Natural treatments for strep throat
Natural treatments for strep throat primarily aim to alleviate symptoms rather than eliminate the infection itself, which is caused by the bacterial strain Streptococcus. Common symptoms include severe throat pain, difficulty swallowing, and fever, and while strep throat can resolve on its own within a week, proper diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent complications like rheumatic fever. While antibiotics are essential for effectively treating the underlying bacterial infection and preventing these serious complications, several natural remedies may provide symptomatic relief.
Herbal teas, such as Throat Coat, may soothe throat discomfort, and bone broth can offer nutrition and hydration during illness. Other suggested remedies include warm saltwater gargles, honey, and various herbal supplements like elderberry and marshmallow root, which can offer some symptomatic relief. It's important to note that while these natural treatments may help with symptoms, they should not replace conventional medical care, particularly for strep throat caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, where antibiotics remain the only proven method for eradicating the bacteria and preventing complications.
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Subject Terms
Natural treatments for strep throat
DEFINITION: Treatment of a throat infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus.
- PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: None
- OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Throat Coat tea (symptoms only), Pelargonium sidoides (for less serious forms of sore throat only)
Introduction
Most cases of sore throat are caused by viruses, generally the same viruses that cause the common cold. One familiar type of sore throat, however, streptococcal pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat, is caused by bacteria in the Streptococcus family. Strep throat is relatively common in children.
Symptoms of strep throat include intense throat pain (generally developing suddenly), difficulty swallowing, and fever ranging from 101° to 104° Fahrenheit (38.3° to 40° Celsius). In children, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting may also occur. The back of the throat generally (but not always) becomes beefy red in color, possibly with white or red dots. However, none of these signs or symptoms is absolutely characteristic of strep throat. In some cases, there are no symptoms. Ultimately, diagnosis of strep throat must be made through a laboratory examination of material swabbed from the back of the throat.
The primary significance of strep throat is not the throat infection itself but rather a delayed complication called rheumatic fever. Strep throat itself may disappear in seven to ten days without treatment. However, the involvement of a certain group of streptococcal bacteria, called group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, puts the infected person at risk of a severe, dangerous complication developing about one to five weeks later when all seems to be well. This is the feared second effect of strep throat, known as rheumatic fever.
The initial attack of rheumatic fever involves five major signs and symptoms: carditis (inflammation of the heart, often causing a heart murmur); chorea (rapid, purposeless, nonrepetitive movements that are not under conscious control); migratory polyarthritis (severe joint pain, redness, and swelling that move from joint to joint); subcutaneous nodules (nodules under the skin); and erythema marginatum (a serpentine, flat rash). These symptoms will eventually subside. However, when they are gone, the valves of the heart may be permanently damaged, necessitating open-heart surgery.
About 3 percent of untreated group A beta-hemolytic strep throat cases lead to rheumatic fever. Children aged four to fifteen years are most at risk. Adults with strep throat may develop rheumatic fever, but the chance is extremely low. Rheumatic fever is rare in the United States because of prompt treatment of strep throat, but it is common in developing countries, where it is one of the leading causes of heart disease.
The cause of rheumatic fever is interesting. It is thought that certain strains of strep bacteria contain glycoproteins that, from the perspective of the immune system, resemble glycoproteins found in the heart, joints, or nerve tissue. When the body makes antibodies to attack the strep bacteria, those antibodies also damage the body.
The only known way to prevent rheumatic fever in people with strep throat involves using antibiotics at relatively high doses and for a prolonged time. The goal is to eradicate the invading bacteria so that the body does not make antibodies against it.
Proposed Natural Treatments
The unique relationship between rheumatic fever and strep throat is confusing and may lead a person to use alternative treatments in unhelpful ways. For most diseases, the risk is over when symptoms disappear, but with strep throat, antibiotics are needed to kill the strep bacteria and to prevent rheumatic fever from developing. No herbs or supplements can do either of these things, so it is vital to treat strep throat with antibiotics and only use natural treatments to help treat the symptoms.
