Does a sore throat require antibiotics? Explore the facts about sore throats, the effectiveness of antibiotics, and safe ways to relieve symptoms without medication.

Understanding Sore Throats

Sore throats can be painful and annoying, but most often, they resolve on their own within a few days to a week, depending on the cause. The majority of sore throats are caused by viral infections, such as the common cold. Only about 1 out of 10 sore throats in adults is caused by a bacterial infection known as strep throat.

The Role of Antibiotics

Antibiotics are not effective against sore throats caused by viruses. They only work for bacterial infections like strep throat. Even for strep throat, antibiotics may not make you feel better faster, but they can help reduce the time you are contagious and prevent rare complications like rheumatic fever.

Risks of Unnecessary Antibiotic Use

Taking antibiotics when they are not needed can be harmful. Antibiotics can cause side effects like diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes. Overuse of antibiotics can also contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making future infections harder to treat.

Effective Home Remedies

For most sore throats, home treatment is often sufficient to provide relief. Gargling with warm salt water, staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers can help ease symptoms without the need for antibiotics.

When to See a Doctor

If you have a sudden, severe sore throat without other cold symptoms, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. They can determine if you have strep throat and prescribe antibiotics if necessary. Otherwise, your doctor may recommend self-care measures to manage your sore throat.

Deciding on Antibiotic Use

Whether to take antibiotics for a sore throat is a decision to be made in consultation with your doctor. They can evaluate your symptoms and provide guidance on the best course of action based on the cause of your sore throat.

Does a sore throat always require antibiotics?

No, most sore throats do not require antibiotics. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections like strep throat, which account for about 10% of adult sore throats. For the vast majority of sore throats caused by viruses, antibiotics will not provide any benefit.

How long does a sore throat typically last without antibiotics?

A sore throat caused by a viral infection usually resolves on its own within 4 to 5 days. Strep throat, a bacterial infection, may take 3 to 7 days to go away even without antibiotics. Antibiotics can help shorten the contagious period for strep throat by about a day, but they do not necessarily make you feel better faster.

What are some effective home remedies for sore throat relief?

There are several effective home remedies that can help soothe a sore throat without the need for antibiotics:

• Gargling with warm salt water
• Drinking plenty of fluids, including warm teas with honey or lemon
• Getting plenty of rest
• Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Using throat lozenges or cough drops (for those over 4 years of age)
• Using a decongestant to relieve related nasal and sinus issues

When should I see a doctor for a sore throat?

You should see a doctor if you have a sudden, severe sore throat without other cold symptoms, as this may be a sign of strep throat. Additionally, seek medical attention if your sore throat is accompanied by high fever, difficulty swallowing, or other concerning symptoms. Your doctor can determine the cause of your sore throat and provide appropriate treatment recommendations.

How can I prevent the spread of strep throat?

If you are diagnosed with strep throat, there are several steps you can take to prevent the spread of the infection to others:

• Take any prescribed antibiotics as directed, even if you start to feel better
• Avoid close contact with others and stay home from work or school until you have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
• Avoid sharing personal items like cups, utensils, or towels

Can overuse of antibiotics lead to antibiotic resistance?

Yes, overuse or inappropriate use of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Each time you take antibiotics, some bacteria may survive and become stronger, making future infections harder to treat. It’s important to only use antibiotics when they are truly necessary and to follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.

Sore Throat: Should I Take Antibiotics?

Top of the pageDecision Point

You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor’s recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.

Sore Throat: Should I Take Antibiotics?

Get the facts

Your options

• Take antibiotics for a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection.
• Don’t take antibiotics. Try home treatment instead.

Key points to remember

• People often think antibiotics will cure their sore throat. But most sore throats are caused by a virus, such as a cold. Antibiotics won’t work for sore throats caused by a virus.
• Most of the time, sore throats go away on their own. It may take a few days or up to a week, depending on the cause.
• To relieve the pain from a sore throat, you can take over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or you can try lozenges or nasal sprays. Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest.
• Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to shorten the time you are able to spread strep throat—which is caused by bacteria—to others. Antibiotics will help prevent a serious but rare problem called rheumatic fever.
• Taking antibiotics too often or when you don’t need them can be harmful and costly. And the medicine may not work the next time you take it when you really do need it. This is called antibiotic resistance.

FAQs

What is a sore throat?

Sore throats can be painful and annoying. But most of the time they go away on their own. It may take a few days or up to a week, depending on the cause.

Most sore throats are caused by a virus, such as a cold. A bacterial infection can also cause a sore throat.

If you have a sudden, severe sore throat without coughing, sneezing, or other cold symptoms, you could have strep throat. Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils. About 1 out of 10 sore throats in adults is caused by strep throat. This means that 9 out of 10 sore throats aren’t strep.

How well do antibiotics work to treat a sore throat?

Antibiotics don’t work at all for a sore throat caused by a virus. These kinds of sore throats usually go away on their own in 4 to 5 days.

If you have strep throat—which is caused by bacteria—your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, such as penicillin. But strep throat goes away on its own in 3 to 7 days with or without antibiotics.

Antibiotics may not make you well faster. But they may shorten the time you are able to spread strep throat to others (are contagious) by a day or so.

Antibiotics may also lower the risk of a bacterial infection spreading to other parts of your body, such as your ears and sinuses. They can also prevent serious but rare problems such as rheumatic fever in children.

What are the risks of taking antibiotics for sore throat?

Antibiotics may cause side effects, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

Besides side effects, there are other good reasons not to use antibiotics unless you really need them.

• Antibiotics cost money.
• You will probably have to see the doctor to get a prescription. This costs you time.
• If you take antibiotics when you don’t need them, they may not work when you do need them. Each time you take antibiotics, you are more likely to carry some bacteria that were not killed by the medicine. Over time, these bacteria get tougher and can cause longer and more serious infections. To treat them, you may need different, stronger, and more costly antibiotics.

How can you relieve a sore throat without antibiotics?

Home treatment is often all you need to soothe a sore throat. Try these tips:

• Gargle often with warm salt water if you are age 8 or older. This helps to reduce throat swelling and pain. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in 240 mL (8 ounces) of warm water.
• Drink extra fluids to soothe your throat. Honey or lemon in weak tea may help. Don’t give honey to children younger than 1 year of age.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Take over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve pain and reduce fever.
• Try throat lozenges that have a painkiller to numb your throat. Regular cough drops may also help. Do not give these to children younger than 4 years of age.
• Try a decongestant. It can make breathing easier and relieve a runny nose and post-nasal drip, which can make your throat hurt. You can take it as a pill or as a nasal spray. Before you use this medicine, check the label. It may not be safe for young children or for people with certain health problems.

Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

Compare your options

Compare Option 1Take antibioticsDon’t take antibiotics

Compare Option 2Take antibioticsDon’t take antibiotics

Take antibiotics Take antibiotics

• You take an antibiotic, usually penicillin, for as long as your doctor prescribes. Or you may get a single shot of penicillin.
• You take the full course of medicine, even if you start to feel better.

• If your sore throat is caused by bacteria, such as with strep throat, antibiotics will shorten the time you are able to spread the infection to others.
• The medicine may lower the risk of the bacterial infection spreading to other parts of your body, such your ears or sinuses.
• The medicine can also prevent serious but rare problems from strep throat, such as rheumatic fever in children.

• Antibiotics won’t work for a sore throat caused by a virus.
• Side effects of antibiotics can include diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes.
• Antibiotics cost money. They may not make you well faster.
• Taking antibiotics too often or when you don’t need them can be harmful. The medicine may not work the next time you take it when you really do need it.

Don’t take antibiotics Don’t take antibiotics

• You try home treatment for your sore throat. You can:
  • Gargle with salt water.
  • Take over-the-counter medicine such as aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve pain.
  • Drink extra fluids to soothe your throat.
  • Get plenty of rest.
• If your sore throat is caused by a virus, it will likely go away on its own in 4 to 5 days. If you have strep throat, which is caused by bacteria, it will likely go away on its own in 3 to 7 days.

• You save money on medicine.
• You don’t have the side effects from antibiotics.

• If your sore throat is caused by a virus, there are no risks or side effects of not taking antibiotics.
• If your sore throat is caused by bacteria:
  • You may be sick a day or so longer than if you do take antibiotics.
  • You have a higher risk of the infection spreading to other parts of your body, such as your ears or sinuses.
  • You could make other people around you sick if you are still contagious.

Personal stories about taking antibiotics for sore throat

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

I was sick a lot as a kid, and I was always taking medicine. Maybe it helped at the time. But in the past few years, when I’ve gotten a bad sore throat or sinus infection, antibiotics haven’t worked. I’ve had to try two or three different ones each time. That gets expensive. The next time I get a sore throat, I’m going to try just staying home, resting, and taking care of myself instead of taking antibiotics.

My 8-year-old daughter got strep throat last month. I thought it was just a cold, and I kept her home from school for a few days. But she wasn’t getting better and she felt so miserable. I was also worried about ear infections. She gets a lot of those too. The doctor did a strep test and suggested she take antibiotics. Amy started feeling better a few days later. I think antibiotics were the right way to go this time.

My insurance doesn’t pay for all of my medicines, so I try to make sure I really need the ones I do take. The last time I had a bad cold, my throat got really sore. The pain made it hard for me to swallow. I called my doctor’s office and the nurse said I could come in if I felt I needed a prescription. I thought I’d wait and see instead. I took ibuprofen and drank a lot of tea and honey, and in a few days I felt better. I’m glad I didn’t spend the money on a doctor visit and medicine.

I’m pretty healthy most of the time, but this past winter I got sick. I was down for 3 or 4 days. It turns out I had an infection in my throat and tonsils. The doctor thought I should take antibiotics because of my age and health. And I wanted to get over it as soon as possible so I could go back to my volunteer job at the local hospital. I think the medicine helped me get back on my feet just a little sooner than if I hadn’t taken it.

What matters most to you?

Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.

Reasons to take antibiotics for a sore throat

Reasons not to take antibiotics for a sore throat

I want to take medicine even if there’s only a chance it will help me get well faster.

