Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

Your child ‘s doctor will start with a physical examination that will include :

• Using a lighted instrument to look at your child’s throat and likely his or her ears and nose, which also may be sites of infection
• Checking for a rash known as scarlatina, which is associated with some cases of strep throat
• Gently feeling (palpating) your child’s neck to check for swollen glands (lymph nodes)
• Listening to his or her breathing with a stethoscope
• Checking for enlargement of the spleen (for consideration of mononucleosis, which also inflames the tonsils)

Throat swab

With this simple examination, the sophisticate rubs a sterile swab over the back of your child ‘s throat to get a sample distribution of secretions. The sample will be checked in the clinic or in a lab for streptococcal bacteria .
many clinics are equipped with a lab that can get a examination resultant role within a few minutes. however, a moment more dependable test is normally sent out to a lab that can much return results within several hours or a couple of days.

If the rapid in-clinic test comes spinal column convinced, then your child about surely has a bacterial infection. If the test comes back negative, then your child likely has a viral infection. Your sophisticate will wait, however, for the more dependable out-of-clinic lab test to determine the induce of the contagion .

Complete blood cell count (CBC)

Your doctor may arrange a CBC with a small sample of your child ‘s rake. The consequence of this test, which can frequently be completed in a clinic, produces a consider of the different types of lineage cells. The profile of what ‘s elevated, what ‘s convention or what ‘s below normal can indicate whether an infection is more likely caused by a bacterial or viral agent. A CBC is not frequently needed to diagnose streptococcal throat. however, if the streptococcal throat lab test is negative, the CBC may be needed to help determine the campaign of tonsillitis .

More Information

• Complete blood count (CBC)

Treatment

At-home care

Whether tonsillitis is caused by a viral or bacterial infection, at-home care strategies can make your child more comfortable and promote better recovery .
If a virus is the expect induce of tonsillitis, these strategies are the alone discussion. Your doctor wo n’t prescribe antibiotics. Your child will probably be better within seven to 10 days .
At-home care strategies to use during the convalescence time include the come :

• Encourage rest. Encourage your child to get plenty of sleep.
• Provide adequate fluids. Give your child plenty of water to keep his or her throat moist and prevent dehydration.
• Provide comforting foods and beverage. Warm liquids — broth, caffeine-free tea or warm water with honey — and cold treats like ice pops can soothe a sore throat.
• Prepare a saltwater gargle. If your child can gargle, a saltwater gargle of 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) of table salt to 8 ounces (237 milliliters) of warm water can help soothe a sore throat. Have your child gargle the solution and then spit it out.
• Humidify the air. Use a cool-air humidifier to eliminate dry air that may further irritate a sore throat, or sit with your child for several minutes in a steamy bathroom.
• Offer lozenges. Children older than age 4 can suck on lozenges to relieve a sore throat.
• Avoid irritants. Keep your home free from cigarette smoke and cleaning products that can irritate the throat.
• Treat pain and fever. spill to your sophisticate about using ibuprofen ( Advil, Children ‘s Motrin, others ) or acetaminophen ( Tylenol, others ) to minimize throat annoyance and control a fever. low fevers without pain do not require treatment .
  Unless aspirin is prescribed by a doctor to treat a detail disease, children and teenagers should not take aspirin. Aspirin use by children to treat symptoms of cold or flu-like illnesses has been linked to Reye ‘s syndrome, a rare but potentially dangerous discipline.

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Antibiotics

If tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial contagion, your doctor will prescribe a naturally of antibiotics. Penicillin taken by mouth for 10 days is the most park antibiotic discussion prescribed for tonsillitis caused by group A streptococcus. If your child is allergic to penicillin, your repair will prescribe an alternative antibiotic .
Your child must take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed even if the symptoms go away completely. failure to take all of the medication as directed may result in the infection worsening or spreading to other parts of the body. not completing the wide course of antibiotics can, in particular, increase your child ‘s risk of rheumatic fever and serious kidney ignition .
talk to your sophisticate or pharmacist about what to do if you forget to give your child a drug .

Surgery

operation to remove tonsils ( tonsillectomy ) may be used to treat frequently recurring tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis or bacterial tonsillitis that does n’t respond to antibiotic discussion. patronize tonsillitis is generally defined as :

• At least seven episodes in the preceding year
• At least five episodes a year in the past two years
• At least three episodes a year in the past three years

A tonsillectomy may besides be performed if tonsillitis results in difficult-to-manage complications, such as :

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Breathing difficulty
• Swallowing difficulty, especially meats and other chunky foods
• An abscess that doesn’t improve with antibiotic treatment

A tonsillectomy is normally done as an outpatient procedure, unless your child is very young, has a complex medical circumstance or if complications arise during surgery. That means your child should be able to go home the day of the surgery. A complete recovery normally takes seven to 14 days.

More Information

• Tonsillectomy

Preparing for your appointment

If your child is experiencing a huffy throat, difficulty swallow or other symptoms that may indicate tonsillitis, you ‘ll probable start with a travel to to your syndicate doctor or your child ‘s baby doctor. You may be referred to a specialist in ear, nose and throat disorders .
Your repair is likely to ask you a count of questions about your child ‘s condition. Be prepared to answer the comply questions :

• When did the symptoms begin?
• If your child has had a fever, what was his or her temperature?
• Does he or she have difficulty swallowing foods, or does it hurt to swallow?
• Does anything improve symptoms, such as an over-the-counter pain reliever or warm liquids?
• Has your child been diagnosed with tonsillitis or strep throat before? If so, when?
• Do symptoms seem to affect his or her sleep?
• Has your child been exposed to anyone known to have strep throat?

Questions you may want to ask your repair include the comply :

• How long will it take to get test results?
• What is the best course of treatment?
• Should I be concerned with how frequently my child is getting tonsillitis?
• When can my child go back to school or resume other activities?