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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffYou can take a number of steps to reduce your child's discomfort and pain.
- Treat fever and pain. Use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to control the fever and minimize throat pain.
- Provide adequate fluids. Give your child plenty of water to keep the throat moist and prevent dehydration.
- Prepare a saltwater gargle. If your child is able to gargle water, give him or her salty water to gargle and then spit out. This may ease the throat pain.
- Humidify the air. Use a cool-mist humidifier to eliminate dry air that may further irritate a sore throat.
- Offer lozenges. Children older than age 4 can suck on lozenges to relieve a sore throat.
- Provide comforting foods. Warm liquids such as soup and cold treats like ice pops can soothe a sore throat.
- Avoid irritants. Keep your home free from cigarette smoke and cleaning products that can irritate the throat.
References
- Scarlet fever. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/scarletfever_g.htm. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Ferri FF. Scarlet fever. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Habif RP. Exanthems. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Pichichero ME. Complications of streptococcal tonsillopharyngitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Greer MA. Group A Streptococcus. In: Kliegman RM. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
- Fort GG, et al. Rheumatic fever. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.
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