Pregnancy makes the body delicate and more susceptible to infections. It is therefore essential to take good care to avoid coming down with infections.
Strep throat during pregnancy is a common infection that affects the tonsils, larynx, and pharynx of the pregnant women. Group A Streptococcus bacteria is responsible for a strep throat infection.
They may infect the lymph nodes and associated glands causing a lot of pain and discomfort in the throat.
Symptoms and treatment
Symptoms include an inflamed throat and a swollen neck. Breathing is difficult and so is swallowing food. Cough is accompanied by mucus. The pregnant woman suffers from a reduced appetite and nausea.
She may also report abdominal pain, fever, headache and fatigue accompanied by weakness. A rapid Strep or throat culture test can confirm the infection.
Doctors will need to treat you with antibiotics in order to contain the infection and avoid any fall out. Be regular with your medicines, to get rid of the infection. Do not overdose on the antibiotics prescribed for strep throat when you are pregnant.
They can easily cause harm to you and to the unborn baby. Doctors prefer to prescribe antibiotics like penicillin, amoxicillin and cephalexin to treat strep throat infection. Anesthetic sprays for the throat can help ease the discomfort to some extent.
Home remedies
Certain home remedies can help shorten the fight against strep throat infections when pregnant. One of the simplest being regular gargles with warm saline water. The salt helps fight the inflammation and infection in the throat. You can try adding garlic and cayenne pepper instead of salt to ease the pain.
Mix 3 tsps of honey and apple cider vinegar to 8 oz of water. Drink frequently to soothe the throat. Fresh ginger root juice, lemon and honey in equal quantities can help with the nausea. Use it two or three times a day. Consult your doctor regarding chamomile tea. It helps combat pain and fever.
