Strep Throat: Causes and Treatment Options

The most common causes of the sore throat are the bacteria. The streptococcus is mostly responsible for producing infections in the throat and this is why the sore throat produced by this kind of bacterium is known as strep throat. The most affected ones by streptococcus are the children but adults can also develop strep throat. In order to treat strep throat doctors prescribe oral antibiotics.

People who have strep throat also have sore throat, fever, sometimes headaches, stomachaches, body rash and swollen glands.

In order to see whether the sore throat is caused by a bacterium or a virus the doctor will swab the back of the throat and send the sample for tests. The results of the analyze will also guide the doctor in establishing a proper treatment.

Strep throat must be treated properly because it can affect other organs if streptococcus survives: it can give rheumatic fever, heart problems and renal destructions. The mostly used antibiotics in the case of the strep throat are: Penicillins, Macrolides, and Cephalosporins. If the infection continues to appear several times a year the tonsils need to be removed as they can shed the streptococcus and that is why recurrences can not be stopped.

Strep throat is a contagious disease especially among children and that is why a sick child must be kept away from other children until his fever disappears of until 24 hours since the antibiotic treatment begun. The bacterium can spread towards others by coughing, sneezing, shouting or using the same objects and then not washing the hands.

In order to relive the pain caused by such an infection acetaminophen and ibuprofen can be associated to the antibiotic treatment.

Many people do not feel the presence of the bacterium as others do (fever, sore throat and swollen neck glands). This means that they are only carriers, that they shed the bacterium in their throats.

In order to prevent strep throat parents must wash their hands before eating and preparing food, after blowing the nose, sneezing or coughing, after shaking hands with other sick people, must cover their mouth if they sneeze or cough, and must go to the doctor if they feel they have a problem with the throat.

The treatment is recommended to be followed for ten days but studies have proven that a shorter period of treatment can kill the streptococci from the throat too. There are two antibiotics which must never be used in attempting to treat strep throat as they are not effective on streptococcus group A: tetracyclines and sulfonamides.

You can find great content regarding strep throat in adults, strep throat symptoms, home remedy for strep throat and many more strep throat related issues.