Natural Remedies to Cure Strep Throat

| Modified on May 10, 2023
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Several natural remedies have been identified that are particularly effective in treating strep throat. These options include natural supplements and solutions that eliminate infection and reduce inflammation. Most common in children ages 5 to 15, strep throat is a bacterial throat infection that causes additional complications if left untreated.

What is Strep Throat?

A bacterial infection of the throat, strep throat often makes the throat feel sore and scratchy. Common signs and symptoms of strep throat include throat pain, difficulty swallowing, red and swollen tonsils, red spots on the soft or hard palate and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. Additionally, fever, headache, rash, stomachache, vomiting and fatigue are also common.

Strep throat is caused by a specific strain of bacteria known as Streptococcus pyogenes. The bacteria is highly contagious and can easily spread to others.

Home Remedies for Strep Throat

Reducing inflammation of the throat and treating the underlying infection are the two main components of treatment regarding strep throat. Several natural remedies are particularly effective for accomplishing both of these levels of treatment and more. Cayenne, apple cider vinegar and garlic are among the most effective options for treating strep throat.

Cayenne

Cayenne is a pungent spice with strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial capabilities. The compound contains a dense amount of capsaicin – a substance that encourages circulation and reduces inflammation. Cayenne also works to flush the system of toxins and other infection-causing agents.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar possesses a variety of healing properties. This substance eliminates infection by flushing the system and filtering toxins. This vinegar also carries several vitamins and minerals that enhance recovery by supporting the immune system.

Garlic

Garlic is also an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent. Garlic contains highly concentrated amounts of sulfur that relieve inflammation and filter the blood to remove infection. Garlic is also a good source of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium, which support recovery and overall health as well.

How to Relieve Throat Pain

The best way to relieve the pain of strep throat is old fashioned gargling. While it sounds too simple, this remedy does coat the infected throat with bacteria fighting remedies, reduces inflammation and can help to numb the area, making it easier to eat and drink and stay hydrated.

Gargle Recipe:

  • Mix together 1 teaspoon each of the following:
  • salt (kills germs, soothes tissue, reduces phlegm)
  • cayenne pepper powder (fights infection, reduces pain and inflammation)
  • clove powder (fights infection, numbs the area)
  • Now take 1/4 teaspoon of the mix and add it to 2 Tablespoons of warm water. Put lip balm on your lips (so the cayenne won't burn them) and gargle the solution. Spit it out when you finish. Repeat every 2-4 waking hours or as needed.

Vitamin Supplements for Strep Throat

Whenever you are sick your body will benefit from some extra vitamin support.

Vitamin C should be taken frequently when you are fighting illness to strengthen the immune system.

Zinc is also a great supplement to add when you are sick.

Additional Healing Helps for Strep Throat

Strep throat is a serious bacterial infection. If left untreated it can develop into rheumatic fever. While it may be tempting to go to school or work when you have strep throat, you will be much better off staying home and resting (and keeping your germs away from others!)

Rest is critical. This is the time to read the book you wanted to read or watch a movie you have saved for a rainy day.

Hydration is very important. Your body will not heal well if it is dehydrated. Unfortunately, when your throat is very sore, it can be hard to motivate yourself to drink. Use the gargle above to reduce pain. Then drink plenty of hot black, green, or herbal tea sweetened with honey. Drink homemade broth and soups.

Healing baths will help you to feel better and rest well. Try 1 cup of Epsom salt or 1 cup of baking soda in a warm tub for 20 minutes. These baths will help to alkalize your body so that it will heal better.

Have you tried a home remedy for strep throat? Please send us some feedback!




Cayenne, Apple Cider Vinegar

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Rachel (Brisbane) on 02/11/2017
5 out of 5 stars

After days of the worst pain in my throat and feeling absolutely awful, not being able to eat or sleep, I tried gargling with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in 1/4 cup warm water, every 2 hours. This stung mildly for about 30 seconds and then...relief which lasted! I just couldn't believe it!!!! Just be careful not to get it on your lips.

In between gargling I frequently sipped apple cider vinegar and manuka honey mixed into warm water. I added as much as I could tolerate - the recipe I read (I think) said a few tablespoons of each in 1 cup of water but I found this too sharp and also didn't want that much sugar. I basically tried to keep my throat bathed in this drink as much as I could and the relief was amazing. I really started to feel better immediately. So much more relief than medicated lozenges. I was better in a couple of days, which is the length of time antibiotics are supposed to take to work too.


