Children And Sore Throats
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Children And Sore Throats
Scott Cohen (Pediatrician, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center) gives expert video advice on: How do I know if my child has strep throat?; How do I treat my child's sore throat or strep throat? and more...
What is a "sore throat"?
A sore throat is when your child complains that their throat hurts them. In younger children who can't speak, you may not know that they have a sore throat, except that they're just not feeding well; every time they drink from the bottle or the breast, they are uncomfortable. Sore throats can be caused by many different things. They can be caused most commonly from viruses, which have no treatment, or from bacteria. Really, the only bacterial sore throat we worry about is strep throat.
When do I need to call the doctor about my child's sore throat?
We get concerned with sore throats and I would call the doctor if the sore throat is related to your child not drinking and staying hydrated. For example, if they are not peeing about three times in a 24 hour period, they are getting dehydrated and they can't hold anything down. That would really be a concern. Some sore throats can be so severe that the throat itself gets so swollen that they even may have trouble breathing and they are unable to swallow. In those cases, the sore throat needs to be looked at by the doctor to make sure there is no secondary infection that needs to be treated by antibiotics.