Sore throat

1994/12/01 Agirre, Jabier - Medikua eta OEEko kidea Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

It is a very frequent symptom, which can appear at any age and is due to multiple and different causes. In addition, under this generic name of “sore throat” different anatomical structures are included, so it is necessary to take into account different pathologies (inflammation or laryngeal inflammations, faringas, etc. ). ). But in this work today, and to somehow focus the problem, we will talk about the throat infections of the children (and more specifically of the girlfriends), in order to give some practical advice.

State of the problem

Suppose the child has a throat infection, usually caused by streptococci. The diagnosis thus corroborates it through a pharyngeal culture or after a medical clinical examination. The most important symptoms are sore throat, fever, swelling of the neck nodes, and general discomfort or discomfort. The throat appears reddish and in the tonsils are often seen whitish spots or pus. The proper treatment allows to prevent complications, today rare but not disposable. What are these complications? The most important would be rheumatic fever (joint and/or cardiac involvement) and nephritis (kidney disease). But usually treatment has not only eliminated fever and sore throat in 24 hours, but has left the risk of these complications almost unharmed.

Home Treatment Home Treatment

Give your child the antibiotics your doctor tells you. The antibiotic (erythromycin, amoxicillin, or other, in this case “every teacher has his own school book”) should be given several times a day (two or four times), at a certain dose (depending on the age of the child) with a treatment of 8-10 days.

If the medication is like syrup, use the urn that brings the medication, or in its defect a urn similar to the pharmacy, but always making the amount that is given to the child be the same as prescribed by the doctor. Never use medications that were already open at home, because they may be expired or, which is worse, because they can lose their value.

The medication given to the child will destroy germs that cause infection of the throat. Do not forget any doses. When the child goes to school or to the nursery and at the time of the day there is a dose of drug, give the medication to the person who takes care of the child to give the medication at the time it touches him. Apply the medication for as long as the doctor tells you. Even if children are going to improve immediately, do not stop being given this and finish the entire program prescribed by the doctor to properly heal the throat infection.

If the child has any problem with oral administration (for any reason) or does not like syrup, know that there are those given by injection and antibiotics that are “released” gradually and slowly within the body, thus functioning similarly to oral medication.

To prevent the spread of infection

At 24 hours after the start of taking the antibiotic, the child no longer has the capacity to tell it, so he can return to school or nursery if the fever has disappeared and something has improved overall. If the doctor has taken all the prescribed doses, he can leave the antibiotic and start to lead a normal life. It is not necessary to return to the doctor.

To remove pain

Children over 6 years of age can make a throat garnish with warm salt water (put some salt to a glass of water, like a quarter of a small tea pot) or an aqueous solution with an antiacid. Give children smaller antiseptic substances prepared in the form of “hard candy” to suck them.

The sore throat can be intense and the inflammation can cause discomfort when swallowing. Therefore, soft feeding is recommended in the first days. Cold drinks can relieve pain. If there is a fever, give the child any antithermic agents that have at the same time an anti-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effect.

Do not use special (and expensive) sprays to relieve sore throat. They are not more effective antiseptic substances than those recommended and may contain a component that can lead to allergic reactions, i.e., benzocaine.

What to do to other family members?

It is a very normal question. When a child suffers from a throat infection, what to do to family members or siblings? It is true that strep throat can spread to other family members. The disease appears within 1 to 5 days from the onset of the first case. Therefore, any person (child or adult) living at home and present similar symptoms should go to a consultation to be visited by the doctor and perform the necessary complementary studies, especially cultural ones. And the symptoms to take into account during this period are: fever, sore throat, runny nose, headache, vomiting, dryness or discomfort of the throat and lack of appetite. In most families, the crops will be carried out only to the sick, always under medical prescription.

In families with relatives already affected by rheumatic fever, or with numerous streptococcal infections, all family members should be pharyngeal. Subsequently, with the doctor before the result of the culture, he will prescribe treatment and other therapeutic measures.

In children with streptococcal infection 1 in 10 do not respond to initial antibiotic treatment. If the child continues with a fever or sore throat after treatment, it is convenient to perform a second culture. If the result is positive, the child will be given a second antibiotic different from the first.

Children who do not have symptoms after taking the antibiotic do not have to re-cultivate.

If the following circumstances are sufficient to call the doctor immediately or, failing that, to immediately transfer the child to the doctor. The pain is increasing. The child has difficulty swallowing or throws more baba than normal. The child has difficulty opening the mouth to breathe and remains the same after cleaning his nose. The child has dehydration remains. After 48 hours since the antibiotic was administered, fever persists. You think your child is worse, or that seems to you.