Strep throat is a contagious disease caused by the bacteria A. Streptococcus bacteria. It affects the throat, causing symptoms like throat pain, painful swallowing, red spots on the throat and tonsils, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, vomiting, and body aches. It affects kids of age 5 to 15 years, although adults can get infected too. If left untreated, strep throat can cause kidney damage and rheumatic fever. Due to the difficulty swallowing, you may wonder what to eat with strep throat. Read on to find out.

What Foods Are Good for Strep Throat

Although doctors will primarily prescribe antibiotics to speed healing, you can consult them on a diet that will speed strep throat healing. There are many foods and drinks that will boost your body's immunity, hasten healing, and (possibly most importantly) do not irritate a sore throat due to strep throat.

1. Cold and warm fluids

Drinking both cold and warm fluids might be confusing, but both serve a similar purpose regarding strep throat effects. Both will help soothe your sore throat and reduce inflammation. Secondly, you need to drink fluids to lubricate your throat for easy swallowing and general body hydration. These fluids can be water, fruit juice, honey tea, warm milk, chicken soup or cocoa.

2. Smoothies and yogurt

The answer to what to eat with strep throat is never complicated since it is a simple answer to what kinds of foods to take. Yogurts are made from raw milk and can provide healthy bacteria, conjugated linoleic acid, and beneficial fats which hasten sore throat recovery. Additionally, smoothies and yogurts can be easily swallowed and provide the needed nutrients for fast recovery.

3. Soft starches

The main benefit of soft starches is that most are energy giving foods and easy on a sore throat. They help provide your body with needed energy and are easy to swallow. When you cannot swallow most solid foods, soft starches like bread, mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, cereal, soft tortillas, and others are the best when well-prepared. You need them to provide your body with the energy it needs when swallowing other foods is an issue.

4. Soft proteins

Soft proteins are known to be easy on a sore throat as well as easy to digest. When dealing with strep throat, you really need them to be un-spicy and soft enough that your sore throat can tolerate them. Soft proteins include scrambled eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, or egg whites. This way, your body will not lack bodybuilding food when you cannot eat other solid protein sources like meat.

5. Fruits

Fruits are vital when you want to boost your body immunity, and are good for treating strep throat infection. They provide vitamins and minerals that you need to hasten sore throat healing. For example, vitamin C helps repair damaged tissues of sore throat. Avocados, grapefruits, strawberries, passion fruit, bananas, and raspberries are the best fruits you can eat, but you have to minimize fruit with high fructose content like mangoes and apricots.

Further Tips for Strep Throat

Besides thinking only about what to eat when you have strep throat, there are other treatment tips you need to know. Consult your doctor for specific advice.

1. Stay away from irritants

When suffering from strep throat, there are irritants you need to avoid, such as cigarette smoke and dirt. They increase strep throat soreness.

2. Get plenty of rest

The body's immune system fights infections and infection-causing pathogens better while you are asleep. If you are suffering from strep throat, you really need bed rest. If your kids are the ones suffering, give them their prescribed antibiotics and keep them home to rest. Once you have been taking your antibiotics for 24 hours, you should also rest, with 24 hours being the minimum time for rest.

3. Gargle with warm salt water

Salt is a perfect antibacterial product. Just mix a quarter tablespoon of table salt in warm water (about 237 milliliters) and use that water to gargle your mouth. Note: do not swallow the mixture of salty water; make sure you spit it out. This gargle helps to reduce soreness, inflammation, and pain in throat tissues.

4. Replace your toothbrush

This should be done after the first sign of strep throat symptoms, and again after healing. This will help avoid reinfection with the same or a different type of A. streptococcus.

5. Use a humidifier

Inhaling moisture-filled air can help reduce the sore throat dryness and discomfort. Use a cool-mist humidifier and saline nasal spray to maintain your nasal membrane moistness. Remember to clean your humidifier daily to avoid mold and bacteria from growing in there.

6. Try essential oils

In addition to food for strep throat relief, you can try essential oils. Here are some of our favorites.

• Lemon oil is packed with antibacterial properties.

• Thyme oil improves body immunity to fight respiratory infections

• Peppermint oil contains methanol, helping reduce tissue inflammation caused by strep throat infection.

In conclusion, if you experience strep throat symptoms, first go to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment advice. It is possible for a non-strep throat infection to have strep throat-like symptoms, but a medical diagnosis will only help you follow these guidelines better and get the best treatment.