Strep throat, an infection of the throat and tonsils caused by bacteria called A Streptococcus (group A strep), usually manifests itself as a sore throat. However, it can manifest itself in many ways. Other symptoms of strep throat can include a high fever, which can be very worrying for parents and worrying for children. Here, we look at the signs and symptoms of strep throat, ask how strep throat is diagnosed, and more.
What are the signs and symptoms of strep throat in children?
Strep causes a large proportion of throat infections in school-aged children, and a corresponding wave of illness across the country is causing an increase in the number of strep throat cases Canada is seeing among children and youth. This makes it very important for parents and caregivers to remain vigilant and watch out for worrisome symptoms. But many parents are often confused if the symptom of a sore throat is a virus or strep. Medics use several criteria to distinguish between an ordinary viral throat infection and bacterial strep throat and to determine how strep throat is diagnosed.
HealthLink BC lists the symptoms of strep throat:
- A sore throat that can start very quickly.
- Pain when swallowing.
- Red and sore tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus.
- Small red spots on the roof of the mouth (the soft or hard palate).
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Fever.
- Headache.
- Nausea.
Other signs and symptoms of strep throat include:
- Enlarged tonsils.
- Usually a fever of more than 38.3 degrees Celsius.
- Sometimes shaking or having a rash.
Cold-like symptoms like coughing and stuffy nose also affect toddlers with strep throat.
Unexpected symptoms of strep throat
Because the symptoms vary, sometimes parents don’t suspect strep. Young children may report unusual symptoms such as abdominal pain, associated with a feeling of pain caused by fever, or bad breath caused by bacteria and pus.
How is strep throat diagnosed?
If signs of strep throat appear, go to the doctor. They will do a strep test to sample throat fluids. It involves rubbing a cotton-tipped swab on the back of a child’s throat. This can be uncomfortable and cause children to cough, even though they shouldn’t feel sick. False negatives are a possibility, so doctors usually follow up with a bacterial swab to double check the result.
Many doctors use two swabs at the same time – one for the rapid strep test and one for the bacterial culture.
It can take between 2 to 5 days for strep bacteria to grow and give results on a bacterial culture. If symptoms persist for more than five days despite a negative rapid strep test, doctors usually switch to treating patients with antibiotics.
What causes strep and how long is it contagious?
How strep is spread
Day cares and schools are hotbeds of infections because there is close contact, which is why children are more likely to get strep throat. The condition is usually spread through nasal secretions, mucus and sometimes airborne droplets.
How to prevent strep
The best way to prevent your child from getting strep is to follow familiar hygiene practices such as washing hands regularly and keeping contact to a minimum when children are sick.
How long after exposure does strep appear?
The incubation period from exposure to infection to the appearance of the first symptoms can be between two to seven days.
How to contain strep when your child gets it:
- Limit contact with family members when children are contagious.
- Avoid sharing drinking glasses or utensils.
- Wash their dishes in hot, soapy water.
- Change their toothbrush. It takes 24 hours on antibiotics before you are no longer contagious, so change your child’s toothbrush to prevent re-infection. This is a step that is easy to forget but important to remember.
Are antibiotics necessary to get rid of strep?
In addition to treating the infection, antibiotics such as penicillin or amoxicillin (or for those allergic to those two drugs, antibiotics such as cephalexin, clindamycin, or Zithromax) are prescribed. If children refuse to take medicine by mouth, a penicillin or ceftriaxone shot is also an option.
Children older than 3
Untreated strep infections can lead to less common but more serious conditions. Children over 3 years of age need treatment with antibiotics to prevent worrisome complications such as rheumatic fever.
More common in children ages 5 to 15, it’s a disease thought to be caused by the immune system’s response to a previous strep infection and can affect the heart, joints, brain and skin.
Children under 3 years of age
Although children under 3 rarely develop rheumatic fever, they are not immune to complications such as sepsis, bacteremia and skin and joint infections – hence the use of antibiotics. Bacteremia is when live bacteria enter the bloodstream, while sepsis is a life-threatening condition where an infection triggers a severe response in the body, according to HealthLink BC.
Recovery from strep
If your child has been diagnosed and is recovering from the illness, try these helpful remedies for strep throat symptoms:
- Offer warm liquids and soups or cold foods (such as ice packs) to reduce pain, especially if eating is the last thing your child wants to do.
- Give ibuprofen for pain relief, but be sure to ask your doctor about the right dose for your child.
- Probiotics may help prevent diarrhea resulting from antibiotic use.
Fortunately, if your child is diagnosed and antibiotics are started, the symptoms of strep throat will likely improve fairly quickly. This can happen within as little as 24 hours of taking the medication — helping kids feel better and putting parents’ minds at ease.
