Causes
A sore throat can have several causes, including viral infections such as the common cold, flu or glandular fever.
Bacterial causes are less frequent (15-30% of cases), but include streptococcal infection (caused by Streptococcus Group A), and ear infections.
Most sore throats go along with swelling and redness of the tonsils, called tonsillitis.
Symptoms
If your child’s sore throat is caused by the common cold, she’s likely to have a runny nose, cough and possibly sore ears, along with a fever, tiredness and a poor appetite. If the cause is flu, your child might also have aches and pains, along with the other symptoms.
A sore throat caused by a streptococcal infection is more likely if your child’s older than four, and if he has swollen neck glands, swollen red tonsils and a rash. This kind of sore throat might not come with a runny nose and cough.
A younger child with a streptococcal infection might complain of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Glandular fever
is a relatively common cause of sore throats in older children. If your child has glandular fever, she’ll probably also have swollen lymph glands and be very tired over a long period.
Treatment
The way you treat a sore throat depends on its cause.
There’s no cure for the common cold. All you can do is treat the symptoms, including giving saline nasal drops and paracetamol in recommended doses. Getting your child to take frequent sips of fluid might also help.
There’s also no cure for glandular fever or flu, but the symptoms can be managed to make your child feel more comfortable.
If your child’s sore throat is caused by a streptococcal infection, your doctor will most likely take a swab from your child’s throat for analysis, and will treat the infection with antibiotics.
