Sore throat

Sore throat is a common symptom in children. It can be seen in isolation, or can be accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, cough, headache, and congestion. Sore throat is most typically caused by a viral infection. Occasionally, a sore throat is caused by a Strep infection and this is a setting where antibiotics are needed. It is impossible to differentiate a viral sore throat from strep throat without getting a throat swab. Many viral sore throats will improve within 2-3 days, whereas strep tends to persist for longer than that. It is not dangerous to delay treatment of strep throat for a day or two, so waiting to see how the symptoms progress is reasonable. Pain can be managed with Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. If you feel that you cannot wait until the office is open to evaluate your child’s sore throat, please go to a CHOA Urgent Care facility to have a throat swab done.

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