The Best Natural Remedies for Strep Throat

Strep throat is an infection that manifests in a painful and inflamed throat. It is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria. While people at all ages can contract it, it is most common in children thirteen years and younger. Lets have a look at the best natural remedies for strep throat.

The Difference Between a Sore Throat, Strep and Tonsillitis

The terms sore throat, strep throat, and tonsillitis are often used interchangeably, but they don’t mean the same thing.

• Tonsillitis refers to tonsils that are inflamed.
• Strep throat is an infection caused by a specific type of bacteria, Streptococcus.

When you have a strep throat, your tonsils are usually very inflamed, and the inflammation may affect the surrounding part of the throat as well. Other causes of sore throats are viruses that may only cause inflammation of the throat around the tonsils and not the tonsils themselves.

Strep Throat Symptoms

The symptoms of strep throat start between two to five days after being exposed to the bacteria and normally continue for about a week.

Precaution: Mild to moderate cases of strep throat may be responsive to natural remedies, but if you have a serious case, you should consult a doctor to avoid serious complications like kidney disease and rheumatic fever.¹² You can use natural remedies in combination with the doctor’s antibiotic prescription for the best results but let you doctor know about it.

The symptoms of strep throat differ from one person to the next, depending on the severity of the specific case. They include:

• Severe and sudden sore throat without coughing, sneezing, or other cold symptoms.
• Pain or difficulty swallowing.
• Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck.
• A sudden fever and sometimes chills.
• Loss of appetite.
• White or yellow spots or coating on the tonsils and throat.

If the symptoms include coughing, sneezing, or a congested, runny nose, then it is probably a viral infection that will not benefit from some of the suggestions below.

Natural Remedies for Strep Throat

The best natural remedies are those that soothe the pain, counter the inflammation, and attack the bacteria.

Fermented food (yoghurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, miso, probiotics)

Researchers have found that probiotics have beneficial effects on more than just your intestines. At this stage it has been proved an effective treatment for both urinary tract and respiratory infections.¹ It is not sure how this happens, but it seems as if healthy intestinal bacteria increases your immune system’s resistance to harmful bacteria elsewhere in your body.

Further, it appears as if some of the healthy bacteria in probiotics are delivered alive to areas other than your intestines to overwhelm and crowd out the harmful bacteria there. Since the probiotics must pass directly through your throat, the chance is good that it will overpower the bacteria there.

Further reading: Find more information about fermented foods in my article about the top 10 fermented foods and why you should eat more of them. Also read about the benefits of probiotics in my article: 9 reasons to take probiotics and why it’s so good for you.

Capsaicin or cayenne pepper

This popular spice was originally grown in South and Central America, and is a member of the Capsicum family of vegetables, which are more commonly known as chili peppers. The spicy heat produced by cayenne is caused by its high concentration of a substance called capsaicin.

Since it is strong and might hurt your throat, and since research shows that it is so well absorbed by your skin that it can treat muscle and joint pain, the best idea is to apply a capsaicin cream or paste to the skin on your throat and on the swollen lymph nodes on your neck.

Mix 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper with half a cup of carrier oil (such as coconut or olive oil) for a home-made cream or buy a ready made cream (like this one) in the drugstore.

Capsaicin is a good analgesic against pain,² a great antibacterial agent,³ and a great anti-inflammatory substance.⁴

Further reading: You can find many other uses for cayenne pepper in my article how to use cayenne pepper as a medicine. Also learn how to make cayenne warming oil for joint, muscle and arthritis pain relief.

Guava and pomegranate extracts

They are good at killing bacteria and even drug resistant bacteria,⁵ you can either buy these extracts, or just ensure that you have lots of these fruits at home to eat until you feel better.

Essential oils for strep throat

Eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, cinnamon, grapefruit, clove bud, sandalwood, peppermint, kunzea and sage essential oils have strong antibacterial effects and have been found to be effective against internal bacterial infections. ⁶

If you put lavender oil in your diffuser and place it next to your bed, it will attack the bacteria when you inhale it as well as make you relax and sleep well. If you have food grade lemon and cinnamon oils, you can add a drop in a smoothie, a cup of tea, or any other beverage for extra power. For other ideas, read my post about the best essential oil recipes for your diffuser.