I may not want to take medicine if it won’t help me get well faster.

More important

Equally important

More important

I’m worried about my sore throat turning into an ear infection or sinus infection.

I’m not worried about my sore throat turning into an ear infection or sinus infection.

More important

Equally important

More important

I’m not worried about the risk of taking antibiotics too often.

I’m worried about the risks of taking antibiotics too often.

More important

Equally important

More important

I’ve had a sore throat for more than a week, and it’s not getting better.

I’ve had a sore throat for just a few days.

More important

Equally important

More important

My other important reasons:

My other important reasons:

More important

Equally important

More important

Where are you leaning now?

Now that you’ve thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.

Taking antibiotics

NOT taking antibiotics

Leaning toward

Undecided

Leaning toward

What else do you need to make your decision?

1.1, Do most sore throats go away on their own? 2.2, Is it harmful to take antibiotics too often? 3.3, Do antibiotics work if a sore throat is caused by a virus, such as a cold? 1.1,Do you understand the options available to you?2.2,Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you?3.3,Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice?

1.
How sure do you feel right now about your decision?

Not sure at all

Somewhat sure

Very sure

2.2, Check what you need to do before you make this decision.

3.
Use the following space to list questions, concerns, and next steps.

Your Summary

Here’s a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.

Your decision 

Next steps

Which way you’re leaning

How sure you are

Your comments

Credits

Credits

You may want to have a say in this decision, or you may simply want to follow your doctor’s recommendation. Either way, this information will help you understand what your choices are so that you can talk to your doctor about them.

Sore Throat: Should I Take Antibiotics?

Here’s a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.

1. Get the facts
2. Compare your options
3. What matters most to you?
4. Where are you leaning now?
5. What else do you need to make your decision?

1. Get the Facts

Your options

• Take antibiotics for a sore throat caused by a bacterial infection.
• Don’t take antibiotics. Try home treatment instead.

Key points to remember

• People often think antibiotics will cure their sore throat. But most sore throats are caused by a virus, such as a cold. Antibiotics won’t work for sore throats caused by a virus.
• Most of the time, sore throats go away on their own. It may take a few days or up to a week, depending on the cause.
• To relieve the pain from a sore throat, you can take over-the-counter medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen, or you can try lozenges or nasal sprays. Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest.
• Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to shorten the time you are able to spread strep throat—which is caused by bacteria—to others. Antibiotics will help prevent a serious but rare problem called rheumatic fever.
• Taking antibiotics too often or when you don’t need them can be harmful and costly. And the medicine may not work the next time you take it when you really do need it. This is called antibiotic resistance.

FAQs

What is a sore throat?

Sore throats can be painful and annoying. But most of the time they go away on their own. It may take a few days or up to a week, depending on the cause.

Most sore throats are caused by a virus, such as a cold. A bacterial infection can also cause a sore throat.

If you have a sudden, severe sore throat without coughing, sneezing, or other cold symptoms, you could have strep throat. Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat and tonsils. About 1 out of 10 sore throats in adults is caused by strep throat. This means that 9 out of 10 sore throats aren’t strep.

How well do antibiotics work to treat a sore throat?

Antibiotics don’t work at all for a sore throat caused by a virus. These kinds of sore throats usually go away on their own in 4 to 5 days.

If you have strep throat—which is caused by bacteria—your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, such as penicillin. But strep throat goes away on its own in 3 to 7 days with or without antibiotics.

Antibiotics may not make you well faster. But they may shorten the time you are able to spread strep throat to others (are contagious) by a day or so.

Antibiotics may also lower the risk of a bacterial infection spreading to other parts of your body, such as your ears and sinuses. They can also prevent serious but rare problems such as rheumatic fever in children.

What are the risks of taking antibiotics for sore throat?

Antibiotics may cause side effects, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

Besides side effects, there are other good reasons not to use antibiotics unless you really need them.

• Antibiotics cost money.
• You will probably have to see the doctor to get a prescription. This costs you time.
• If you take antibiotics when you don’t need them, they may not work when you do need them. Each time you take antibiotics, you are more likely to carry some bacteria that were not killed by the medicine. Over time, these bacteria get tougher and can cause longer and more serious infections. To treat them, you may need different, stronger, and more costly antibiotics.

How can you relieve a sore throat without antibiotics?

Home treatment is often all you need to soothe a sore throat. Try these tips:

• Gargle often with warm salt water if you are age 8 or older. This helps to reduce throat swelling and pain. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in 240 mL (8 ounces) of warm water.
• Drink extra fluids to soothe your throat. Honey or lemon in weak tea may help. Don’t give honey to children younger than 1 year of age.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Take over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve pain and reduce fever.
• Try throat lozenges that have a painkiller to numb your throat. Regular cough drops may also help. Do not give these to children younger than 4 years of age.
• Try a decongestant. It can make breathing easier and relieve a runny nose and post-nasal drip, which can make your throat hurt. You can take it as a pill or as a nasal spray. Before you use this medicine, check the label. It may not be safe for young children or for people with certain health problems.

Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

Why might your doctor recommend taking antibiotics for a sore throat?

Your doctor may advise you to take antibiotics if you have strep throat, which is caused by bacteria. Antibiotics will only work if your sore throat is caused by bacteria.

Your doctor will do a throat culture or a rapid strep test to find out if you have strep throat.

2. Compare your options

Personal stories

Personal stories about taking antibiotics for sore throat

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

“I was sick a lot as a kid, and I was always taking medicine. Maybe it helped at the time. But in the past few years, when I’ve gotten a bad sore throat or sinus infection, antibiotics haven’t worked. I’ve had to try two or three different ones each time. That gets expensive. The next time I get a sore throat, I’m going to try just staying home, resting, and taking care of myself instead of taking antibiotics.”

“My 8-year-old daughter got strep throat last month. I thought it was just a cold, and I kept her home from school for a few days. But she wasn’t getting better and she felt so miserable. I was also worried about ear infections. She gets a lot of those too. The doctor did a strep test and suggested she take antibiotics. Amy started feeling better a few days later. I think antibiotics were the right way to go this time.”

“My insurance doesn’t pay for all of my medicines, so I try to make sure I really need the ones I do take. The last time I had a bad cold, my throat got really sore. The pain made it hard for me to swallow. I called my doctor’s office and the nurse said I could come in if I felt I needed a prescription. I thought I’d wait and see instead. I took ibuprofen and drank a lot of tea and honey, and in a few days I felt better. I’m glad I didn’t spend the money on a doctor visit and medicine.”

“I’m pretty healthy most of the time, but this past winter I got sick. I was down for 3 or 4 days. It turns out I had an infection in my throat and tonsils. The doctor thought I should take antibiotics because of my age and health. And I wanted to get over it as soon as possible so I could go back to my volunteer job at the local hospital. I think the medicine helped me get back on my feet just a little sooner than if I hadn’t taken it.”

3. What matters most to you?

Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.

Reasons to take antibiotics for a sore throat

Reasons not to take antibiotics for a sore throat

I want to take medicine even if there’s only a chance it will help me get well faster.

I may not want to take medicine if it won’t help me get well faster.

More important

Equally important

More important

I’m worried about my sore throat turning into an ear infection or sinus infection.

I’m not worried about my sore throat turning into an ear infection or sinus infection.

More important

Equally important

More important

I’m not worried about the risk of taking antibiotics too often.

I’m worried about the risks of taking antibiotics too often.

More important

Equally important

More important

I’ve had a sore throat for more than a week, and it’s not getting better.

I’ve had a sore throat for just a few days.

More important

Equally important

More important

My other important reasons:

My other important reasons:

More important

Equally important

More important

4. Where are you leaning now?

Now that you’ve thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now.

Taking antibiotics

NOT taking antibiotics

Leaning toward

Undecided

Leaning toward

5. What else do you need to make your decision?

Check the facts

1.
Do most sore throats go away on their own?

You’re right. Most of the time, sore throats go away on their own. It may take a few days or up to a week, depending on the cause.

2.
Is it harmful to take antibiotics too often?

You’re right. Taking antibiotics too often or when you don’t need them can be harmful and costly. The medicine may not work the next time you take it when you really do need it.

3.
Do antibiotics work if a sore throat is caused by a virus, such as a cold?

You’re right. Most sore throats are caused by a virus, such as a cold. Antibiotics won’t work for sore throats caused by a virus.

Decide what’s next

1.
Do you understand the options available to you?

2.
Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you?

3.
Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice?

Certainty

1.
How sure do you feel right now about your decision?

Not sure at all

Somewhat sure

Very sure

2.
Check what you need to do before you make this decision.

3.
Use the following space to list questions, concerns, and next steps.

Credits

Note: The “printer friendly” document will not contain all the information available in the online document some Information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.

Current as of: July 29, 2019

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review:Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & Brian D. O’Brien MD – Internal Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD – Internal Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD – Family Medicine & Charles M. Myer III MD – Otolaryngology

Does strep throat go away on its own?

Please select your insurance provider to continue.

