Sore and Strep Throat Treatment Q&A

Sore throats and strep throat are very common among children. However, it can be difficult to sort out if your child’s sore throat can get better on its own, or if it’s caused by a more serious infection like strep throat.
 
Sore throats are common and are caused by a viral infection like the common cold. This illness can show up mainly during the winter cold season, but can still happen year-round. In addition to a sore or scratchy throat, a cold virus can cause your child to start to come down with a fever, runny nose, and a cough. Common colds usually get better within 7 to 10 days. Keep your child comfortable during this time and make sure your child is getting plenty of fluids and rest.
 
Not all sore throats are from the common cold, they can lead to a more serious infection like strep throat or hand, foot, and mouth disease. To get a clear diagnosis of your child’s sore throat, book an appointment with us today. We will be able to diagnose your child’s symptoms and get your child back on a healthy track in no time.

Strep throat is contagious, it is easily spread from one to another, especially in children. The strep bacteria hang out in the nose and throat, when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, the germs can become airborne. These germs are then breathed in or caught by someone touching something that the germs are on.

Strep throat is an infection caused by the bacteria streptococcus pyogenes. It is commonly seen among children aged 5 to 15 years old, and usually during the cold winter months and early spring.

Symptoms of strep throat include:

• Sore throat
• Pus on the tonsils
• Difficulty swallowing
• Fever
• Swollen glands
 
Children may also complain of having a headache, or stomach ache, and many may develop a red sandpaper-like rash on their bodies.

Call us to book an appointment to properly examine and diagnose your child if they are showing similar signs or symptoms of strep throat. We will provide a strep test for the child which is a sample taken from the back of the throat to get tested. Two cotton-tipped swabs will be swiped over the back of the throat and tonsils, where this bacteria lives. This will not hurt your child but may cause them to gag.

If a positive test comes back from a strep test, an antibiotic prescription will be given for the treatment of strep throat for your child. Your child should start to feel better within a day or two of starting the antibiotics. Antibiotics may have certain side effects for individual children like diarrhea and a rash, however, these will subside once the antibiotics are complete.
 
It is very important to continue the antibiotic medication as per the doctors’ instructions to make sure it reaches its full effect. If not used correctly, it can lead to some bacteria developing resistance to the medication. Resistance can then make the infection hard to treat, or not treatable at all.
 
Make sure to tell the doctor of any allergies your child has, so we can be aware when providing a prescription for antibiotics medication.
 
If your child is showing signs or symptoms of a cold or strep throat. Contact us to book an appointment. We will be able to properly evaluate and diagnose what your child may have and provide any relief like medications if needed to help them feel better faster. We serve patients from Ellington CT, Unionville CT, East Haven CT, Cromwell CT, Oxford, CT and Newington, CT, and BEYOND!