Winter hasn’t even started yet, but my 10-year-old daughter already has a runny nose and a sore throat! When this happened last year, I did my best to help her with over-the-counter cold remedies and tea, but the problem didn’t go away until I took her to the doctor, who said she had developed strep throat several days prior. How can I better identify the differences between a simple sore throat and strep? Should I take my daughter to the doctor right away?
Strep throat — an infection of the throat and-or tonsils caused by the streptococcal bacteria — is often the result of a condition that has similar onset symptoms, such as the common cold, laryngitis, or the flu. The strep bacteria is responsible for nearly 40 percent of sore throats in children — which means that 60 percent of the time, a sore throat has not been caused by strep. That “line” isn’t always easy to discern, so it’s understandable that you want to know more.
As you have noticed, the initial symptom of strep is often a sore throat that does not go away, despite lozenges, over-the-counter medications, tea, or any other home remedies. A strep infection starts to differentiate itself, however, when your child spikes a fever, loses her appetite for an extended period of time, has no energy, and develops pain in her lower abdomen. That’s when it’s time to visit your child’s pediatrician.
To determine if a child has strep, the doctor will first perform a medical examination and look for key symptoms, which can include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, redness, swelling, and white spots on the tonsils. The doctor may then administer a rapid strep test, which provides highly accurate results in minutes.
A throat culture (a laboratory diagnostic test to find bacterial or fungal infections in the throat) is another method to test for strep throat, and may also be necessary. Throat cultures are still considered to be the “gold standard” of strep diagnosis, but the results of a throat culture can take 24 to 48 hours, making an rapid strep test a more ideal option in many cases, especially if your child’s symptoms are strongly indicative of a case of strep.
Strep is very contagious, and can potentially cause complications. However, once it has been diagnosed — the earlier the better — it is usually treatable with a full course of penicillin, amoxicillin, or other common antibiotics. So, as long as you keep your eyes peeled for the symptoms of strep, and work with your child’s pediatrician if necessary, you will be well prepared for the winter ahead.