Insurances
Select insuranceMy provider isn’t listedAdvantekAetnaAffinityAllegiance Benefit Plan ManagementAmerigroupAmeriHealth CaritasAnthem Blue CrossAnthem Blue Cross and Blue ShieldAPWU Health PlanAscendantASR Health BenefitsAvera Health PlansBASDBayCarePlusBCBSM Medicare AdvantageBillings ClinicBlue Care Network of IllinoisBlue Care Network of MichiganBlue Care Network of TexasBlue Cross Blue Shield of AlabamaBlue Cross Blue Shield of ArizonaBlue Cross Blue Shield of ColoradoBlue Cross Blue Shield of ConnecticutBlue Cross Blue Shield of GeorgiaBlue Cross Blue Shield of IndianaBlue Cross Blue Shield of KansasBlue Cross Blue Shield of KentuckyBlue Cross Blue Shield of LouisianaBlue Cross Blue Shield of MaineBlue Cross Blue Shield of MassachusettsBlue Cross Blue Shield of MichiganBlue Cross Blue Shield of MinnessotaBlue Cross Blue Shield of MississippiBlue Cross Blue Shield of MissouriBlue Cross Blue Shield of NebraskaBlue Cross Blue Shield of New YorkBlue Cross Blue Shield of North CarolinaBlue Cross Blue Shield of North DakotaBlue Cross Blue Shield of OhioBlue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode IslandBlue Cross Blue Shield of South CarolinaBlue Cross Blue Shield of VermontBlue Cross Blue Shield of VirginiaBlue Cross Blue Shield of WisconsinBlue Cross CaliforniaBlue Cross of IdahoBlue KCBraven HealthBright HealthBroadspireCapital Blue CrossCapital Health PlanCarefirst BlueCross BlueShieldCentura AssociatesColorado Doctor’s PlanColumbia Custom NetworkConsociateCoreSourceDAKOTACAREDeseret Mutual Benefit AdministratorsDuke Health PlansEmpire BCBS New YorkEmpire BlueCrossEnhancedCareMDFidelisFlorida BlueFlorida Health Care PlansGenesis Health PlansGuthrie Health PlanHawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA)Health Alliance Plan (HAP)HealthFirstHealth Partners MNHealth Partners of Northern CaliforniaHealth Plan of NevadaHealthScopeHealth TraditionHealthy BlueHighMarkHighmark Blue ShieldHorizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New JerseyHorizon New Jersey HealthHumanaIBC PlanIndependence Blue CrossIU Health PlanLeggett & Platt Partners Health PlanMedicaMedical Mutual (MMO)MedStarMemorial Health PlansMercyCareMeritainMetroPlusMissionary MedicalMolina HealthcareMSSEHIPMVP Health CareMy Benefits HomeNorman Health PlansOptum Medical NetworkOscar HealthParamount Health CarePEHP (Public Employees Health Plan)Pekin Life InsurancePeoples HealthPhysicians Health PlanPhysicians PlusPiedmontPiedmont Community Health PlansPublix BCBS PPOQuartzQuestRural Carrier Benefit PlanRWJ Barnabas Health PlansSalvation Army Health PlanSecurity Health PlanSelectHealthSierra Health and LifeSimplySmarthealthStaywellTexas Children’s Health PlanTricareTriple-S SaludUMRUnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare NevadaUnitedHealthcare OxfordUniversity of Utah Health PlansUPMC Health PlanUW Medicine PlansVibra Health PlanVirginia PremierWEA TrustWebTPAWellcare

Strep throat – Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

Your doctor will conduct a physical exam, look for signs and symptoms of strep throat, and probably order one or more of the following tests:

• Rapid antigen test. Your doctor may perform a rapid antigen test on a swab sample from your throat. This test can detect strep bacteria in minutes by looking for substances (antigens) in the throat. If the test is negative but your doctor still suspects strep, he or she might do a throat culture.
• Molecular (polymerase chain reaction, or PCR) test. This test is also done using a swab sample from your throat.
• Throat culture. A sterile swab is rubbed over the back of the throat and tonsils to get a sample of the secretions. It’s not painful, but it may cause gagging. The sample is then cultured in a laboratory for the presence of bacteria, but results can take as long as two days.

Treatment

Medications are available to cure strep throat, relieve its symptoms, and prevent its complications and spread.

Antibiotics

If your doctor diagnoses you or your child with strep throat, your doctor will likely prescribe an oral antibiotic. If taken within 48 hours of the onset of the illness, antibiotics reduce the duration and severity of symptoms, as well as the risk of complications and the likelihood that infection will spread to others.

With treatment, you or your child should start feeling better in a day or two. Call your doctor if there’s no improvement after taking antibiotics for 48 hours.

Children taking an antibiotic who feel well and don’t have a fever often can return to school or child care when they’re no longer contagious — usually 24 hours after beginning treatment. But be sure to finish all the medicine. Stopping early can lead to recurrences and serious complications, such as rheumatic fever or kidney inflammation.

Symptom relievers

To relieve throat pain and reduce fever, try over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.

Lifestyle and home remedies

In most cases, antibiotics will quickly wipe out the bacteria causing the infection. In the meantime, try these tips to relieve symptoms of strep throat:

• Get plenty of rest. Sleep helps your body fight infection. If you have strep throat, stay home from work if you can. If your child is ill, keep him or her at home until there’s no sign of fever, and he or she feels better and has taken an antibiotic for at least 24 hours.
• Drink plenty of water. Keeping a sore throat lubricated and moist eases swallowing and helps prevent dehydration.
• Eat soothing foods. Easy-to-swallow foods include broths, soups, applesauce, cooked cereal, mashed potatoes, soft fruits, yogurt and soft-cooked eggs. You can puree foods in a blender to make them easier to swallow. Cold foods, such as sherbet, frozen yogurt or frozen fruit pops also may be soothing. Avoid spicy foods or acidic foods such as orange juice.
• Gargle with warm salt water. For older children and adults, gargling several times a day can help relieve throat pain. Mix 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) of table salt in 8 ounces (237 milliliters) of warm water. Be sure to tell your child to spit out the liquid after gargling.
• Honey. Honey can be used to soothe sore throats. Don’t give honey to children younger than 12 months.
• Use a humidifier. Adding moisture to the air can help ease discomfort. Choose a cool-mist humidifier and clean it daily because bacteria and molds can flourish in some humidifiers. Saline nasal sprays also help keep mucous membranes moist.
• Stay away from irritants. Cigarette smoke can irritate a sore throat and increase the likelihood of infections such as tonsillitis. Avoid fumes from paint or cleaning products, which can irritate the throat and lungs.

Preparing for your appointment

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there’s anything you need to do in advance, such as fasting before having a specific test. Make a list of:

• Symptoms you or your child has, including any that seem unrelated to the reason for your appointment
• Key personal information, including major stresses, recent life changes, family medical history and possible sources of recent infection
• All medications, vitamins or other supplements you or your child takes, including the doses
• Questions to ask your doctor

Take along a family member or friend, if possible, to help you remember the information you’re given.

For strep throat, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• What’s likely causing these signs and symptoms?
• What are other possible causes?
• What tests are needed?
• What treatment approach do you recommend?
• How soon do you expect symptoms to improve with treatment?
• How long will this be contagious? When is it safe to return to school or work?
• What self-care steps might help?
• Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you’re prescribing?

Don’t hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask a number of questions, including:

• When did the symptoms begin?
• Have the symptoms changed over time?
• How severe are the symptoms?
• Have you or your child been exposed to anyone with strep throat in the last couple of weeks?
• Does anything seem to make the symptoms better or worse?
• Have you or your child been diagnosed with strep throat in the past? When? How was it treated?
• Have you or your child been diagnosed with any other medical conditions?

What you can do in the meantime

If you think you or your child might have a strep infection, take steps to relieve symptoms and avoid spreading infection:

• Keep your hands clean, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and don’t share personal items.
• Gargle with 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) of table salt in 8 ounces (237 milliliters) of warm water.
• Rest, drink fluids, eat soft foods and take pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to help ease symptoms.

Dec. 17, 2020

Is It Strep or a Sore Throat? Compare Your Symptoms

Sore throats can be a common complaint in winter. As colder weather drives us inside and around more people, the common cold can more easily develop, and with it, a sore, scratchy throat.

How can you know if your sore throat needs medical attention?

“It is not uncommon to confuse a cold-related sore throat with the more serious strep throat, but there are differences,” said Family Nurse Practitioner Rosemary Schairer, of Samaritan Internal Medicine – Corvallis. “A sore throat is usually caused by a virus and will typically go away on its own as cold symptoms lessen, while strep throat is a bacterial infection that must be treated by antibiotics.”

A viral sore throat is typically accompanied by other cold-like symptoms, such as cough, sneeze, runny nose and a hoarse or raspy voice.

“A strep infection can make it feel very painful to swallow, and often comes with fever of 101-degrees or higher,” said Schairer. “Strep throat is far more common in children than adults.”

Group A streptococcus is the name of the bacteria which can cause several different types of infection, including strep throat, which is contagious. Someone can catch the infection by breathing in or touching infected droplets from a cough or sneeze, or by ingesting the droplets through shared eating utensils.

“Strep will often cause red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white splotches, and/or tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth, which you may be able to see by shining a flashlight inside the mouth,” she said. “But everyone is different, and a person can have strep without these symptoms.”

If the sore throat causes trouble swallowing, lasts longer than 48 hours, or comes with a fever or rash, see your doctor.

“Strep will not go away on its own, and if not treated with antibiotics, can develop into something more serious, especially in children, so don’t delay getting medical attention,” said Schairer.

Testing for Strep

While at-home tests for strep are available, Schairer does not recommend them.

“At-home tests can often give a false negative which would delay the start of treatment. Since strep, if untreated, can lead to far more serious illness such as rheumatic fever or scarlet fever, I recommend going to the doctor to know for sure,” she said.

Testing can be done and analyzed right in your doctor’s office. If the test shows positive, antibiotics can be started right away. If it shows negative, your doctor may recommend a more extensive throat culture done at a laboratory, which would take a few days to learn the results.

“After starting antibiotics, our patients typically notice a decrease in symptoms within a day or two,” Schairer noted.

Please be aware that some symptoms of strep throat are similar to that of COVID-19, which is still active in our communities. If you are concerned that you may have the coronavirus, contact your health care provider to get COVID-19 testing and follow-up care as soon as possible.

Symptoms: Viral Sore Throat vs. Strep Throat

While these are common symptoms, everyone is different. You may have only one or two symptoms, but if you have any questions, contact your doctor for testing. Strep occurs more often in children than adults and can have serious consequences if not treated. 

Viral sore throat will go away on its own, while strep requires antibiotics. If your sore throat causes trouble swallowing, last longer than 48 hours and/or comes with a fever or rash, see your doctor.

