When Is It Time To Worry About Your Child’s Sore Throat?

Sore throats are usually nothing to worry about. They are often part and parcel to a cold, and can be caused by any number of things from an open window at night to a virus.  Most sore throats can be treated with home remedies or over the counter medications. Sometimes, it can be more serious and you will need to give your GP a jingle or maybe need to ring 111 or visit A & E. Pearl Chemist has all the best medicine for a sore throat and cough for kids if it’s just an average everyday sore throat. Here’s a handy guide to help you figure out the difference.  

What are the causes of my child’s sore throat?
Most often, your child will have a sore throat because of a viral infection such as the common cold, flu or glandular fever.  In less common cases, your child could be experiencing a bacterial infection such as a streptococcal infection or an ear infection.  In even more rare instances your child could experience something called a peritonsillar abscess, in which case you should go directly to A & E.  Here are the symptoms of each:

Viral vs. Bacterial sore throat:
Bacterial: (ie Strep throat)

  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Stomach ache/loss of appetite
  • No cough/runny nose


Viral: (ie: cold/flu)

  • Cough
  • Visible swelling in throat
  • Runny nose

 

Peritonsillar abscess:
If you see an area of pus-filled tissue at the back of the throat, it could be a peritonsillar abscess, a complication of tonsillitis.  It may be incredibly painful and make it hard for your child to open their mouth.  It is most common in older children, albeit increasingly rare because we generally use antibiotics to treat tonsillitis.  If you do see this, treat this as a medical emergency and take your child to A & E, as if the abscess were to burst, the contents of the abscess could travel to the lungs and cause pneumonia.  

How can I treat my child’s sore throat?
Generally, home remedies like warm drinks, gargling with salt and soothing, soft, easy to swallow foods are the best ways to treat your child’s sore throat.  Sometimes home remedies are not enough and you will want to buy sore throat medicine for your kids.  

Pearl Chemist  has the best medicines for sore throat and cough. You can buy medicine for your kids online or at your nearest location when you visit us online and either order for delivery to your door or find your nearest location and visit us in store.