possible strep?

[greenT]

my daughter has what i think is just a cold. there has been coughing, runny nose/nose blowing, and her throat hurts when she swallows. but this hasn't stopped her or slowed her down. last night she felt hot and i took her temp - 101.7. this morning there was no fever. she said there was a tickle in her throat.

normally we let our bodies immune system fight things ((at 6 she's never needed antibiotics)). however a note was sent home that a classmate had either strep or scarlet fever (does anyone else's child bring these notices home all winter long? it seems like once a week) anyhow, i started to read about strep and how serious it can be, so of course my mama alarm is now so heightened with worry. but she is up and about. eating fine. sleeping fine. my instincts tell me it is just a cold.

anyone have any thoughts? i was all for letting her fight this germ on her own but now i'm having major what ifs? i read that runny noses usually don't show up with strep. any other pearls of wisdom like that that some of you know of? should we head to the doctor?

thanks for any healing words .

[deditus]

Originally Posted by greenT

my daughter has what i think is just a cold. there has been coughing, runny nose/nose blowing, and her throat hurts when she swallows. but this hasn't stopped her or slowed her down. last night she felt hot and i took her temp - 101.7. this morning there was no fever. she said there was a tickle in her throat.

normally we let our bodies immune system fight things ((at 6 she's never needed antibiotics)). however a note was sent home that a classmate had either strep or scarlet fever (does anyone else's child bring these notices home all winter long? it seems like once a week) anyhow, i started to read about strep and how serious it can be, so of course my mama alarm is now so heightened with worry. but she is up and about. eating fine. sleeping fine. my instincts tell me it is just a cold.

anyone have any thoughts? i was all for letting her fight this germ on her own but now i'm having major what ifs? i read that runny noses usually don't show up with strep. any other pearls of wisdom like that that some of you know of? should we head to the doctor?

thanks for any healing words .

If she has strep that needs to be treated, it will be obvious. When I had strep, my dh had to carry me over his shoulder into the ER because I was delirious and said I felt fine but I was obviously really sick. I think strep is more likely if there are no cold symptoms present (cough, runny nose, sneezing), they are over age 3, drinking oj doesn't sting, it comes on suddenly, high fever, etc. Here's Dr Sears page on sore throats:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T083900.asp

[A&A]

strep isn't necessarily obvious in children. In fact, I took my ds into the doc yesterday for a stomachache and a slight sore throat, and he had strep.

A strep test is quick and (relatively) painless. I'd get it done if you have concerns.

[columbusmomma]

Originally Posted by A&A

strep isn't necessarily obvious in children. In fact, I took my ds into the doc yesterday for a stomachache and a slight sore throat, and he had strep.

A strep test is quick and (relatively) painless. I'd get it done if you have concerns.

Yep, I've had times where I've thought no way does DS have strep(I'm a nurse and try to assess before making an appt)and Dr. even agrees with me, then sure enough positive! A stomache can be common with strep too.

[infraread]

Anytime my oldest has gotten strep, he'd have a fever, a headache, a stomach ache, and he'd just smell off.

My youngest, who is 15 mos., had strep about a month ago and he had a fever, refused to eat, drink, or nurse, and touched his jawline a lot. He also drooled quite a bit because his tonsils were swollen, and he would not allow me to put him down. Both would have a low fever, around 101 or so

My husband, who is very susceptible to strep throat, coughs a lot & complains of a sore throat & a headache when he has it, then pops a fever & acts like he's dying.

The one time I had it, about 10 years ago, I felt like I was swallowing glass. I agree with Deditus, if she can drink oj without any issues, it's likely something else. Just keep an eye on her follow your mama bear instincts

[greenT]

just wanted to thank those of you who took the time to reply to my question. i gave in to the worry and went to the dr... the doctor agree that my daughter's tonsils looked red and swollen so she took the strep swabs. the in office results came back negative and we have a strong feeling that the 24 hour test will be negative too. so i'm feeling relieved, no prescriptions were pushed our way and my child is feeling better.

thanks again for sharing your experiences.