Soothing the Pain

Whether cold-related or strep, a sore throat can be very uncomfortable. While waiting for your throat to heal, Schairer recommends trying these tips to relieve the pain:

• Gargle with warm salt water. Dissolve a half-teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, swish it around your mouth and lean your head back to gargle with it. When done, make sure to spit out the water rather than swallow it.
• Drink warm liquids. Try a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of honey, or a mild tea. Avoid citrusy liquids like orange juice, which can make the pain worse.
• Try an over-the-counter remedy. Some over-the-counter medications may temporarily relieve symptoms like cough or congestion. Throat sprays and lozenges may also help. Do not give throat lozenges to young children as they could cause choking.
• Ice cream may help. Sometimes cold helps sooth throat pain, so if you want an excuse to eat ice cream, this could be a good one. Sucking on ice chips may also bring relief.
• Get plenty of rest. Sleep is how the body rejuvenates and heals, so get plenty of it. It can also be a good time to watch movies, read a book, or just take it easy.

Prevention

Because both colds and strep are contagious, meaning that they can spread to others, or you can get re-infected a second time, it is a good idea to try and prevent them.

“Washing our hands frequently and thoroughly makes a big difference in limiting the spread of all types of viruses and infections,” Schairer explained. “It’s also important to cover our coughs and sneezes so that droplets don’t travel to others. And avoid using another person’s glass or eating utensils.”

Eating a well-balanced diet and getting regular exercise and good quality sleep, can also help keep the body’s immune system strong and able to fight off infections.

If you or your child has a sore throat that doesn’t seem to be getting better, contact your child’s pediatrician or go to your nearest urgent care clinic for medical attention.

Get ideas for what to eat when you’re feeling sick – comfort counts!
Compare the symptoms of the cold, the flu and COVID-19.

5 Things You Might Not Know About Strep

5 Things You Might Not Know About Strep

When someone in my kid’s class is diagnosed with strep throat, a note goes home notifying the rest of the class that STREP IS IN THE CLASSROOM. I get it; it’s an infection control message and provides me the opportunity to:

1. Check my child for symptoms, and
2. review with my own kids that they shouldn’t be sharing drinks or lip balms with their classmates, to be good about handwashing, and all that prevention stuff.

Maybe I’m reading into it a bit, but the ‘tone’ of the letter sort of makes it seem like someone in the class has leprosy.  Or the plague. I won’t share the note here in order to protect what I’m sure aren’t any nefarious motives, but the school note made me think that it’s time to publish some less commonly known trivia that I think you oughta know about strep. Beside the fact that your child isn’t a threat to public health if she has it.

We all know that a strep infection is nearly always pretty easily solved with a course of penicillin or amoxicillin: effective and inexpensive antibiotics.

We used to give these medicines 3 and 4 times a day: a total pain, right? I’ve seen parents carrying around a cooler with the medicine in it (because it has to be refrigerated) just so they can keep their kids on schedule. Awesome parents, towing the line and doing right by their kids. Good thing most kids like the taste of amoxicillin. What’s not to like about that artificial bubble gum flavor? Well, I want to make sure you know now that the medicine can be given only ONCE per day and still treat the infection effectively. Many physicians even have a hard time changing their ways and can’t quite let go of the every 8-12 hour medicine dosing, but the once daily dosing works. It’s been studied; ask for it. 

Scarlet fever is just the skin manifestation of a strep infection.

It’s a red, sandpaper-like rash that usually starts on the trunk and may spread to the extremities. It’s dramatic looking AND sounding, and I wish we could all agree to change the name to “strep rash” or something incredibly dull so that there wouldn’t be as much of a hype about it. People simply love to report that they or their child “had scarlet fever” and describe it with a gravitas usually reserved for diagnoses known for very poor outcomes. When I rain on the parade with my reaction that is the opposite of shock, I know I disappoint just a little bit but I won’t be able to live with myself if I contribute in any way to the mystique about scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is easily treatable and not life-threatening.

Strep will go away on its own.

Without medicine. Weird. But it’s true. Your body’s immune system can and will eventually clear the strep bacteria. We mostly give antibiotics to get rid of the infection quicker and avoid the complications of strep, known (cue appropriate dramatic music…) as acute rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is uncommon in developed countries like the US, with the CDC reporting 0.04-0.06 annual cases per 1000 children, but remains a problem for underdeveloped nations. Unlike scarlet fever, acute rheumatic fever can cause serious medical problems in the joints and kidneys, among other places, so we treat strep in kids who are most susceptible to these complications, those older than age 3.

A negative predictor for strep infection is COUGH.

What that means is that if you have a cough, you are LESS LIKELY to have strep. This has been studied too. Additionally, many children who DO have strep have symptoms OTHER THAN a sore throat: namely headache and stomachache. Any school age child who comes to visit me with a fever, headache and abdominal pain always gets a strep test. Even if their throat looks ok.

What’s all the talk about some kids being a strep “carrier?”

What this means is that some kids always seem to have strep living in peace and harmony in the back of their throat so that even when they are not sick, they will still test positive when a throat swab is obtained. It’s not very common, but I do consider carrier status when a child gets back to back infections that test positive and that look clinically different from the very common back to back viruses that all kids get. The general thought is that children who are carriers are not in a state of constant infection or transmission of strep to others, and so there’s no good reason to be sending fancy immunologic tests to try to figure this out. What it may mean however, is that a stronger antibiotic may be prescribed to try to knock the infection out.

Well, did you learn something new? Does your child’s school notify you when strep is present in the classroom? One thing is for sure: we’re always learning something new in medicine, even about diseases that have been around for ages. I want to make sure that you are as up to date as possible about changes that might affect you and/or or your children, even as it relates to routine, run of the mill infections that we encounter often enough that we all might be considered experts in our own right, no matter what our background and training may be. Sometimes “parent” is the only qualifying title we need.

Keep Reading! Radiology Alphabet Soup

Return To Articles
Next Article

How Many Days is Too Many for a Sore Throat?

If you’ve ever had a sore throat, you know it’s no fun. It’s painful and it hurts even more when you swallow. And when it goes on longer than a week, it may be strep throat and it’s time to see a doctor.

Sore Throat or Strep Throat? Viral or Bacterial?

Sore throats come in two varieties: viral and bacterial. The most common cause of a sore throat (pharyngitis) is a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu, and usually goes away on its own. A sore throat, often accompanied by fever, headache, stomachache or rash, may indicate bacterial strep throat (streptococcal infection) and requires treatment with antibiotics to prevent complications.

How Do You Feel? And Why?

Viruses cause many sore throats in both adults and children. A runny nose, cough and hoarseness are usually viral infections. Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections, but your doctor may suggest over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen and throat lozenges to alleviate the pain.

Common infections causing a sore throat might result in other signs and symptoms, including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Body aches
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting

When Is It Time to See A Doctor?

It’s time to see a doctor when certain symptoms occur.

In Children
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should take your child to a doctor if symptoms don’t go away with the first drink in the morning. Also, you should get immediate care if your child has severe signs such as difficulty breathing or swallowing or unusual drooling, which might indicate an inability to swallow.

In Adults
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, you should see your doctor if you have a sore throat and any of the following associated conditions:

• A sore throat that is severe or lasts longer than a week
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Joint pain
• Earache
• Rash
• Fever higher than 101 F (38.3 C)
• Blood in saliva or phlegm
• Frequently recurring sore throats
• A lump in your neck
• Hoarseness lasting more than two weeks

Make It Feel Better

For a sore throat, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or other mild pain relievers may ease pain and fever. These should be used for the shortest time possible and label directions should be followed to avoid side effects. For children, over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications designed for infants or children (Tylenol, Infant’s Feverall) or ibuprofen (Pediatric Advil, Motrin Infant) can ease symptoms.

For strep throat, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. It is important to take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed even if the symptoms are gone. Failure to take all medication as directed can result in the infection worsening or spreading to other parts of the body. Not completing the full course of antibiotics to treat strep throat can increase a child’s risk of rheumatic fever or serious kidney inflammation.

Also important: Stay home until 24 hours after starting antibiotics. You may need an EXTRA day to regain your strength!

How Not to Get a Sore Throat

Sore throat germs are spread through contact, so the best way to prevent a sore throat is to stay away from those germs and practice good hygiene. Teaching your children to do the same will keep those germs out of your house and away from your family. So, remember:

• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after using the toilet, before eating and after sneezing or coughing.
• Avoid sharing food, drinking glasses or utensils.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and toss it in a receptacle that won’t come in contact with others. When necessary, sneeze into your elbow.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers to washing hands when soap and water aren’t available.
• Avoid touching public phones or drinking fountains with your mouth.
• Regularly clean telephones, TV remotes and computer keyboards with sanitizing cleanser. Also clean phones and remotes in your hotel room when you travel.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

The Final Words for Sore Throats

A sore throat is one of the most common reasons for a sick day and a doctor’s visit. At the first sign of scratchiness, you wonder if it will linger or fade away in a few days. If it’s simply a symptom of the cold or flu, it will probably go away as your flu subsides. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to see a doctor. And the sooner you do, the sooner those antibiotics will have you saying, “Bye-bye, sore throat. You are out of here.”

Choose to Stay in Touch

Get health news, wellness tips, patient stories and more delivered to your inbox.

Sign Up Now

Strep Throat Treatment: Antibiotics, Contagious Period, Recovery

What Are the Treatments for Strep Throat?

Strep throat, caused by bacteria, is one type of sore throat that can be treated. It isn’t handled in the same way as sore throats caused by colds and other viruses, so your doctor will likely do what’s called a “rapid strep test” to be sure it’s strep

If the test is positive (meaning you or your child has it), they’ll probably recommend:

• Antibiotics to kill the bacteria that’s causing it
• Rest to help you get better faster
• Over-the-counter medicines and home remedies to ease symptoms

Antibiotics

This class of drugs is able to kill the group A Streptococcus bacteria that cause strep throat. They will work only on bacteria. They have no effect on sore throats caused by viruses.

Antibiotics can:

• Relieve a sore throat and other symptoms when they are caused by strep
• Help your child get better faster
• Make it less likely it will be spread to others
• Help prevent complications such as sinus and tonsil infections, and more serious things such as rheumatic fever

Continued

Doctors most often prescribe penicillin or amoxicillin (Amoxil) to treat strep throat. They are the top choices because they’re safer, inexpensive, and they work well on strep bacteria.

