Strep Throat: Symptoms and Treatment

Kids are headed back to school. Before you know it, it will be flu season, and one of the most common illnesses for children is strep throat.

A simple sore throat is caused by a virus alone, and a sore throat can turn into strep throat. The bacteria that causes strep throat (group A streptococcus) accumulates in the nose and throat, leading to more severe symptoms, which usually appear within 3 days.

Symptoms of strep throat can include:

• difficulty swallowing
• headache
• fever
• general discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
• tender or swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck
• red and enlarged tonsils
• lower stomach pain
• loss of appetite and nausea
• rash

It’s important to teach kids about the value of hand washing because good hygiene can reduce their chances of getting strep throat and other contagious diseases.

Luckily, strep throat can be treated with antibiotics. If you suspect that you or a family member may have come down with strep, it’s important that you visit with a doctor.