A child with strep throat may experience pain when swallowing, as well as fever, headache, stomachache and swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck. Other symptoms of strep throat include swollen and red tonsils that may develop white or yellow spots, red spots on the roof of the mouth and bad breath. A throat culture or an antigen detection test can be used to determine if a child has strep throat. The bacteria that cause strep throat are spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms will develop between 12 hours and five days after exposure to illness.
Doctors always prescribe an antibiotic, usually penicillin, to treat strep throat.
If left untreated, the discomfort from strep throat may last two to five days. Acetaminophen can be given to the child to relieve aches, pains or fever. Gargling with warm salt water may also help relieve some of the sore throat pain. Children with strep throat may not feel like eating, but they should be encouraged to drink fluids. They will remain contagious until 24 hours after they begin antibiotic therapy.