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Strep Throat
- Topic Overview
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- Symptoms
- What Happens
- What Increases Your Risk
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Your doctor may have prescribed an antibiotic for strep throat. Take all of the antibiotic exactly as prescribed. This will help prevent the infection from coming back and will prevent complications of infection that could occur if you do not take the medicine as prescribed.
There are many ways that you can make yourself feel better while you are waiting for the strep infection to go away.
- Drink plenty of fluids and increase humidity (moisture in the air) in your home to help keep your throat moist. Herbal teas formulated for colds may help relieve symptoms.
- Take nonprescription medicines to relieve a painful sore throat and reduce fever.
- Get plenty of rest. Stay home the first day of antibiotic treatment. You are still contagious and might pass the infection to others. Rest in bed if you feel very sick. Bed rest is not required if you feel fine.
For the first 24 hours after you start taking an antibiotic, you are still contagious. You can avoid passing the strep throat infection to others and reinfecting yourself by:
- Avoiding sneezing or coughing on others.
- Washing your hands often.
- Using tissues you can throw away, not handkerchiefs.
- Throwing out your toothbrush as soon as you feel sick. Replace it again when you are well. You can also clean your toothbrush well before using it again. Bacteria can collect on the bristles and reinfect you.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: July 27, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Donald R. Mintz, MD - Otolaryngology | |
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