Kids or adults who are allergic to penicillin may be able to take one of these antibiotics instead:

Your child will take antibiotics by mouth one to three times each day. Sometimes doctors give this medicine as a shot.

Side effects

Antibiotics sometimes cause side effects, such as:

Usually these side effects are mild. They should stop once your child finishes the medicine. If they are severe or persist, then call your doctor.

People sometimes have an allergy to antibiotics, though it is rare. Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:

Call your doctor right away if your child has these symptoms.

How long do I take them?

Continued

Most antibiotic treatments for strep throat last about 10 days. Kids usually feel better a day or two after they start them. Once they’ve been on these drugs for about 24 hours, they’re no longer contagious and can go back to school.

Even after kids start to feel better, they should finish all their pills. You can leave some bacteria alive if you stop too soon. If strep is not fully treated, it might lead to complications such as:

When people stop taking antibiotics too soon, the bacteria that cause strep can become resistant to the medication. That means another case of strep would be much harder to control.

Strep Throat Home Care

Until the antibiotics start to work, these home treatments can help you or your child feel better:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to bring down a fever and ease the sore throat. Don’t give aspirin to children and teens. It can cause a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.
• Rest: Stay home from school or work. You need extra rest to help your body fight off the infection.
• Gargling: Rinse with a mixture of a quarter-teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of warm water to relieve a scratchy throat.
• Lozenges and hard candy: Older kids can suck on these to feel better. Avoid giving small pieces of candy to children 4 and younger.
• Lots of fluids: Do this especially if you have a fever. Water and warm liquids such as soup or tea soothe the throat and keep you hydrated. If cold feels better on your throat, suck on a frozen pop or ice chips. Avoid orange juice, lemonade, and other drinks that are high in acid. These can burn your throat.
• Soft foods: Examples include yogurt, applesauce, or frozen yogurt. They’re easier to swallow.
• Cool-mist humidifier or saline nasal spray: Moisture can help make your throat feel better.

Steer clear of anything that might bother your throat, like cigarette smoke, paint fumes, or cleaning products.

90,000 How I spent 1 million rubles on medicines and doctors who did not help me, part three

6863

views

Obesity, IBS, gastritis, JVP, constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, allergies, Helicobacter, parasites, panic attacks, constant fatigue, insomnia, herniated discs, neurosis, stress, VSD, migraines, dizziness, fungal infection, ringing in the ears, pain in muscles and joints.

Hello everyone, in previous articles I described how I went to the doctors and tried to solve my health problems. Here I will describe what kind of nutrition scheme I developed personally for myself, what knowledge, analyzes and tests I relied on. There will also be general advice that will suit everyone.

In the second part, I forgot to describe that having adjusted my diet, I got rid of: gastritis, IBS, DGVP, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, allergies, panic attacks, constant fatigue, insomnia, neurosis, dizziness, ringing in the ears, muscle pain (they were due to a deficiency of vitamins of group B), I did not stop experiencing stress, but its effect on me significantly weakened, why this happened I will explain later.

I also made a mistake when writing my text, which was pointed out to me in the comments, thank you very much, as this is a very important problem.

I wrote that antibiotics kill bacteria and viruses. Let’s figure out what exactly was my mistake and why is it so important?

Antibiotics and antivirals, what is the difference, what and when to take and is it worth taking at all?

Antibiotics : are drugs used to treat bacterial infections.They do not work against viral and many other infections. Antibiotics can kill microorganisms or stop them from multiplying, allowing natural defense mechanisms to eliminate them

Accordingly, antibiotics are aimed at combating bacterial infections and should be taken only in these cases. But even with bacterial infections without severe complications, I advise you to start with sparing measures aimed at suppressing pathogenic flora, through their direct antagonists, that is, beneficial bacteria.

Signs of a bacterial infection:

• temperature rise
• Pain in any one part of the body
• enlarged lymph nodes
• suppuration
• no appetite
• nausea, vomiting
• sweating.

Major bacterial infections:

• group A streptococcus (causes sore throat)
• bacterial sinusitis and pneumonia
• salmonellosis

Antiviral drugs: drugs intended for the treatment of various viral diseases: influenza, herpes, HIV infection, etc.Can be used to prevent infection with certain viruses.

Signs of a viral infection:

• Increased body temperature
• muscle pain
• cough, sneezing, runny nose
• chills
• diarrhea, vomiting
• skin rash
• feeling of weakness.

Major viral infections:

• colds (ARVI, flu, etc.)
• intestinal viruses (viral gastroenteritis)
• hepatitis virus
• herpes virus
• human papillomavirus
• tuberculosis

The logical conclusion from the above would be that with ARVI it is necessary to take antiviral drugs, but this is not the case. Antiviral drugs are drugs with unproven efficacy.

What to do with ARVI? The most important thing is to create comfortable conditions for the body, not to overcool, ventilate the room, drink a lot of pure water or herbal infusions, rest.

Your immunity will do the rest for you.

I remember my school years when my mother took me to the doctor. You come and describe the symptoms, prescribe antibiotics, come back in a week, it doesn’t help, prescribe antiviral ones 🙂 And there were individuals who prescribe both drugs at the same time.

I remember that my mother always asked doctors about the advisability of prescribing antibiotics.The reaction was something like “Who is the doctor here, me or you?”.

A doctor who cannot explain why a particular drug is prescribed is a bad doctor.

So now let’s start from where I left off in the second chapter.

To be healthy or not is everyone’s choice

So, first of all, I called a specialist who made me an individual diet and treatment regimen, and explained the situation, as well as asked for advice.

She invited me to watch the video of Mikhail Sovetov on youtube, as an alternative view of the processes occurring in our body and what to do with them.

Mikhail positions himself as a naturopathic doctor. I’ve watched over 50 hours of his video. And at that time, his approach seemed to me quite interesting and reasonable.

Naturopathy is a type of alternative medicine that believes in the ability of the human body to heal itself using natural remedies and methods based on them.

The main idea is that with food we pollute our body with toxins and toxins that our excretory systems cannot cope with and they begin to accumulate in our body and internal organs.

Slags – mucus, edema, salts / stones, they pollute the body, but do not poison it in any way.

Toxins are all non-organic chemical compounds that enter our body from water, air, food, and damage the tissues with which they come into contact.

In the comments, I was asked about mucus, in Mikhail’s video, special attention is paid to it.In short, according to his theory, mucus in our body is formed from heat-treated foods, mainly vegetables and cereals.

Therefore, to start fighting it, it is necessary to reduce the amount of these products to a minimum and introduce fresh vegetables such as carrots and beets into the diet to the maximum. Every day I made myself a salad of carrots, beets and various greens, and at some point I noticed that my eternal nasal congestion had disappeared.

At that moment, it was absolutely not important for me why it worked, because I really got rid of excess mucus, or because I fed my beneficial bacteria with dietary fiber, which is found in fresh vegetables and fruits, and they are in In turn, they drove out pathogenic comrades, which influenced the development of allergies and, as a result, nasal congestion.

At the moment, I have a very ambiguous attitude towards this technique, since it, like everyone else, is far from perfect and some of Michael’s advice can be dangerous to human health. But I really learned a lot of useful things, and knowledge in naturopathy was added to my piggy bank. And no knowledge is superfluous.

I noticed that many specialists who preach new methods or approaches to treating people end up at a dead end and start looking for answers to questions that they do not have in different spiritual practices, since they cannot explain some of the processes that occur in the human body through the prism of their knowledge.

I have nothing against spiritual practices – this is just an observation. I plan to start doing yoga myself.

What I liked about Mikhail’s approach is that he does not have radical views, but tries to adapt a person to a new way of life as smoothly as possible.

He appeals with several facts that there is a natural and healthy diet.Fruits are natural for us, as for a species, and healthy is a smooth transition from the familiar to the natural.

What are the disadvantages of this approach in my opinion:

• Genetic characteristics are not taken into account
• does not take into account glycemic load
• there is no clear explanation of where to get b12 and other useful elements that are found only in meat
• the fact of evolution is not taken into account
• there is no balance, which I am already talking about in the third article

To keep yourself out of the wrath of vegans, vegetarians, fruitians, raw foodists, etc.a minute of humor😁

Well, and a small reference to Serge Faguet, as many probably realized if they read Sergei’s article about biohacking, that the choice of the name for my writings was inspired by him.

Seryoga, if you never know how you read, good luck in becoming God😉

Subtotal: Michael’s words contain sound thoughts and reasoning, for example, about toxins and toxins, but in general, his method is far from ideal.

Search for Truth

Despite the fact that I dismissed Michael’s method as not suitable for me for a number of reasons. I still use some of his advice and I think that they will be useful to everyone.

What I use and important points:

• Bought and installed a reverse osmosis filter, don’t buy expensive if you don’t want to pay for marketing.A prerequisite is only 4 degrees of cleaning.
• I bought an ozonizer that does not require leaving the room during ozonation. This is very important because ozone becomes toxic at high concentrations. Read the instructions carefully before purchasing.
• I drink water only from glass bottles, I can taste any water from the one that has been filtered through a reverse osmosis system. The rest of the water will simply not taste good to you.
• You have CONSTITUTION if you go to the toilet once a day for a big time (a very important point, many do not know this).
• Replaced plastic food storage containers with glass ones (this is my personal joke).
• Not a tip, but an important observation. Disease is the body’s way of clearing itself of contaminants or bacteria / viruses that it has accumulated.
• Most pills remove the symptoms, taking them you artificially interfere with your body to get rid of excess and prolong the duration of the illness.

My next step was to collect all the latest research that I did and think about how they might be useful to me.

I started with a genetic test, a useless piece of paper in a beautiful marketing wrapper, unless you find a specialist who can interpret it correctly. I started researching this question myself.

