Tips from Your Pediatrician in Littleton on Managing the Pain of Strep Throat

For many kids and teens, getting strep throat is a rite of passage. This illness is caused by the streptococcal bacteria, and its symptoms include fever, belly pain, vomiting, and, of course, a very painful throat. If your child exhibits these symptoms, be sure to visit a trusted Littleton pediatrician who will conduct a rapid strep test to determine the presence of this bacterial infection.

As you might expect, though, strep throat will hinder your child’s ability to eat and drink properly. When this occurs, you can always contact your local pediatrician in Littleton, but here are some tips that will help you manage your child’s discomfort:

Follow Through on the Antibiotics

Since strep throat is a bacterial infection, a pediatrician will prescribe antibiotics to cure it. If you want your child to fully recover at the soonest time possible, though, let your child complete the full course of antibiotics. As KidsHealth.org writes:

In most cases, doctors prescribe about 10 days of antibiotic medication to treat strep throat. Within about 24 hours after starting on antibiotics, your child will probably no longer have a fever and won’t be contagious; by the second or third day, other symptoms should start to go away.

Even if your child feels better, he or she should continue to take the antibiotics as prescribed. Otherwise, bacteria can remain in the throat and symptoms can return. Completing all the antibiotics the doctor prescribed is the best way to prevent other health problems that can be caused by a strep infection, such as rheumatic fever (which can permanently damage the heart), scarlet fever, blood infections, or kidney disease.

Peace and Quiet

Kids are naturally energetic and are prone to scream and shout during playtime. However, vocal strain can worsen the pain of strep throat, so gently remind your child to give his or her voice a rest for a few days.

Managing Mealtimes

Strep throat can make swallowing a painful experience, which in turn makes mealtimes tricky. For the time being, give your child soft, easy-to-swallow food like soups and yogurt. To make drinking easier, give them a sippy cup or a straw to sip drinks from. If your child is over a year old, you can also give them a teaspoon or two of honey, which naturally soothes sore throats. With regard to medicine, you can ask your child’s pediatrician to prescribe liquid antibiotics to make ingestion easier.

Don’t forget, you can always use our pediatric Symptom Checker with information and care guidelines for Strep Throat and other childhood illnesses.

(Source: Strep Throat, KidsHealth.org)