Cayenne, Pickle Juice

1 User Review
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Posted by Sheena (Pearlington, Ms) on 10/30/2017
5 out of 5 stars

A couple of months ago, I had strep throat really bad. My insurance was crappy so I couldn't go to the doctor. I had to act fast because strep can cause a bevy of other problems if it wasn't treated in time. So what I did was use pickle juice and cayenne pepper. Pickle juice has alot of salt which is antibacterial so I was like hell..it couldn't hurt. So I poured up a nice glass of pickle juice and added 2 tsps of cayenne pepper. I slowly sipped the concoction every hour for like 6 hours. Be careful because the cayenne pepper is hot and it burns going down...good thing is that it does get behind your tonsils too which is hard to reach. After that first couple hours, the pain was cut in half. The next day, my tonsils was still red so I kept chugging for maybe 2-3 hours. By the third day, my tonsils were back to normal. It works!

Replied by Mary J.
(Madison, Wi)
10/30/2017

Your remedy sounds great but 2 teaspoons of cayenne sounds too much! I believe you could get the same great results with 1 teaspoon or less!


Ginger

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Posted by Erin (Pittsburgh, PA) on 02/16/2023
5 out of 5 stars

Raw Ginger for Strep Throat

I've been dealing with Strep Throat for a few days. I didn't take a test, but I was around people who got Strep Throat and my only symptoms were an extremely painful throat (almost unable to swallow) and aches. I haven't taken an antibiotic in decades and have no plan to start unless absolutely necessary. I didn't get much relief from ACV, gargling salt water, gargling cayenne. I got desperate and went to the store to get raw ginger. I grated it and gargled ginger water. Also put the rest of the ginger in a smoothie. Within an hour, the pain has subsided to half and I just feel better to the point that I know I'm finally on the mend. I've always known that ginger is an antibacterial, but wow, this stuff is powerful!


Ted's Remedies

Posted by Anonymous (USA) on 05/31/2007

Dear Ted, You seem quite knowledgeable on the topic of strep throat, I'm hoping you can help. My son 8yrs old is experiencing reoccurring strep throat and has had three rounds of antibiotics in the last two years. He has it again, today, and I've begun the cayenne pepper rinse, in addition to essential oil steams. He has red splotches on the back of his throat and only minor pain but he looks quite sick. I know the long-term risks of antibiotics and am determined to beat this. I came across a comment you made regarding alkalinity for strep (baking soda?). Should I just rinse his mouth/gargle a few times a day? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. I am considering a constitutional remedy (homeopath consultation) since I heard it is possible he could be a carrier and when he gets run down will get it over and over. Thank you for any time you can give to this."

Ted from Bangkok, Thailand replies: "You can do as many baking soda mouthwash rinse as you wish. When making a mixture, 1 tablespoon in 1/2 glass of water, should be a saturated solution enough, then add 3-6 drops of hydrogen peroxide 3% if possible. Do the mouthwash or sip very small amount so it FLOWS slowly down the throat (in amount of say 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon every 5 minutes - but try the 1/4 for a child. For an adult it is closer to like 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. If done for about 20 times, most of the pain should go away. Actually it is more like 10-15 times for me. The key is frequency of mouthwash rinse, and sipping that helps a lot.

Generally in a severe strep throat problem, I won't consider cayenne peppers. If you want to make a specialized mixture JUST only the mouthwash and no sipping, then add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, plus 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and 3-6 drops of H2O2 3%. If accidental swallowing, will cause loose stools, but sometimes the body needs to clear of itself of toxic buildup in the stomach.

There are many formulas I have against the strep throat, but much of the problem is actually obtaining the needed materials. Baking soda is perhaps the easiest to find. To increase the body's resistance, and in event of such sickness, usually 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda with a small squeeze of lime (such as 4 teaspoon) and some 1/4 glass of water and let the child drink that. Wait for the fizz to finish reacting for about 5 minutes. This will alkalize the blood to prevent the strep or virus from entering the bloodstream. Usually a biofilm is formed before a major cold is underway and sometimes adding 1-2 drops of iodine tincture helps breaks down the biofilm in a mouthwash situation, if that were the case, but yours may not be necessary. Drink plenty of warm green tea, WITHOUT SUGAR AND WITHOUT MILK is necessary. You can do a swishing of green tea, in the mouth with a slow sip every minutes a much as you wish for this. The green tea will kill some strep, and break up the biofilm too. However, I will keep this green tea after the maximum mouthwash and sipping has been reached. Adding a pinch of sea salt in the green tea may further help kill, but this is usually not necessary unless the strep is aggressive and this kills the strep by hyperosmolarity.

I am not against homeopathy, but sometimes they put the homeopathic remedies in sugar cubes. Those are not recommended since the sugar fuels the strep throat. Avoid homeopathy that uses sugar. Keep homeopathic medicines away from mobile phones, t.v., radiator and microwave, they tend to get destroyed."

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