Who would have thought that at the age of 33 I would start studying genetics? 3

I took several foreign courses devoted to the analysis of science in general and the interpretation of results in particular.You have no idea how dense this forest is. I got a basic understanding of how we are arranged and how we work from the point of view of genetics and decided not to go further, as I realized that I simply would not have enough time and knowledge. And even on this I spent a month, at least 9 hours a day. Quarantine helped me with this 🙂

Then I started studying molecular dietetics.

We are what we eat

The authorship of this phrase is attributed to different people: from Hippocrates to Confucius.Pythagoras, Feuerbach and many others have similar words. At one time, the great physician Hippocrates said: “We are what we eat.” He was of the opinion that human disease is the result of malnutrition

Many of you, I am sure, have often heard this phrase, but hardly attached any importance to it.But in vain … After all, the meaning in it is much broader than it was laid in those days 🙂

That is, if you do not monitor what you eat, you are potentially at risk of 80 diseases. That can develop throughout life.

And here is one of my favorite cases, which I often cite as an example, when they try to prove to me that this or that diet can not harm.As well as the well-established opinion that everyone needs to take vitamins en masse, which people prescribe to themselves, according to the recommendations of the institutes 😞

A separate caste of bastards who take no responsibility for their advice.

While I was writing this article, along the way we talked with one person who asked for advice on how to cope with helicobacter pylori.We talked, I shared my experience in this matter. And in a conversation, he told me that he turned to a gastroenterologist for help, who writes scientific articles and positions herself as a strong specialist in her field. He also sent a completed questionnaire, which they asked to provide, before the consultation. And we agreed that he would send me her answer. Today we received it, at first I was pleasantly surprised by the rather sensible advice, but then, looking more closely, I realized that this is a stupid template, which contains all the recommendations regarding any problems with the gastrointestinal tract.And then the whole song, this instadiva appoints a huge list of dietary supplements with a referral link :)) But most importantly, the person has a history of “ Violation of purine metabolism, the threat of gout. Uric acid 600. Father has gout. “assigned” Start the morning with a protein-fat breakfast “. Curtain, fanfare, applause!

For those who did not understand anything, I will explain. At the heart of gout is a violation of purine metabolism.Purines are nitrogen-containing compounds that come from food or are synthesized in the body. High amounts of purines are found in protein-rich foods. In the body, they are broken down to uric acid and in this form are excreted from the body through the kidneys.

In other words, the person was prescribed a diet dangerous, in his case, for health.

Vitamins can be dangerous

So let’s see what’s going on in this picture.Let’s say there is a person with a polymorphism of the CYP1A2 gene, which is involved in the metabolism of many drugs and pro-carcinogenic metabolites.

The difference between mutations and polymorphism is rather arbitrary: when one of the variants of the nucleotide sequences of a DNA region is detected in more than 1% of people in the population and does not lead to the development of a disease, this is called polymorphism, if less than 1% or with a high probability leads to a disease – mutation.

This person smokes and loves carrots and carrot juice. With this polymorphism, it is at risk of developing lung cancer, since carotenoids can affect the activity of the gene and this gene converts tar from tobacco smoke into a more harmful metabolite.

Without the absence of carotenoids, this gene works weaker and fewer carcinogens are produced.Now all smokers who love carrots, probably tensed 🙂 But there are quite a few such examples.

Bottom line: even the most harmless or in general terms useful substances or products can cause enormous harm to your health, under certain circumstances.

One interesting fact, all genes in our body do not work at the same time, some of them are dormant.And certain nutrients that enter our body are responsible for their activation. And a separate science of nutrigenomics is studying this process.

Nutrigenomics is the science of the influence of human nutrition on gene expression. It is often divided into two branches: Nutrigenomics proper, which investigates the effects of nutrients and their relationship with genome expression characteristics, proteomics, metabolomics and the resulting changes in metabolism.

That is, even having a genetic predisposition to some kind of disease, in the future, we will be able to control the manifestations of this gene through food and keep it dormant throughout our lives.

What to do? How to live? You ask.

For starters, do not panic and invent new sores based on symptoms.The solution to the problem must be approached with a cool head. Do not seek help from instavractors, who may not only not help, but also greatly harm.

To deal with a sore, a person must admit that he has this problem and this is a very difficult process, even if the answer is obvious.

After all, even if you show the example that I gave above to a smoker, most likely the reaction will be like this – “Aby, yes … I’m all right, but my neighbor smoked all his life and lived to 80 years “.

And his argument might sound pretty compelling if you don’t get deeper into it.

• Some neighbor, this is some neighbor, he is not YOU, there is no need to look up to anyone, the human body is a very complex ecosystem, which is too individual, therefore there are no uniform rules by which all people can live and be healthy.
• How long would he have lived if he had not smoked?
• Were his last years of life happy and filled with at least some meaning? (here it is appropriate to recall the example of my grandmother from the second chapter)
• In terms of age, it is not only quantity that is important, but also quality. Therefore, it is necessary to work on both components in parallel.

Is the microbiota a new organ? Its role in all processes in the body

The next stage of my self-education was the study of microbiota.Since it is no secret to anyone that it is responsible for the most important function in the body – immunity. But this is not all that she does and it will be useful to watch this video for a start.

It follows from this video that we are only 43% human, and the remaining 57% are bacteria 🙂 I already wrote about the intestinal nervous system, I checked the direct correlation between improving the functioning of the intestines and the psychological state on myself.

There is a direct correlation between the microflora and the emotional state, if one suffers, then the other suffers, respectively, if you correct one side, then the other begins to straighten out. BUT, an important point, you need to understand what was paramount. In my case, these were problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and neurological problems were already connected to them. It happens on the contrary, manifestations of neurosis appear, and then the gastrointestinal tract suffers.

Here is a great article on the effects of probiotics on human health:

According to a recent study, probiotics may be effective in reducing depressive symptoms in previously untreated patients with mild to moderate forms of depression.Patients were treated with probiotics containing two strains known to act on the intestinal-nervous system (Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum). They showed a significant reduction in mood and sleep disorders after the use of probiotics for 4 weeks. The results were maintained at 8 weeks after treatment.

But in our minds, a stereotype, which is very harmful for a modern person, has developed that bacteria are an evil that must be fought.

People, everyone around is treated with antiseptics, they wash their hands with or without reason. Plus this fucking covid, with the arrival of which, a lot of people just went crazy. They are ready to take a shower of Miramistin mixed with alcohol.

As with any approach, in this case too requires balance .That is, of course, washing your hands after going outside is worth it. As with any flu epidemic, but don’t turn it into paranoia.

Develop critical thinking, do not read tabloids, do not watch TV. Learn to recognize marketing. Throughout the entire pandemic, almost everyone around me was ill. And they still continue to be ill, with many I came into contact.I don’t wear masks or gloves.

And I’m also sure that if you check who is involved in the import of masks, respirators, gloves and other crap that is forcibly imposed on us, then the names of high-ranking bureaucrats or their friends will sprinkle there.

A little distracted from the topic, sorry, it hurt.Tired of looking at this general hysteria.

So, in simple words. During childbirth, the first bacteria that the baby comes into contact with are the bacteria contained in the mother’s vagina, that is, the well-known lactobacilli, etc., from which the formation of the child’s immunity begins. And here are the studies aimed at linking caesarean section with the further development of allergies in children.

There are also articles indicating an increased risk of developing autism with a caesarean section, which is also associated with gut microbiota.

The next step is breastfeeding. With breast milk, the baby continues to receive beneficial bacteria and form its own microflora.

You’ve most likely watched children taste new things, this is a natural process of our microbiota formation. Do you know why the number of children with allergies is increasing every year? Try to answer this question, and then take a look at the article:

Who guessed that fellow 🙂 So you have already begun to grasp my thought.Well, and the last article on the relationship between immunity and microflora:

There were a lot of questions about autoimmune sores, friends, I am very sorry that so many people suffer from such problems, I did not even expect … This section is for you. Unfortunately, I cannot give any specific advice for everyone, since I did not delve deeply into the study of this issue. And again, I repeat, this is a very difficult issue that requires an integrated approach.

Spoiler: at the end I will have an offer to everyone who wants to deal with their problems, but who do not have so much free time to delve into the essence of this issue. I have an idea how to help you. Let’s try to bring it to life.

My opinion about doctors was supported by communication with a huge number of people on this topic.And I was once again convinced that they are not treated, but that the symptoms are stopped, and many of them have already got used to the idea that they will have to take pills for the rest of their lives.

Huge request, do not give up. Delve into the study of this issue, the correct vector, I hope I was able to ask you.

IMPORTANT: I do not urge you to stop drinking pills, you cannot do this, any sudden change in the human body is always bad.Try, feel, try, seek balance, because no one understands better than you what your body needs and what is good for it and what is bad.

Your health is in your hands. There are no unsolvable problems

For those who find it easier to perceive information by ear, I advise you to watch the video on youtube at the request of Dmitry Alekseev.He gives a lot of useful advice.

While writing the covid part, I decided to hold my breath. I remember having fun as a child. Result 2 minutes 30 seconds, no preparation. I don’t know what it says, but before my limit was close to 1 minute. I will finish the article and study this issue, then I will share with you 🙂

What damages our microbiota?

• Antibiotics
• Preservatives (which are actually antibiotics)
• Fast food

I can talk about microbiota for a very long time, this is too broad a topic.For anyone interested in diving deeper into this issue, I advise you to take a course that I myself once completed and it became the basis for further study.

From all of the above, a simple conclusion suggests itself: the higher the diversity of your microflora, the higher the immunity, the higher the immunity, the less you get sick.

Global Outcomes and Recommendations

And now let’s move on to the most interesting 😁 That is, to the specifics of how I got rid of my ailments and what I am doing now to improve my health further.

Obesity: here I will not discover America, the key to success is food and balanced training. More fresh vegetables and fruits, a minimum of fast carbohydrates. How many times you eat depends on you and your lifestyle. Start drinking water, if you put yourself a reverse osmosis filter, you will most likely get used to it faster, since the water is really tasty.

