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Are Kids More Likely to Get Sore Throats Than Adults?
Sore throats are a very common ailment for kids and adults alike, but they tend to affect children more often. This is particularly true for sore throats caused by bacteria such as strep, rather than a virus.
Viral vs. bacterial infections for sore throats
While some sore throats are due to allergies, smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke, most sore throats are caused by viral infections such as colds or flu. However, up to 30% of sore throats in kids are caused by strep throat, a throat and tonsil infection caused by group A Streptococcus (group A strep) bacteria. Among adults only around 10% of sore throats are due to strep throat, which occurs far more commonly in kids, most commonly in 5-15-year-olds.
Sore throats caused by a viral infection are usually accompanied by coughing and a runny or blocked nose, whereas the symptoms of bacterial strep throat infection tend to be concentrated around the throat, tonsils and mouth, sometimes with a fever. Be aware that if sore throat pain is severe, or you or your child are also suffering from fever, nausea/vomiting or an intense headache, you should seek immediate help from a doctor or pediatrician.
Strep throat is highly contagious and is often passed from child to child at school, as large groups of kids spend hours in close contact. While it’s particularly common in school-aged children, the infection can also spread to other children and adults in the household.
What to do for a child with a sore throat
Whether your child has strep throat, flu or a cold, it’s important to make sure they get plenty of rest and stay hydrated. Classic recipes like chicken soup and honey and lemon may help, along with treatments designed for the specific illness your child has come down with. Be sure to consult your child’s doctor or pediatrician before giving them any medication and to help you understand what is causing the pain.
Treating the pain
Most products designed solely to relieve throat and mouth pain will quickly help sooth a sore throat, regardless of the cause. Store-bought products such as sore throat sprays or lozenges often work quickly and effectively, right at the source of the pain. And if swallowing liquids is proving a challenge for your kid, sore throat medicine – sore throat sprays in particular – can numb the throat, helping relieve the pain of swallowing to better help them stay hydrated.
Be aware, it’s important to check all labels and directions carefully if you are buying for your child. Sore throat treatments are not always suitable for kids. However, Chloraseptic throat sprays are the only brand currently safe for kids as young as 3. Your child does have to be able to spit out the spray without swallowing, as directed, so it is important to always supervise your child’s use of the spray.
Sore throat lozenges and throat drops
Lozenges are designed to help soothe the pain of a sore throat, some with topical painkillers such as benzocaine, some with honey and some with a soothing liquid center that can also help clear a blocked nose. Some offer all three!
Young children can easily choke on lozenges or throat drops, so you should never give them to children under six. And, you’ll want to supervise use with kids under 12 to make sure they’re able to let the lozenge dissolve, rather than swallowing them too early. For older kids, there’s a range of sore throat lozenges that are safe and effective when they need relief from a painful throat.
Sore throat sprays
For long-lasting and fast-acting sore throat relief, it’s hard to beat a spray. The best sore throat sprays start acting immediately – with just one quick spray to the back of the throat, the pain is numbed in seconds.
Chloraseptic sore throat spray is the only throat spray safe for children as young as three to use. It comes in a range of fruit flavors, as well as honey or menthol (which is the only variety that contains any menthol).
Be sure to choose a formula that is child-safe and always follow the instructions on the packaging. And be sure to supervise children under 12 when they use a throat spray.
Unfortunately, sore throats are very common in both adults and kids, particularly in the colder months. Chloraseptic is the #1 recommended sore throat brand by both doctors and pediatricians, and millions of parents trust us to help relieve the pain of cold season for the family.