Streptococcus pneumonia is a serious infection of the respiratory tract caused by a kind of bacterium called streptococuus. The infection usually affects the lungs and makes them get inflamed, but it may also spread to the middle ears, blood and the nervous system. The symptoms may vary from person to person, ranging from cough, recurrent fevers and chills, breathlessness, headache, pain and congestion in the chest, muscle pain and exhaustion. As the infection gets worse, the sputum turns from a pinkish hue to a dark brown color. The patient may also suffer from dangerously high fever, his pulse rate may increase significantly and consequently he may get delirious. Mostly, children under the age of four years and old people over the age of 65 years fall prey to such infections. If not treated in time, pneumonia can pose a threat to life. People who have an already compromised immune system, like those who are HIV-infected or patients of chronic heart, lung or liver ailments, are also more prone to contacting this infection than others. The bacteria are transmitted from one person to another through the droplets of moisture present in the mucus released during coughing and sneezing. Commonly, it is due to the accumulation of toxins in the respiratory tract caused by faulty eating habits that renders one susceptible to such an infection.
Streptococcus Pneumonia Treatment
Though you must follow the complete antibiotic course prescribed by your doctor to treat streptococcus pneumoniae, a few home remedies may also prove useful in bringing faster relief from the symptoms. In the early stages of the infection, you may drink a tea made by steeping a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in a cup of hot water. Drink four cups of this tea every day in order to expel toxins from the system and destroy the germs responsible for the infection. Another popular and effective remedy for pneumonia is to chew a few cloves of raw garlic before every meal. Garlic acts as a natural antibiotic agent and helps treat the infection naturally. You may also crush a handful of these cloves and apply this paste directly on the chest in order to bring down the body temperature and relieve the pain in the chest. For another remedy, soak a teaspoon of sesame seeds in a glass of water and add to this mixture a teaspoon each of linseed, honey and common salt, and drink this infusion once every day.