Everybody seems to be sick this time of year. I've noticed that some people are become extremely sick which is different from the usual cold we see this time of year. My family and some co-workers have been sick for the past week and I didn't think it was anything but a flu/cold until I received a note from my sons school. The note informed parents that strep throat is in some of the schools class rooms and if your child has a fever and a rash please keep your child at home. I am not sure if my sons school is the only school facing this issue or if all Twin Falls schools are seeing children with strep throat. Did your child receive a note regarding strep throat?

The note made me wonder if my family had strep throat. Luckily after reading all of the symptoms of strep throat I am almost positive my family has not had it. You will want to be on the look out for strep throat symptoms and inform your school if your child is diagnosed with it.

Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat:

  •     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
  •     Fatigue

When to see a doctor

  •     A sore throat accompanied by tender, swollen lymph glands (nodes)
  •     A sore throat that lasts longer than 48 hours
  •     A fever higher than 101 F (38.3 C) in older children, or any fever lasting longer than 48 hours
  •     A sore throat accompanied by a rash
  •     Problems breathing or difficulty swallowing anything, including saliva
  •     If strep has been diagnosed, a lack of improvement after taking antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours
  •     A fever — or pain or swelling in the joints, shortness of breath or a rash — after a strep infection, even as long as three weeks after infection; these can be indicators of rheumatic fever
  •     Cola-colored urine more than a week after a strep infection, as this may indicate kidney inflammation

 

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