Important Things You Know About Your Child And Strep Throat

One of the most difficult things about being a parent is being responsible for another persons health and well being. You have to know when it is the right time to take your child to the doctor, when to wait it out, what treatment to give them and so much more. Strep throat is a common illness that affects many children and if left untreated can lead to unfortunate problems. Here are some things you need to know about strep throat so you can be confident that you are choosing the right time to take them to the doctor.

What Is Strep Throat?

Strep throat is caused by a certain bacteria or virus that is actually everywhere. Even staff, which is a bacteria infection, is constantly on your skin, but it doesn't become a problem until it hits an open wound and doesn't get cleaned like it should. This is why so many people get strep, it is highly contagious and your body is highly reactive to it. What happens is that the bacteria gets inside the body and attacks the throat first, without proper treatment it can spread, but the throat is generally the first one affected.

What Are The Signs Of Strep Throat?

By knowing what strep throat looks like, you can catch it early on. First, thing you will notice is a sore throat. Usually the sore throat is not accompanied by a runny nose or a cold. If you have a cold with the sore throat, the pain is most likely caused by the drainage from the nose. A sore throat is a painful throat that hurts when you swallow and feels like there is something caught in your throat. Additionally, people also run fevers, feel body aches, and have no appetite. Consequently, you can easily become dehydrated when you have sore throat, especially children who don't force themselves to drink.

How Do They Test For Strep?

The test is quick, simple and effective. They do a swab of the throat and test the culture. You can usually have the results within a couple minutes, but in some cases it will need to be cultivated overnight or for a couple days and you will get the results.

What Is The Treatment?

The treatment is usually an antibiotic or steroid depending on the persons tolerance level. This generally clears up the problem within a couple days. Which is why there is not reason to leave it untreated.

By understanding these things you can protect your child from the negative effects of strep throat. Contact an urgent care facility, like Emergency Care Dynamics, for more help.