Body aches, fever, and a painful swallow can trick you into thinking your kid has the flu. However, if you see small red spots towards the back of the roof of their mouth, it may not be the flu. You might actually be dealing with a case of strep throat. But how do you treat strep throat, how did your child get it, and how do you prevent it in the future? Let’s take a look.
Who Gets Strep Throat? How Do They Get It?
Anyone can get strep throat, but it is most common in children. Strep bacteria thrive in groups of people who have close contact with each other, like schools. And strep is very contagious, so children can easily catch it from other infected kids who cough and sneeze near them. Strep is most prevalent during winter and early spring.Â
How Do You Prevent the Spread of Strep Throat?
Since strep throat is airborne, it’s difficult to prevent. But you can reduce the risk of getting and spreading it by following some simple steps:
- Train all family members to wash their hands often with antibacterial soap.
- Teach all family members to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.
- Make sure everyone in your household uses their own dishes. Do not share drinks, utensils, cups, toothbrushes, etc. when you have someone infected with strep throat.
- Wipe down frequently touched areas of your home like door knobs, refrigerator and cabinet handles, and stair railings.
- Eat immune boosting foods.
How Do You Treat Strep Throat?
The good news about strep throat is that it is bacterial, so antibiotics can help wipe it out more quickly. Your doctor may prescribe amoxicillin, cephalexin, or penicillin. Taking antibiotics also lowers the risk of your child spreading it to others. To help with aches and fever, your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin).
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