Sore throat in children
Causes of sore throat in children
Sore throat in children usually occurs in combination with a cold. In fact, children suffer from colds quite often. One reason why: Their immune systems are not yet fully developed and can therefore only partially ward off pathogens. In addition, the risk of infection in kindergarten or at school is particularly high. Many children gathered together in narrow quarters makes it child's play for pathogens to cause the common cold.
In principle, however, sore throat can be indicative of other clinical pictures – like scarlet fever – as well. The following table provides an initial overview of possible causes, but cannot replace an accurate diagnosis by a paediatrician.
|Clinical picture||Sore throat||Other symptoms|
|Common cold (flu-like infection) often in conjunction with pharyngitis||At the beginning, those suffering often experience a scratchy sensation in the throat, later sore throat and possibly swallowing difficulties||Runny nose, cough, hoarseness, mild headache and pain in the limbs and joints, elevated temperature|
|Tonsillitis||Severe sore throat and swallowing difficulties||Fever, pronounced malaise, mouth odour, swollen, reddened tonsils partly covered with white specks; possibly also abdominal pain and vomiting|
|Scarlet fever||Sore throat, swallowing difficulties||Fever, swollen lymph nodes, pronounced malaise, skin rash, "raspberry tongue"|
Sore throat in small children – how to correctly interpret symptoms
Small children (younger than pre-schoolers) often cannot correctly describe pain. Therefore, indirect indications should also be considered. For example, refusing to eat can be related to sore throat.
If you suspect that your small child or infant is experiencing sore throat, always consult your doctor.
Treating sore throat in children
For the treatment of sore throat in children, prescription-free medication is available at the pharmacy.
In addition to targeted sore throat treatment with Dorithricin® Throat Lozenges, supportive remedies may be helpful. This includes increased fluid intake as well as humidification of the air and household remedies such as a home-made hot compress made from mashed baked potatoes or sage tea. Further tips for parents can be found here.