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Signs Your Child Has Strep Throat

Find out if the symptoms your child is experiencing could be indicative of strep throat.

It’s school time again and while children are excited to go back to seeing their friends and participating in school activities the one thingStrep Throat no one is excited to deal with is sickness. Unfortunately, this will happen at some point to your little one and it’s important to know the signs of strep so you know when to see your Perth Amboy pediatricians Dr. Gauri Bhagwat, Dr. Hung Nguyen and Dr. Nimisha Shukla.

What is strep throat?

This condition is a common cause of sore throats in school-age children and teens. The group A streptococcus bacteria is responsible for sore throats and can be found living in the nose and throat. This is why sneezing and coughing can quickly spread the infection.

Strep Throat vs. Sore Throat

It’s important that you are able to differentiate between strep throat and just having a sore throat, because they aren’t the same thing. If your child’s sore throat is also followed by a runny nose, scratchy throat or red eyes then this is often the result of a virus that will clear up on its own with time. The difference between these two conditions lies in the symptoms your child displays….

What are the symptoms of strep throat?

If your child truly has strep they will start to develop symptoms about three days after contracting the virus. Some of these symptoms include:

  • Red or white patches on the throat
  • Inflamed tonsils
  • Swollen or tender lymph nodes in the neck
  • Problems swallowing
  • General malaise
  • Loss of appetite
  • Rash
  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain
  • Headache

If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms then you need to seek antibiotics from your Perth Amboy children’s doctor. Strep throat requires medical treatment. We will swab a sample from the back of your child’s throat to determine that their symptoms are due to strep. Once we get the results back in a couple of days we will be able to come up with a proper treatment plan to get your little one feeling better.

How will my Perth Amboy, NJ pediatrician treat my child’s strep?

Antibiotics are the number-one way to treat strep throat. Most strep throat cases will require about 10 days of antibiotics to effectively eliminate this problem. About 24 hours after starting medication, children should no longer be contagious. After a few more days they should start to see a reduction in their symptoms. Just remember that even if your child starts to feel better they should continue taking the antibiotics exactly as we have prescribed to ensure that the infection doesn’t return.

If your child is showing signs of strep, act now! Call 7 Days Pediatrics today to schedule your child’s much-needed checkup.