Children And Sore Throats
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.
How do I know if my child has strep throat?
Signs of strep throat in older children are sometimes high fever. They also complain about a sore throat, they may have swollen lymph nodes or glands on their neck. They may also have sort of a red, fine bumpy sandpaper rash all over their body, which is called scarlet fever, which can go with strep throat. So these are all the signs of a strep throat.
How do I treat my child's sore throat or strep throat?
The treatment for a sore throat depends on what the cause is. In the majority of cases the cause is viral, so there is no treatment, so it's imperative to keep your child hydrated. Cool things, or alternatively warm liquids, may feel good on their throat, such as popsicles, jello, ice cream and soft foods. If they have nasal congestion, sometimes helping them dry up their nose may help with post nasal drip which irritates the throat. It's really just supportive care, making sure they are peeing, staying hydrated and waiting for it to go away. Viral soar throats can last a couple days to a week. Strep throat needs to be treated with antibiotics. The doctor will tickle the back of their throat with what looks like a long q-tip and with a test will know in about 5 minutes. If they have strep throat, the child will be on antibiotics for about 7-10 days, and will actually feel better in about 24 hours.
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.
