Winter sore throat in children needs to be differentiated, as the viral one needs no treatment but the bacterial one, if ignored, can end up with permanent heart or kidney damage.
SOAR THROAT is a symptom, not a disease. Issuing a winter warning Padmashri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr KK Aggarwal its President, said that children between 5 to 15 years, during winter season, if complain of redness in the throat with fever ranging between 101-104F and associated enlarged tender cervical lymph nodes need immediate attention and antibiotics. This sore throat is devoid of any cough, nasal discharge or nasal congestion. On the contrary, viral sore throat will present with recurrent cough and nasal discharge.
The bacteria sore throat illness may last only for two to three days and if no antibiotics are given weeks later the child may present with joint pains and involvement of the heart/kidney.
So called strepto sore throat, the illness licks the joints and bites the heart. Six out of every 1000 children are suffering from this illness. The illness is more common in winter season as children tend to spend more time indoor with each other.
Schools should be especially concerned about cough in children as the disease can rapidly spread from one child to another by droplet infection.