The tests that helped me:

• genetic test, helped me figure out which vitamins I should take, since their assimilation is impaired.I cannot sit on the now popular keto diet, since my fat metabolism is genetically disturbed. Heavy loads are contraindicated for me, since there is a violation with the withdrawal of lactic acid.
• KhMS according to Osipov, helped to identify pathogenic microflora.
• Some point blood tests.

And how sad it is to admit, but that’s all.The rest was a waste of time and money.

Some techniques worked, but they were aimed at eliminating the consequences, so they were only good for relieving symptoms, and not for getting rid of the problem forever.

After the first signs that my sores might come back again, I began to develop my own approach to lifestyle to prevent this.

Since by that time I had no doubt that food has a direct impact on the development and course of most diseases. I took my genetic tests, looked at the assimilation of which vitamins I have problems. Then I prescribed foods rich in these vitamins and included them in my diet.

All my problems related to the gastrointestinal tract, I solved through food.At one time he took choleretic drugs. Now I do not take any medications, except for several dietary supplements.

From lectures on microbiota, I came to the conclusion that immunity depends on the diversity and balance of bacteria in our intestines, so I began to feed these very bacteria and add new beneficial ones.

Prebiotics:

The food for our beneficial bacteria is fiber (dietary fiber), the coarse part of all plant foods.While the pathogenic microflora feeds on fast carbohydrates. So I started to gradually eliminate all sugar-containing foods.

Look at the list of your daily foods, I’m sure most of them will be sugar. Start eliminating it. A prerequisite to do this gradually, if you really want some flaky bun or candy, eat it, but strive to ensure that every week there are fewer of them.

Dietary fiber is water-soluble and not. Insoluble fiber, in addition to feeding bacteria, also enhances intestinal motility, which is also very important for health. Remember, one trip to the toilet per day is constipation.

Recommended daily intake of dietary fiber 30g.Start with small doses, especially if you have gastritis. If you have constipation, choose foods that have a laxative effect. Remember the balance. Mild bloating after taking fiber is normal, don’t worry.

I started by adding bran to my morning porridge. Now I have switched to my own mix of 5 types of bran (without porridge), which I season with yogurt, I make it from milk and sourdough from a pharmacy (evitalia), or add kombucha to milk.I am currently experimenting and eat 60g of dietary fiber a day, as I want to do a second test later and evaluate the composition of my microbiota.

This all sounds very complicated, but it really isn’t. I make yogurt in a slow cooker, put 2 liters of milk and turn it on for 8-9 hours, usually at night, and in the morning I have it for breakfast. I bought the bran in packs of 3 KG, mix myself in the jar and eat.

Probiotics:

The source of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) for me are Yogurt, kombucha (it deserves a separate article, since it has already become a member of the family, our name is Semyon😁), kefir mushroom, fermented foods.

Hormone D

Hormone D, which was earlier mistakenly called a vitamin, plays a huge role in the regulation of a huge number of processes in our body. In a modern way of life, we suffer from its everyday deficit.Therefore, it is imperative to monitor its indicators in our blood. Here is a good article that describes all the symptoms of a lack of this hormone and what to do if you find them.

Sports, gymnastics, sleep

Every morning I drink a glass of warm water and make a vacuum.Then I do gymnastics, which is aimed at solving my problems. It is useless to paint as everything is very individual here. The basis is Khadu gymnastics, plus he added his own elements.

He began to harden to stimulate the immune system and the work of blood vessels. Now I can safely wash in completely cold water without any discomfort. A contrast shower is great for invigorating in the morning and relaxing in the evenings.The main thing is to finish the shower with warm water in the evening, and cold water in the morning.

I try to go to bed between 11-12, an hour before bedtime I try not to watch TV, I use my computer in the night light mode.

Another important point: do not try to start doing everything at once, in the first couples you can pull out on an emotional impulse, but then give up and all your efforts will be in vain.Pick one problem that worries you the most and start with that. As soon as you notice the first results, you will immediately have the strength and motivation to use other methods to help.

There is no algorithm here, it will be most difficult for someone to quit smoking, for someone to drink water throughout the day. Decide for yourself, experiment.

If you change your diet and lifestyle dramatically, you are more likely to get a negative effect, since your body will resist such changes.

The basic rules that I figured out for myself in search of the root of my problems:

1) Every person is unique, do not try to find advice on a universal diet, pill, exercise regimen. It just doesn’t exist. As I said earlier, even the most useful product, at first glance, can be poison to you.But this can be found out only with complex testing.

2) Adjusting your lifestyle is not so difficult when you do it gradually. Bad habits disappear smoothly, useful ones are formed in their place. The main mistake of many people is that they want everything at once, or better, a pill made of “scales from the dragon’s ass”, which will get rid of all problems, but such are only in fairy tales.

3) Health is capital that will work for you in the future.

4) Remove all harmful from your diet (fried, smoked,
semi-finished products and all foods with preservatives).

5) Do not take pills just like that, do not suppress the symptoms, look for the root of the problem and hit it.

How to integrate all the innovations into the 21st century lifestyle?

The main thing is that you feel comfortable. Do not force anything, do not force yourself, the emotional and psychological component is also important. Begin to make adjustments only when you answer the question, “why am I doing this and what is my ultimate goal?”If you can’t, then don’t start.

I tried different nutritional methods, the most comfortable for me, it turned out to be 3 meals a day, a hearty breakfast, lunch can be different, sometimes I can just eat a couple of apples, dinner no later than 6 hours, the dishes depend on the mood.

The only thing I try to keep track of is the amount of fiber I eat throughout the day.So I included a lot of legumes and cereals and alternate them. Do not eat white rice (fast carbohydrate).

I have flat feet since childhood, I use orthopedic insoles, but I want to find a method to try to get rid of flat feet at all, as it gives me a number of inconveniences. Advise where to dig?

An Algorithm That Will Help All

This is what I thought about when I looked back at the huge amount of time and money spent and realized that it is not available to all people for various reasons, someone will not have so much time, someone will not have so much money.

I decided to gather my team and work on this direction.

Goal: to create an algorithm that will allow all people to give the most targeted recommendations on nutrition and lifestyle, in order to achieve a specific goal.Recommendations will be based on the latest, scientifically proven discoveries.

Tasks can be different: losing weight, preventing an existing disease, prolonging life, preventive measures to prevent the development of alimentary-dependent diseases, helping athletes achieve their goals, helping businessmen to increase their efficiency.

All companies and people that provide supposedly personalized nutritional or training schemes are pure marketing.Someone is trying to make such recommendations based on a genetic test, someone on the basis of a biochemical blood test. But this is a deliberately disastrous path in terms of the implementation and accuracy of such recommendations, since it is the same as playing chess when you only see one tenth of the entire field.

Soon we will start testing the first prototype in this area, for those who have a desire to deal with their sores – write, we will try to help everyone.

Team

I’m looking for people in our team who are primarily interested in the implementation of the project and are ready to learn and gain new knowledge, since progress does not stand still and you must always correspond.

Currently required: nutritionist, nutritionist, psychologist.Specialists with background are interesting, as well as those undergoing training. In the future, IT specialists will be required, if you have any ideas and wishes related to the implementation of the project, please write them in your personal messages 🙂

I would be grateful if you would share this article with those people whom you consider specialists in any of the areas that I have voiced.Or by links to those doctors who really helped you deal with your problem. Preferably with a mini history of how it was.

P.S. Be healthy and happy, hugged everyone 🤗

Regional dermatovenerologic dispensary, Lipetsk

Streptoderma is an infectious disease of the skin, caused by the “invasion” of streptococci, sowing destruction and death of epidermal cells.In fairness, it should be noted that this disease also has an alternative name – streptococcal pyoderma , but for some reason it is customary among the people to swallow the letter “o” in the second word, which is why the phrase acquires a completely obscene sound. But seriously, this disease, like any skin disease, in view of its publicity and accessibility to prying eyes, can easily poison the life of its unfortunate owner.

Streptoderma: causes of

Streptoderma.Photo. The skin performs the most important function in our body: it, being a reliable natural barrier, is the first to get in the way of any pathogenic “evil” that considers the human body as a food base, where “it is warm, light and flies do not bite.” But under certain conditions, under the influence of unfavorable factors, the skin loses its protective potential to some extent. This can happen when it becomes dirty, peripheral circulation disorders due to varicose veins, overheating or, conversely, hypothermia of the hands or feet, minor skin injuries (bites, cuts, abrasions), which, against the background of low immunity and vitamin deficiency, do not heal for a long time and facilitate the penetration of microorganisms under skin. The factor that stimulates the development of streptoderma is the presence of such pathologies as diabetes mellitus or renal failure.

Streptoderma: symptoms

The infection begins to manifest itself a week after infection. The first symptom of streptoderma is small pinkish spots of a round or irregular shape. After 2-3 days, they turn into bubbles filled with purulent contents. If streptococci “frolic” on the surface of the skin, then not everything is so scary: after opening the vesicles-vesicles, they quickly heal and do not leave behind ugly scars.This is superficial form of streptoderma , the so-called impetigo . If there is a deeper form of the disease – streptococcal ecthyma – then the consequences in the form of scars remaining after healing, unfortunately, cannot be avoided.

Symptoms other than skin rashes are not very pronounced. Sometimes there is a slight burning and itching, dryness of the infected skin. Streptoderma in children , occurring in conjunction with another disease, can cause fever and swollen lymph nodes in the affected area.

Streptoderma can also affect absolutely healthy skin, without visible defects, but it does not touch the hair and nails, the state of which does not change during the course of the disease. Initially, streptoderma is localized in limited areas, but the subsequent inattention to personal hygiene, disregard for treatment and wetting of the affected skin areas ignite a “green light” on the path of infection spread. Streptoderma in children very clearly demonstrates this: once you wash a sick child, after just a couple of hours, pink spots increase and the skin swells.

Chronic streptoderma is characterized by an increase in infected foci (up to 10 cm in diameter) with ragged edges and exfoliating keratinized epidermis. After opening the vesicles, yellowish-brown serous crusts are formed, under which, if they are cut off, a bright pink skin with signs of erosion is found. Over time, microbial eczema develops in the lesions.

