If you have had strep throat in your house recently, you are NOT alone! You may be one of the families who has had strep throat more than once in the last few months. Strep throat cases, including recurrent strep throat, are on the rise in the Omaha community.
What is Strep Throat? Common Symptoms
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat typically caused by Group A Streptococcus. Common symptoms for strep throat include sore throat, pain when swallowing, fever, upset stomach, headache, body aches and/or swollen lymph nodes in the neck. White spots on the throat are NOT an automatic indication of strep throat as viruses can cause white spots on the throat. Small red spots at the back of the roof of the mouth, known as petechiae, can be seen with strep throat.
Treatments for Kids
Although kids with strep throat can feel really sick, there is a quick and easy fix to it! A penicillin antibiotic, such as amoxicillin, is the first line therapy for strep throat. Many times kids are feeling better within the first 24 hours of antibiotics.
There are important things to remember about strep throat treatment so that you can get rid of it with the first round of antibiotics.
- Do not miss a dose of antibiotics
- Get a new toothbrush after 48 hours of antibiotics
- Complete all 10 days of antibiotics, even though your child will begin feeling better before the end of the 10 day course
How to Test for Strep Throat in Children
At Nebraska Home Pediatrics, we can complete a rapid strep PCR test in the clinic and have final results available in about 30 minutes. There are some cases in which we need to send out a throat culture, but the vast majority of children can have a rapid strep PCR test completed to rule in or rule out strep throat.
Recurrent Strep Throat Causes
Recurrent strep throat can be caused due to missed antibiotic doses or ongoing Group A Streptococcus circulation within the household or daycare. If there is concern about ongoing circulation of strep throat within the household, families will want to consider testing everyone in the household and potentially treat all positive family members. This would be a similar recommendation for strep throat cases in a daycare setting. Parents of children who attend daycare and test positive for strep throat should notify daycare of the positive strep test so that the daycare facility can encourage parents of other sick children at the facility to be tested for strep throat.
Book an Appointment
Call Nebraska Home Pediatrics at 402.917.6944 if you are worried your child might have strep throat and you need to schedule an appointment.