Some people try to treat strep throat with herbs, such as echinacea, which is believed to stimulate the immune system. However, this approach has a serious problem: if echinacea did manage to increase the immune system’s activity, the result would be to increase the intensity of rheumatic fever, not decrease it, because rheumatic fever is caused, in a sense, by an overactive immune system, not an underactive one.
Strep throat caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci cannot be treated with alternative medicine. Conventional diagnosis and treatment are necessary to ensure safety. However, if tests are done, and a case of strep throat does not appear to be caused by group A beta-hemolytic strep, other forms of treatment may be appropriate.
According to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 143 children, the herb Pelargonium sidoides might shorten the duration of infections that are not group A strep. Whether it is helpful as supplementary treatment to antibiotics for children undergoing treatment for group A strep remains unknown.
The popular herb tea Throat Coat might help soothe sore throat discomfort. Throat Coat contains herbs traditionally thought to soothe inflamed mucous membranes. One small double-blind study found that Throat Coat was superior to a placebo for this purpose. It seems reasonable to use Throat Coat along with conventional treatment even for group A strep infections. However, this tea contains licorice, which can be toxic if taken to excess. Other teas that may prove useful include ginger, slippery elm, and chamomile.
Bone broth may also soothe the sore throat. It is an easy, nutrient-dense beverage to consume when swallowing food is difficult. Bone broth provides the body with amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, as well as carnosine, which may help reduce inflammation.
Elderberry contains flavonoids called anthocyanins that may help bolster the body's natural responses to bacteria. However, most research focuses on elderberry's use for viral illnesses rather than sicknesses like strep. The science is inconclusive on the effectiveness of taking elderberry syrup, tea, or gummies to shorten the length of some illnesses.
Several other natural treatments for strep throat are recommended, though it is of the utmost importance to be clear that these are for treating the symptoms of strep throat, and traditional medication is still necessary to fully eradicate strep throat in the individual. Research and literature reviews published in 2021 indicated honey could be as effective in treating sore throat symptoms as over-the-counter cough suppressants and antihistamines. Gargling with salt water and baking soda was also recommended. Other natural remedies include fenugreek, garlic, and vitamin C supplements. Though lemon essential oils were seen as beneficial, the oil must be used in a diffuser and not consumed. Steam and humidity were recommended for the same reasons. Oil pulling, a technique used in Ayurvedic medicine, was effective in treating symptoms of strep throat when done using coconut oil. Finally, a 2019 review of the medical literature found marshmallow root to be an effective natural treatment for the symptoms of strep throat.
Bibliography
Bereznoy, V. V., et al. “Efficacy of Extract of Pelargonium sidoides in Children with Acute Non-Group A Beta-Hemolytic Streptococcus Tonsillopharyngitis.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, vol. 9, 2003, pp. 68-79.
Brinckmann, J., et al. “Safety and Efficacy of a Traditional Herbal Medicine (Throat Coat) in Symptomatic Temporary Relief of Pain in Patients with Acute Pharyngitis.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, vol. 9, 2003, pp. 285-98.
DeSoto, Lindsey. “Strep Throat Self-Care.” Verywell Health, 30 July 2024, www.verywellhealth.com/home-remedies-for-strep-throat-5235543. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Gerber, M. “Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus).” In Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, edited by Sarah S. Long, et al. 6th ed., Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2022.
"How Do I Cure My Strep Throat?" Mayo Clinic, 19 May 2024, www.webmd.com/oral-health/understanding-strep-throat-treatment. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.
“Strep Throat - Diagnosis & Treatment.” Mayo Clinic, 30 Nov. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/strep-throat/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350344. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Wieland, L. Susan, et al. “Elderberry for Prevention and Treatment of Viral Respiratory Illnesses: A Systematic Review.” BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, vol. 21, no. 1, Apr. 2021, p. 112. doi:10.1186/s12906-021-03283-5. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.