Streptoderma: diagnostics

The clinical picture described above gives the doctor enough arguments to display the word “streptoderma” in the patient’s outpatient record in his professionally unreadable handwriting.Nevertheless, for greater reliability, the scraping from the skin is examined under a microscope, in which streptococci are determined. If the patient himself got into the treatment process with his clumsy hands and began to use some antibacterial ointments, then microscopic examination, even if streptoderma is present, may not give results. In this case, they rely on a visual examination of the patient.
Streptoderma should be distinguished from urticaria, eczema, atopic dermatitis. To this end, the patient is subjected to biased “interrogation” to establish a possible connection with potential allergens.

Streptoderma: treatment

Patients with streptoderma should minimize contact with others in order to avoid the spread of the disease, since the disease is contagious. In order to avoid allergic manifestations, spicy / sweet / fatty and other gastronomic pleasures are excluded from the diet. But it will not allow allergies to “roam” and “dry out” the affected areas of the skin.
Do not wash your face during streptoderma treatment. In order not to lose the human appearance, healthy areas of the skin are wiped with a damp swab moistened with chamomile infusion or plain water.
Treatment tactics are based on the extent of skin lesions. If they are not large, then it will be enough to be limited to local treatment. In case of extensive lesions, as well as in case of ineffectiveness of local therapy, immunotherapy, vitamins, fortifying drugs, hemotherapy, UV irradiation of the affected areas should be connected.
Purulent vesicles are opened at the very base using sterile needles. The affected areas are treated with brilliant green or methylene blue twice a day, and then a bandage soaked in antibacterial ointment is applied (using erythromycin, tetracycline, etc.)etc.). The dried crusts are lubricated with salicylic alcohol, they will be easily removed in no more than a day.
Prevention of streptoderma involves careful attention to microtraumas of the skin: they should be immediately treated with an antiseptic solution. A healthy lifestyle, careful personal hygiene, good nutrition, fresh air are also components of the successful prevention of streptoderma.

Streptococcus in children

Streptococci are microorganisms in the form of bacteria in the form of a ball, united by common properties and existing in the environment around us – on plants, animals, in the earth and in the human body.Many streptococci are completely safe for people and are a natural attribute of the microflora of a completely healthy person. But among the streptococcal family there are some species that cause diseases in children and adults of varying severity.

Streptococcal infection manifests itself very differently in each child. Moreover, if a baby is a carrier of this infection, then, without getting sick himself and without showing symptoms of the disease, he can infect another person. Children with impaired functioning of the immune system are at risk, when the body is poorly protected and is not able to resist an infection transmitted by airborne droplets.Streptococcus is easily transmitted through damaged skin (cracks, cuts, umbilical wounds in newborns, various injuries), as well as sexually and due to violation of personal hygiene rules.

Located in the nasopharynx cavity, in the respiratory and digestive tracts, in the urinary system, streptococci cause diseases such as scarlet fever, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis in children. Getting on the affected skin, streptococcus bacteria can cause erysipelas, streptoderma, and sepsis.An insidious streptococcal infection does not ignore the nervous and autoimmune systems, provoking the development of streptococcal meningitis, rheumatism, osteomyelitis and other life-threatening and health-threatening diseases in children.

Streptococcus species:

• Beta-hemolytic streptococci group A . Most often they are located in the pharynx and cause various diseases in the form of tonsillitis, pharyngitis, meningitis, sepsis, scarlet fever;
• Pneumococcus .It is located in the respiratory tract, causing acute pneumonia, bronchitis, meningitis in children, etc.;
• Group B streptococci . They live in the gastrointestinal tract, and are also often found in pregnant women, and when the child passes through the birth canal of an infected mother, they can cause meningitis and bacteremia in the newborn. In adults, this streptococcus often causes pneumonia;
• Nonhemolytic (greening) streptococci live in the oral cavity and intestines, easily entering the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body.Can provoke the development of caries , sepsis, infective endocarditis.

Diagnostics

The simplest way to identify streptococci is a special bacteriological culture from foci of infection: a smear from the throat, from the skin, sputum from the lungs, etc. The taken biomaterial is tested for antibiotic sensitivity to prescribe an effective treatment. Also, to clarify the diagnosis, the child is tested urine, blood, electrocardiography.Perhaps the appointment of an ultrasound scan of organs presumably infected with streptococcus.

According to the results of the analyzes, the treatment of a young patient, depending on the location of the streptococcal infection, is carried out by appropriate pediatric specialists – otolaryngologist, pediatric urologist, nephrologist , dermatologist, pulmonolo g, pediatrician.

Treatment

For the treatment of streptococcal infection, antibiotics, immunostimulating agents, symptomatic therapy are most often used.

Our clinics in St. Petersburg

Medical Center South-West

Marshal Zhukov Ave. 28k2
Kirovsky district

• Avtovo
• Veterans Avenue
• Leninsky Prospect

You can get detailed information and make an appointment by calling
+7 (812) 640-55-25

Barley – ProMedicine Ufa

What is barley and how does it manifest

Barley – acute purulent inflammation of the edge of the eyelid: hair follicle or sebaceous gland at the root of the eyelashes.Stye can be quite painful, but it usually goes away on its own within a week.

The disease begins with local redness and slight edema in the area of ​​one eyelash. A small inflammatory focus is manifested by pronounced soreness. On days 2-3, purulent fusion appears and the top acquires a yellowish tint (head). On the 3-4th day, the abscess is opened, pus is poured out, the pain subsides. If inflammation occurs in the area of ​​the outer corner of the eye, then severe edema occurs due to impaired lymph circulation.Barley is a sign of a deficient immune system.

Causes of barley

In 90% of barley diseases, such a pathogen as Staphylococcus aureus is to blame, but barley can also occur due to a simple blockage of the duct, or due to the fault of streptococcus. Often, the disease occurs against the background of colds, weakening of the immune system, while several purulent foci may occur at the same time, including in one eye.

Typically, barley heals on its own in 4 days maximum.In this case, the purulent head may not form – if treatment is quickly started at the first symptoms of barley – or the breakthrough and cleansing of the duct occurs independently. But attempts to independently remove the abscess and open it by doctors are strongly condemned.

Symptoms

First, itching of the edge of the eyelid appears, then hyperemia and local swelling develop, which is accompanied by pain at rest and when pressing on the inflamed focus. Sometimes the swelling of the eyelid is so severe that the patient cannot open his eyes.The formation of multiple barley on the eye is accompanied by general symptoms: fever, headache, malaise, swelling of the parotid and submandibular lymph nodes.

After 2-3 days, a pustule appears in the area of ​​the inflammatory focus – a purulent head; at the same time, the pain subsides. With self-opening of barley, purulent contents are released from it, after which all symptoms gradually regress. Usually, a purulent-inflammatory process with barley takes about one week.

Internal barley is located inside the eyelid, deep in the cartilage. It is defined during eversion of the eyelid as local hyperemia and conjunctival edema. After 2-3 days, as the barley ripens, yellowish pus appears through the mucous membrane. Spontaneous opening of internal barley occurs from the conjunctiva. In the future, leaf-shaped granulations often grow on the mucous membrane of the eyelid.

Diagnostics

When barley appears on the eye, it is advisable to consult an ophthalmologist.Usually, the recognition of internal or external barley is carried out by visual examination of the eye with eversion of the eyelids under lateral illumination. Additional ophthalmic diagnostics are not required in most cases.

With frequent recurrent barley, consultations of other specialists (endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, dermatologist), determination of blood and urine glucose, glucose tolerance test, examination of eyelashes for demodex and feces for helminth eggs may be required. A bacteriological examination of a smear from the conjunctiva is carried out to identify the causative agent of barley, sowing blood for sterility.

Treatment

In most cases, barley heals on its own in a few days or weeks and in such cases does not require mandatory treatment. But if improvement does not occur, in order to avoid complications, it is necessary to treat barley. There are several treatments available.

Warm compress is a simple and effective method of treating barley. Use a towel or a terry cloth soaked in hot water for it. The compress should be comfortable for the skin, not burn it.The compress is applied to the eyelid for 5-10 minutes. This heating of the barley helps to remove the pus. The procedure must be carried out 3-4 times a day, until the onset of improvement.

It is also important to cleanse the skin around the eyelids from purulent discharge or dry crusts, especially if the barley is associated with blepharitis. This can be done using a small amount of baby shampoo diluted with water. Wipe the edge of the eyelid with a moistened cotton swab and rinse the eye with water.

If the stye is very large or its treatment does not bring the expected effect, the doctor can puncture it with a needle or make a small incision over it for drainage.This will release the accumulated contents and rid the eyelid of infection.

No squeezing of barley is allowed. All manipulations must be performed by a qualified specialist.

Microbiological study for streptococci

Streptococcal infection is extremely widespread in the population. Every third person is a carrier of hemolytic streptococcus on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, genitals, and less often on the skin.

Group A hemolytic streptococcus is responsible for infectious diseases such as tonsillopharyngitis, tonsillitis, scarlet fever, erysipelas.There is evidence that streptococcus often causes common ARIs for all. Streptococcus can affect various organs and tissues of the human body. It is the cause of inflammatory diseases of the kidneys (nephritis), skin and subcutaneous tissue (pyoderma), bone tissue (osmyelitis), joints (arthritis), etc.

Streptococcal infection is highly contagious and is transmitted primarily by airborne droplets.

Streptococcus is insidious and causes a breakdown in the immune system, thereby contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases.Therefore, “frivolous” sore throats and acute respiratory infections can become a starting point for more severe diseases with a long course, such as rheumatism and pyelonephritis.

Widespread carriage of group B steptococcus on the genital mucosa of women, especially during pregnancy, is a serious risk of infection of the fetus and newborn. Streptococcal infection is one of the causes of miscarriage. Group B streptococci are responsible for such severe diseases of newborns as pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis.

Indications for testing for streptococci:

• Respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, otitis media;

• Suppurative inflammation of the skin and soft tissues;

• Purulent damage to bone tissue;

• Inflammation of the kidneys;

• Planning pregnancy in women with a burdened obstetric history.