Strep vs. Sore Throat

Sore throats can happen at lot to kids, but it is often difficult to distinguish if your child has just a sore throat or if it’s strep. If your child has a sore throat you can usually treat it at home with home remedies such as throat lozenges, numbing spray like Chloraseptic, or if your child is old enough, you can gargle with mouthwash or salt water.

One thing you can do when your child complains of a sore throat is check in the back of his or her throat. At kidshealth.org they suggest to look for the following:

-Red and white patches in the throat

-Difficulty swallowing

-Tender or swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck

-Red and enlarged tonsils

-Headache

-Lower stomach pain

-Fever

-General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling

-loss of appetite or nausea

-rash

The red and white patches are most common a great indicator of strep. If you see these things, contact your MD and have a rapid strep test completed.

Rapid strep test: A nurse or the doctor will swab the back of your child’s throat (where the redness, swelling, or patches are) to see if your child is positive for strep. Tests usually show within a few minutes if positive, but your doctor will continue to see if the results change over the next 24-48 hours. If it changes to positive over that period of time, your doctor will probably treat your child with medication.

At home: If your child does not have strep, continue to try and keep your child comfortable with Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or numbing spray under the direction of the medication guidelines or suggestion of your pediatrician.

For more information, please visit http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/strep_throat.html