What is the cause of sore throat in children?
- By:groshan fabiola
In babies the possibility for the sore throat to be present due to throat infections if quite rare. Many of the sore throats in babies are caused by lesions in the mouth like: gingivostomatitis, thrush, or coxsackie lesions which can interfere with the process of eating causing intense pain. In some cases when teeth are growing pain can appear giving a suspicion of sore throat.
Another possibility is for the sore throat to be caused by viruses. This case can be encountered in older children and very rare in babies. The virus can be the one which gives the flu or the common cold or can be responsible for producing mononucleosis. There are some situations in which the doctor tells the parent his child has tonsillitis. This affection is associated with sore throat and refers to the infection of the tissue on either side of the throat at the back of the tongue. When the infection is caused by a bacterium the most frequent one is streptococcus.
In some cases strep throat appears due to pollution and smoke. Dust, allergens from the animals, pollen, grass, and dry heat can also affect the throat causing sore.
Parents are advised to bring their babies for a check up if mouth sores or sore throat seem to be present, and if the child has a fever higher than 38 degrees Celsius. Also, breathing with difficulty, red throat or problems when swallowing are good reasons for going at the doctor’s office.
Sore throat is not considered an emergency, instead epiglottitis is. If you see that you child can not breathe properly, that he drools, and that he develops fever, you should call immediately a doctor. Until the doctor gets there do not give the child anything to eat or drink as this could make his breathing problems worse.
Treating a sore throat is made after determining the cause of the sore throat. In case a virus is responsible for the affection, the baby should rest and drink fluids. No other treatment is necessary as the immune system will deal with the virus and will eliminate it within a week.
If the sore throat is caused by a bacterium antibiotic treatment is needed. The doctor will probably prescribe penicillin, amoxicillin, or erythromycin as they are the most effective in this case.
The baby can be contagious if he has a viral infection and so as a parent you should keep him away from other children, you should properly wash his drinking glasses and his hands as frequent as possible.
If the baby is old enough you can try to relief his pain by giving his warm liquids. Avoid using honey if the baby has less than one year. The doctor might recommend pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Now all you have to do is wait for the immune system and therapy to work.About the author:
For more information about sore throat and especially about What is 20the cause of sore throat in children please review http://www.strep-throat-center.com