Any essential oils that contains linalool and linalyl acetate are good anti-inflammatories.⁷ Bergamot, neroli, lemon, lime, clary sage, and lavender smell great when you defuse them around your bedroom. You can also add five drops to a pot of water and heat it on the stove plate. Before it boils, remove it and inhale the steam for a few minutes a few times a day.

If you are interested to learn more about essential oils you can find useful information in my e-book Magical Aromatherapy. This e-book will help you to discover the power of essential oils and the most effective ways to use them.

Onion and garlic

Onion and garlic have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties because of their organo-sulphur compounds.⁸ This is awkward, because the last thing a person with a sore throat feels like doing is to swallow sharp tasting substances like these. You can add them to honey, fruit smoothies and teas to disguise the taste.

Further reading: Garlic and onions have many health benefits and can prevent cancer according to research. You can use onions to heal and protect your entire body, as well as use garlic as a medicine.

Ginger

Ginger is a good anti-inflammatory,⁹ and you can add it to teas, smoothies and food. Read my articles on how to use ginger as a medicine, or try this anti-inflammatory turmeric ginger tea.

Herbs

Allspice, basil, bay leaves, black pepper, liquorice, nutmeg, oregano, sage and thyme all have some positive research behind them as anti-inflammatories,¹⁰

If you can think of any way to use them in food and beverages, consume as much of them as possible. Some of them (such as sage) work well as teas when you boil them in water. The best way is to drink them, but if you don’t like the taste, you can gargle with them before spitting them out. Do this several times a day.

If you are interested in herbal remedies, you can find more useful information in my e-book the Herbal Remedies Guide. This e-book will teach you how to treat common ailments using herbs.

Honey

Honey appears on any throat infection list for a good reason, as most people would testify. It has healing properties so strong that even modern medicine still uses honey coated bandages for wounds.¹¹

The classic sore throat remedy that you have probably learnt from your grandmother is tea with lemon and honey. With the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and the soothing and healing effects of honey, you can now see that she was right.

Further reading: Read my articles on how to revolutionize your health with honey and lemon, golden honey mixture – the strongest natural antibiotic, and how to combine honey and cinnamon for great health.

General Tips for Managing Strep Throat Naturally

– Drink plenty of throat-soothing drinks – use this recipe of an easy and effective syrup to relieve sore throat. Some people prefer chilled beverages while others like warm ones.

– If you live in a dry climate and you have a humidifier or mist vaporizer, put it in your room to soothe your throat and make your breathing less painful.

– Replace objects like toothbrushes, lip balms, and pillow cases after approximately four days from the start of the symptoms to prevent yourself from being re-infected.

– Use disposable tissues instead of handkerchiefs.

– Wash cutlery, mugs, and glasses in hot water and soap after use.

Related articles:

• White Spots on Throat: 6 Common Causes (Images Included)
• Feeling of Something Stuck in the Throat

Resources:

1. De Vrese, M., and J. Schrezenmeir. “Probiotics and non-intestinal infectious conditions.”
2. Hayman, Mark, and Peter CA Kam. “Capsaicin: a review of its pharmacology and clinical applications.”
3. WEI, Yu-xi, Li SHUAI, Dao-sen GUO, Shan LI, Fu-li WANG, and Gui-hua AI. “Study on Antibacterial Activity of Capsaicin [J].”
4. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0898656802000864
5. Antibacterial activity of plant extracts and phytochemicals on antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
6. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1010518209000523
7. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944711304701804
8. Wilson, Emily A., and Barbara Demmig-Adams. “Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties of garlic and onions.”
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227610015_Antioxidant_and_Antiinflammatory_Activities_of_Several_Commonly_Used_Spices
10. Mueller, Monika, Stefanie Hobiger, and Alois Jungbauer. “Anti-inflammatory activity of extracts from fruits, herbs and spices.”
11. Jull, Andrew B., Anthony Rodgers, and Natalie Walker. “Honey as a topical treatment for wounds.”
12. Strep Throat – WebMd