In the midst of winter, there always seems to be a barrage of colds and viruses among school-age children. Many of these illnesses are viral and require not much more than rest and hydration to cure them. However, sometimes that sore throat is a bacterial infection, known as strep throat. After receiving the official diagnosis from your doctor and the antibiotics from your pharmacist, what else can be done?
Dr. Thomas Seman, President of North Shore Pediatrics, offers the following suggestions:
- Drink cold liquids to soothe the throat
- Alternately, drink hot liquids to soothe the throat
- Gargle with antiseptic mouthwash
- Take NSAIDs, such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen
- Use anesthetic throat spray or lozenges
- Eat popsicles
Please note, that while these suggestions are similar to recommendations for a child with a virus, there is one important difference, strep throat also must be treated with antibiotics. If your child has a sore throat with other symptoms, such as fever, white and red patches in the throat, and nausea, you should have your child examined by his or her pediatrician.
A person who has strep throat is contagious for 24-48 hours before symptoms appear and for 24 hours after antibiotics have been started. To prevent re-infection or the spread of germs, Dr. Seman suggested taking the following actions after being on antibiotics for 48 hours:
- Clean the sick person’s toothbrush in the dishwasher or replace it.
- Any glasses or water bottles used should be cleaned.
- If the child has a blanket, favorite toy, or stuffed animal, or drools when he sleeps, those items need to be cleaned. Plush toy should be placed in a dryer for at least 20 minutes.
- Mouth guards should be cleaned.
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