DS (6.5) has never had strep. So I don't rush to test for it when he gets sick. FWIW, I've never had it either, and neither has DH as long as I've known him.
A good friend's kids get strep all the time, and when I've talked to other friends and colleagues about it, it seems like kids either get it a lot, or never. |
Um no, because she always gets over her sore throat after 2-3 days. |
If anyone in your house has recently had strep and someone is sick, get the newly sick person tested. Strep doesn't always bring fever, and it is quite contagious. |
Unless the sore throat was clearly the result of high pollen or a screamfest of a birthday party, I used to get her tested on the same day. I know of a three-year old who died hours after being sent home from doc with undiagnosed strep. I don't mess around. That said, the older she gets, the more time I give. |
Left untreated, strep throat can lead to kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever. Serious illnesses that can cause stroke and permanent damage to the heart can follow untreated strep. I would ride out a cold but never strep. Strep throat can be easily diagnosed with a simple throat culture, and promptly treated. It's worth finding out. |
THIS. Strep can get very serious very quickly. Just get tested. |
So do you get your kids strep tests every time they have a cold? I get soar throats a lot with colds and I certainly don’t go to the doctor much less get a strep test every time. |
Strep doesn't have congestion. So for my kids, I wait 24 hours after the sore throat appears. If congestion hasn't followed by then, its not a cold and therefore strep. I have pretty good accuracy on this. |
Google image is your friend on this one |
DP here. No, this is easy to distinguish. Strep doesn't include runny nose/congestion/cough. If any of those things are present its unlikely to be strep. |
I have never taken them to the doctor for a sore throat and fever and was not aware this is normal behavior. My parents took my siblings to the doctor ALL. THE. TIME. for every minor thing and it was very disruptive to our lives to be hauled back and forth to the doctor. I always assumed my parents were abnormal in this regard, so I did not copy this behavior when I became a parent. |
NP. Sure, you can clear the strep infection on your own. That's not why physicians prescribe a penicillin for it. |
DP. You need to read up on the Centor criteria. |