Strep throat is a common childhood illness characterized by severe throat pain and often, fever. While a sore throat because of a cold may make your child’s throat uncomfortable or scratchy, strep throat can even make swallowing liquids painful.
Strep throat is a bacterial infection; like many other infections, it needs to be treated to prevent complications, so it’s important to bring your child to the pediatrician if you suspect they may have strep. Kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever can both be caused by strep bacteria.
Strep Throat Symptoms in Children
Sore throats are common in children, so it can be difficult to determine when they have strep and when there’s another cause for their pain. This is why we perform throat cultures to test for strep before prescribing antibiotics when you bring your child for a Sick Child Visit.
Signs of strep in children include:
- Throat pain that makes it painful to swallow
- Swollen, red tonsils
- White patches or pus on the tonsils
- Small red spots on the back of the roof of the mouth
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Fever
- Headaches and body aches
- Rash
- Nausea or vomiting
- Absence of cough or other cold symptoms
Strep Throat Treatment for Children
Our goals in treating strep are to fight the infection and to relieve your child’s pain. We will prescribe an oral antibiotic for the bacterial infection; this typically begins to resolve symptoms after a day or two. In the meantime, over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers can be used as directed.
As with any type of sore throat, hydration is important—even if it hurts to drink. Have your child sip on water throughout the day. Encourage them to get the rest they need and stick with a diet of soup, applesauce, and other soft foods until they can swallow comfortably.
Frequently Asked Questions About Strep Throat
How do I know if my child has strep throat?
The only way to be certain that your child has strep throat is to bring them in for a test—they can have every single symptom of strep listed above and still not have strep. In fact, most sore throats are caused by viruses.
Can my child have strep without a fever?
Yes, it’s possible that your child may have strep throat without a fever. If they have several of the other symptoms on the list above, it’s a good idea to have them tested.
What is the difference between tonsillitis and strep throat?
Strep throat is an infection that involves a specific bacteria (streptococcus). Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils that can be caused by any type of infection, viral or bacterial. Both cause throat pain and difficulty swallowing.
Do white spots always mean strep?
No, white spots on the tonsils do not necessarily mean your child has strep, especially if they’re not accompanied by other symptoms. They may be signs of other types of infection or, if your child has no signs of illness, white spots on the tonsils can be tonsillitis, which are small “stones” of calcified food debris that collect in the tonsils. Some children are more prone to these than others.
Schedule an appointment with us if you suspect that your child has strep throat.
