Viral pharyngitis
- Many viruses may cause a sore throat.
- Most of the time if your child has an accompanying cold with congestion and cough, they will be more likely have a virus rather than strep throat.
- One virus that may cause a severe sore throat is glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis caused by the Epstein-Barr virus). Recognized frequently in adolescents ( the "kissing" disease), it may occur in young children.
- Glandular fever usually is accompanied by fatigue, fever, very swollen tonsils with a white coating and possibly an enlarged spleen.
- A blood test is needed to diagnose mononucleosis and there is no real treatment.
- Steroids are occasionally used if tonsils are so large that the child has difficulty breathing.
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Strep pharyngitis
- Strep does need treatment with antibiotics.
- The diagnosis is made with a throat swab and performing a rapid strep test (usually takes a few minutes to do in the office) or a throat culture (results after 24 to 48 hours from a lab).
- The scarlet fever rash that may occur with strep feels like a fine, sandpapery rash usually starting in the groin area, neck and then spreads.
- The child is contagious until they have been treated with antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
- They are usually feeling better after being on the antibiotics for at least 48 hours.
- Not everyone is prone to strep throat, so even though someone is exposed, they may not necessarily get the disease.
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