It’s winter, and all kinds of illnesses are popping up, from COVID-19 to norovirus. Strep throat is a painful illness that often occurs in childhood and makes your child’s throat feel like it’s on fire.
It’s important to treat strep throat right away to avoid complications. Untreated strep throat can lead to rheumatic fever.
Sometimes strep throat recurs, and you want to know what to do. Our board-certified pediatricians at Rise & Shine Pediatrics treat many children with strep throat. We also advise you and your child on how to help prevent it in the future.
If your child gets repeated strep throat infections, here’s what you need to know about the possible causes and what we can do to help.
Strep throat is a contagious bacterial infection, and the condition is characterized by a severe sore throat and a fever. The bacteria gather in the throat and on the tonsils. Your child may cry when they try to swallow due to intense, burning pain. If your child has tonsils, they’re likely swollen.
Strep throat can move quickly through a classroom or playgroup. It spreads through the air when someone sneezes, coughs, or simply talks. You can also pick up strep germs by touching a contaminated surface.
If your child says they have a sore throat and runs a fever, it may not be just a cold. Early detection is important in helping to prevent complications such as ear and sinus infections and other problems.
Most strep throat infections resolve with a prescription for antibiotics. However, sometimes they may recur. Following are the most common reasons for a reoccurrence.
Your child may tell you they feel well after a couple of days on an antibiotic. That’s not uncommon. However, the infection may still be present.
It takes time to kill all of the bacteria causing the infection. If your child stops taking the antibiotics, those remaining bacteria can grow and multiply, resulting in an ongoing infection. The infection wasn’t completely cured, so you need to go back to the doctor.
If your child has enlarged tonsils or sinus issues, they’re more at risk for recurring strep throat. Children with other medical conditions who are immunocompromised are also at greater risk of a recurrence.
Children are exposed to all kinds of illnesses in school, sports, daycare, and other settings. Many children don’t wash their hands regularly, or they may cough or sneeze in their hands or into the air, increasing the risk of spreading the infection to others.
If your child complains of a sore throat again, call our office to make an appointment so we can examine them. We’ll take a throat culture, swabbing your child’s throat, and send the sample to a lab to determine whether strep bacteria are present.
We may prescribe the same antibiotic or a different one. It’s important to ensure that your child takes each pill at approximately the same time each day and takes every pill in the bottle. Because strep throat is highly contagious, your child should stay home from school and other activities until they’re no longer infectious.
Teach your child how to prevent strep throat and other common illnesses. Tell them they have a big role to play in preventing sickness.
Make sure they know to wash their hands regularly, especially before eating, and make hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes available in their backpack if the school allows it. Teach them to sneeze or cough into an elbow — not their hands.
Contact Rise & Shine Pediatrics if you think your child may have strep throat or if you suspect that their strep has come back. You can call the office in South Plainfield, New Jersey, or book an appointment online for nonurgent appointments.
