and vitamins and help you stay hydrated simultaneously.

How Does It Work?

A dry throat lets the bacteria multiply rapidly and this can aggravate your condition. Drinking plenty of water helps in keeping your throat moist and this is the best way to stop the bacteria from causing much irritation inside your throat.

3. Soft Foods That Comfort Your Throat

A strep throat does not bother you more than a week. So, you need not worry much about giving up on spicy foods or foods that can cause a burning sensation in your throat. Since it is the matter of five days or merely a week, you can prepare a list of those foods that can ease your throat pain to rely on them until you feel better!

Soft Foods – Home Remedies For Strep Throat

• Yogurt
• Smoothies (prepared with fresh fruits)
• Oatmeal
• Porridge (cereals boiled with water and milk)
• Boiled and mashed potatoes
• Creamy Soups
• Scrambled eggs
• Pasta
• Quinoa
• Cheese and macaroni
• Tofu
• Puddings
• Milkshakes

4. How To Cure Strep Throat Naturally With Lozenges?

Lozenges are a kind of medicated tablets which can give you a major relief from the pain and also help you medicinally. You can buy yourself a pack of lozenges to suck on them at regular intervals. In fact, these candies are available in various flavours like Cherry, mint, honey(2), lemon, menthol or spearmint and you can buy yourself a desired flavour of your choice.

How Does It Work?

Sucking lozenges helps in lubricating your dry throat and they can also prevent the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. You can try lozenges before your meals so that swallowing your foods is made easy and more convenient.

5. Basil Leaves – Natural Remedies For Strep Throat

You can savour an easily prepared basil juice by using honey, lemon, a pinch of salt and a handful of basil leaves. You just have to add all the ingredients to the blending jar and mix them well.

Add one cup of boiled water to this and strain away the mixture. You can relish this either early in the morning or as a refreshing drink in the evening.

How Does It Work?

Basil leaves contain anti-microbial properties, more particularly anti-bacterial properties which makes them one of the best home remedies for strep throat.

6. Herbal Teas – The Best Relievers

You will be surprised to know that there are wide varieties of herbal teas other than green tea, and you can prepare a hot cup of each of these varieties every day as the best home remedies for strep throat. Savouring any one of these herbal teas twice in a day will relieve you from the pain.

Here Is The List Of Herbal Teas That Will Ease Your Throat Pain

• Chamomile tea
• Ginger tea
• Peppermint tea
• Hibiscus tea
• Sage tea
• Rosehip tea
• Echinacea tea
• Green tea

How Does It Work?

Strep throats can cause inflammation in your lymph nodes which can escalate your pain. Herbal teas contain anti-inflammatory properties which help in reducing the swelling and appeasing your pain.

Also Read: Home Remedies for Tonsil stones

7. Cayenne Pepper – Best Home Remedies For Strep Throat

You can replace salt water gargle with cayenne pepper gargle and go for this remedy right before you hit the bed. Cayenne pepper is so effective for treating a strep throat, it is usually recommended by doctors to consume a cayenne pepper tea on a regular basis until your throat feels soothed and better.

How To Prepare A Cayenne Pepper Gargle?

To prepare a cayenne pepper gargle, you just have to boil one to two cups of water and add one teaspoon of cayenne pepper(3) to this. Stir the mixture until cayenne pepper gets dissolved and use this to gargle your sore throat twice or thrice in a day.

How To Prepare A Cayenne Pepper Tea?

This herbal tea acts as the best astringent to cure a strep throat and is easy to prepare at the same time. You just have to boil the required amount of water and add one to two teaspoons of cayenne pepper to this.

Wait until the ingredient gets dissolved and once dissolved, you can squeeze a fresh lemon to the tea so that you can relish the drink spicy and sour!

How Does It Work?

Cayenne pepper has anti-inflammatory properties which help in comforting your swollen lymph nodes. The best property of cayenne pepper is that it contains abundant amounts of vitamin C and this when added with lemon can help in boosting your immune system.

8. Avoid Smoking And Stay Away From Smokers

Smoking does not essentially cause strep throat because a person can get affected with strep throat only when he/she is infected with a bacterium. However, being habituated to a continuous smoking can cause irritation in your throat which eventually leads to a sore throat.

If you are a smoker who is suffering from a strep throat, you need to realise that smoking can instantly dry up your throat which intensifies the symptoms, because of which you may take more time to heal.

If you are a smoking addict and find it difficult to quit smoking, you can refer to various self-help tutorials which teach you a step by step procedure on how to quit smoking.

9. Get Plenty Of Sleep

There is no better cure than taking the required amount of rest to help your body fight against the infectious microorganisms that have invaded your body. You can take a day off from your work and protect yourself from the strain that is caused due to a tightly scheduled work life.

This will also help in preventing the spread of the disease to your counterparts. It just takes a time period of one week to get yourself completely cured of a strep throat. Also, getting enough rest can increase your resistance power and make you much stronger.

Following the above-mentioned home remedies for strep throat along with taking the required amount of sleep is the best and natural way to get rid of all the torment and suffering.

10. Try Using a Humidifier – Best Home Remedies for Strep Throat

Excessive dryness of the throat can sometimes cause irritation which may worsen the condition of strep throat. Using a humidifier can relieve you from the symptoms and make your treatment easy.

There are a wide range of humidifiers available out of which you may have to choose the right one that solves your problem. Keep a humidifier handy to treat yourself from time to time.

Some Quick Tips To Prevent A Strep Throat

    Consume more foods which can increase your immunity (to become resistant to the bacteria)

    Make a habit of drinking at least two to three litres of water per day

    Try to protect yourself from external infections by using nose masks

    Try to stay away from crowded places or as the disease is highly contagious

    Get an adequate amount of sleep (six to seven hours of sleep) in a day.

    Try to stay indoors when the environment is particularly cool as this is the most suitable environment for the micro-organisms to survive at these temperatures.

Here is an exact picture of what should be done to get rid of strep throat very soon.