How to take care of yourself
Means to prevent it
The hygiene of your and your child's hands is very important in order to prevent many infections. A proper and regularly performed cleaning of the hands can spare you a large number of undesired complications. Use a hand sanitizer based on alcohol or even water and soap.
Children must be taught not to sneeze or cough without covering their mouth. The drinking glasses, forks or spoons used by your child with strep throat mustn't be shared; they should be washed in hot water and dishwashers.
Antibiotics destroy the bacteria that caused strep throat with promptitude in the majority of the cases. But, before they do, you may ameliorate the symptoms yourself by the following means:
- * A good hydration is very helpful; water will not only hydrate your organism, but it will also lubricate your sore throat, helping you to swallow easier.
- * Eat broths, soft-cooked eggs, mashed potatoes, apple sauce, cooked cereals, soups and yoghurts: they are easier to swallow for your sore throat. Other soothing foods are sherbet, frozen fruit pops, frozen yoghurts or blended foods. Acidic and spicy foods are not recommended.
- * Rest sufficiently, because it helps against the infection. In case you and you child have strep throat, it is best for you not to go to work or school until you get better.
- * While your strep throat child stays at home and has antibiotic treatment which should be done for at least one day before the child goes back to school or kinder garden, try to involve him/her in pleasant activities that you don't usually have time to do, for example playing a game or reading a book together.
- * More than one gargling with warm salt water per day should be done; they are very helpful and act as pain relievers for your or your child's throat. Prepare the gargling liquid from ¼ teaspoons of salt solved in 8 ounces of warm water; the forget to warn your child to spit it out after the gargling is done.
- * Avoid irritating factors, such as cigarettes smoke, fumes from paints and cleaning products; they may increase the risk of infection and the irritation.
- * The discomfort generated by the strep throat may be ameliorated by an air humidifier, which prevents the increase of irritation in the mucous membranes of the throat. This humidifier should be cleaned every day, because molds and bacteria may develop there, too; the best choice may be a cool-mist humidifier. A saline nasal spray may also help.