By Dr. Rosemary Ashman, Partners in Pediatric Care
Unlike minor sore throats that often resolve quickly on their own, make sure you seek treatment for your child if you suspect they have strep throat. If left untreated, strep throat may lead to an inflammatory disease called rheumatic fever and potential heart damage.
The best way to protect your child from these complications is to understand what strep throat looks like and when to seek treatment.
It may be strep throat if:
- your child’s sore throat comes on quickly.
- it’s painful for your child to swallow.
- your child has a fever.
- your child’s tonsils are red and swollen.
- the roof of your child’s mouth has tiny red spots.
- your child’s lymph nodes are swollen.
In some cases, strep throat can cause headaches, stomach pain, and nausea. Typically, children with strep throat do not have a cough, runny nose, or hoarseness, which is more common with colds and the flu.
If your child is showing any signs of strep throat, visit your CHKD pediatrician. They can do a rapid test in the office to determine if it is strep. If it is strep throat, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to get your child feeling better in a day or two. Your child should stay at home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment. If it takes more than 48 hours for your child to start feeling better, call your doctor’s office.
Although it’s not common in the United States, some children can develop rheumatic fever, which is an autoimmune reaction to the strep bacteria. Children between the ages of 5 and 15 are most at risk if they have frequent strep throat infections, a family history of rheumatic fever, or strep infections that were not properly treated. In severe cases, a child with rheumatic fever can develop rheumatic heart disease.
Signs of rheumatic fever include:
- joint pain and swelling.
- rash.
- stomach pain.
- bloody nose.
- fever.
- fatigue.
- dizziness.
Symptoms of rheumatic heart disease include:
- trouble breathing.
- chest pain.
- swelling of the feet and ankles.
- heart murmur.
Always seek the advice of your CHKD pediatrician if you have concerns or questions about your child’s health.
