Strep Throat Symptoms??

Question

Hi my child is 3 yrs old, she has swollen throat and white patch is slightly visible. She has really high fever, she went up to 105.7 F, and she is having hard time swallowing, and eating food. She feels discomfort and she cries lots lately. It started last week friday, and this is now 7th day today. She went to the hospital and they did the swap strep throat check, and it came out negative

What is this if it's not a strep throat? This is so frustrating because we can't find the right medication.

It seems like strep throat to me, but it came out negative. What else can cause: throat pain, difficulty swallowing, high fever and discomfort for a 3 years old girl?

Please take this seriously, it's really hard to watch her like this.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Strep throat is a bacterial throat infection that can make your throat feel sore and scratchy. Most sore throats are caused by viruses and usually go away on their own. Only a small portion of sore throats are the result of strep throat.

It's important to identify strep throat for a number of reasons. If untreated, strep throat can sometimes cause complications such as kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can lead to painful and inflamed joints, a rash and even damage to heart valves.

Strep throat is most common between the ages of 5 and 15, but it affects people of all ages. If you or your child has signs or symptoms of strep throat, see your doctor for prompt treatment.

In general, signs and symptoms of strep throat include:

    * Throat pain

    * Difficulty swallowing

    * Red and swollen tonsils, sometimes with white patches or streaks of pus

    * Tiny red spots on the soft or hard palate — the area at the back of the roof of the mouth

    * Swollen, tender lymph glands (nodes) in your neck

    * Fever

    * Headache

    * Rash

    * Stomachache and sometimes vomiting, especially in younger children

It's possible for you or your child to have many of these signs and symptoms, but not have strep throat. The cause of these signs and symptoms could be a virus, tonsillitis or other illnesses. That's why your doctor generally tests specifically for strep throat.

It's also possible to have the bacteria that can cause strep in your throat without having a sore throat. Some people are carriers of strep, which means they can pass the bacteria on to others, but the bacteria do not make them sick.

Treatments and drugs

Medications - 1.   Antibiotics. If you or your child has strep throat, your doctor will likely prescribe an oral antibiotic such as penicillin, amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox), azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), clindamycin (Cleocin) or a cephalosporin (Keflex, Ceclor). Penicillin may be given by injection in some cases — such as if you have a young child who is having a hard time swallowing or is vomiting from strep throat. These antibiotics reduce the duration and severity of symptoms, as well as the risk of complications and the likelihood that infection will spread to classmates or family members.

2.Pain relievers. In addition to antibiotics, your doctor may suggest ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to relieve throat pain and reduce fever. Because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a potentially life-threatening illness, don't give aspirin to young children and teenagers. Be careful with acetaminophen, too. Taken in large doses, it can cause liver problems. Read and follow label directions. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions.

The above are for your information only and before giving any medical please consult  your physician. -

Answer 2

My old friend.. Jayarama has given this in detail(though he knew me by a different name then).

I have nothing to add.. except that it is sore throat and can be because of viral or other bacterial infections.