When should you be worried about your child’s sore throat?

Sore throats happen all the time in childhood — and most of the time, it’s nothing to stress about. Mostly, they're just common flu or child cough-related issues, which don’t cause any serious problems and get better without undergoing any clinical treatments.

Sometimes, though, pharyngitis is often a symbol of a drag that may need medical sore throat treatment. 

Here are four examples:

Strep throat

This infection, caused by a specific quite a streptococcus bacteria, is sort of common. Alongside pharyngitis, children may have a fever, headache, stomachache (sometimes with vomiting), and a fine, pink rash that nearly seems like sandpaper. 

All of those symptoms also can be seen with a virus infection, therefore the only way of truly knowing if it's streptococcal sore throat is to swab for rapid testing and/or culture. 

Streptococcal sore throat actually can recover without antibiotics, but we give antibiotics to stop complications, which, while rare, can include heart problems, kidney problems, and arthritis.

Peritonsillar or retropharyngeal abscess

This is a set of pus either behind the tonsils (peritonsillar) or at the rear of the throat (retropharyngeal) and may be dangerous. 

Redness and swelling on one side of the throat, or nasty pharyngitis with fever and neck stiffness, are often signs.

Stomatitis

This is caused by viruses and results in sores within the mouth and throat. It gets better by itself, but it can make eating and drinking very uncomfortable, which is why some children with stomatitis (especially very young children) find themselves with dehydration. 

Some medications will help coat the sores and make drinking easier, to assist prevent dehydration. But get in touch with an ear nose and throat for kids in Singapore before trying any OTC drug.

Ingestion

Little children are curious and don’t have the simplest self-preservation skills. If they drink something that's a robust acid or alkali, it can burn the mouth and throat because it goes down. Household products like bleach, drain cleaners, bowl cleaners, some detergents, and even some beauty products like hair straighteners, can do terrible damage. 

Here’s when you’re supposed to call the Pediatric ENT specialist Singapore:

• If your child has any trouble breathing, or if their breathing just seems different to you
• If your child has trouble swallowing, especially if they're drooling
• If your child features a stiff neck
• If your child features a high fever (102° F or greater) that doesn’t go down with acetaminophen or ibuprofen or keeps coming back
• If your child is refusing to drink or is drinking much but normal
• If the pain intensifies continuously (any continuous pain warrants a call to the child ENT specialist Singapore)
• If your child is so sleepy that they're hard to wake or keep awake
• If your child features a rash, headache, stomachache, or vomiting, to be checked for streptococcal sore throat (or other infections)

Here are some ways to treat a toddler with pharyngitis easily:

• Cold liquids, or cold foods like popsicles, ice cream, or refrigerated Jell-0. If they don’t want to eat, that’s fine, but they need to drink. Give sips of a touch at a time if needed.
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Ask your doctor for the proper dose for your child’s age and weight.
• If your child develops mouth sores, keep them away from foods that are too salty (chips), spicy (Fast-food), and acidic (orange juice). 
• Use a humidifier to assist keeps the throat moist.

If you've got any questions or concerns, go to the child ENT clinic Singapore and look for a sore throat specialist.