Care Advice
What You Should Know About Strep Throat:
- Strep causes 20% of throat and tonsil infections in school age children.
- Viral infections cause the rest.
- Strep throat is easy to treat with an antibiotic.
- Complications are rare.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Antibiotic by Mouth:
- Strep infections need a prescription for an antibiotic.
- The antibiotic will kill the bacteria that are causing the Strep throat infection.
- Give the antibiotic as directed.
- Try not to forget any of the doses.
- Give the antibiotic until it is gone. Reason: to stop the Strep infection from flaring up again.
Sore Throat Pain Relief:
- Age over 1 year. Can sip warm fluids such as chicken broth or apple juice. Some children prefer cold foods such as popsicles or ice cream.
- Age over 6 years. Can also suck on hard candy or lollipops. Butterscotch seems to help.
- Age over 8 years. Can also gargle. Use warm water with a little table salt added. A liquid antacid can be added instead of salt. Use Mylanta or the store brand. No prescription is needed.
- Medicated throat sprays or lozenges are generally not helpful.
Pain Medicine:
- To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
- Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
- Use as needed.
Fever Medicine:
- For fevers higher than 102° F (39° C), give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
- Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
- Note: fevers less than 102° F (39° C) are important for fighting infections.
- For all fevers: keep your child well hydrated. Give lots of cold fluids.
Fluids and Soft Diet:
- Try to get your child to drink adequate fluids.
- Goal: keep your child well hydrated.
- Cold drinks, milk shakes, popsicles, slushes, and sherbet are good choices.
- Solids. Offer a soft diet. Also avoid foods that need much chewing. Avoid citrus, salty, or spicy foods. Note: fluid intake is much more important than eating any solids.
- Swollen tonsils can make some solid foods hard to swallow. Cut food into smaller pieces.
What to Expect:
- Strep throat responds quickly to antibiotics.
- The fever is usually gone by 24 hours.
- The sore throat starts to feel better by 48 hours.
Return to School:
- Your child can return to school after the fever is gone.
- Your child should feel well enough to join in normal activities.
- Children with Strep throat need to be taking an antibiotic for at least 12 hours.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Trouble breathing or drooling occurs
- Dehydration suspected
- Fever lasts more than 2 days after starting antibiotics
- Sore throat lasts more than 3 days after starting antibiotics
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.