Sore Throat in Babies – Symptoms, Home Remedies, Seeking Help
Sore Throat in Babies and toddlers are the most common health issue. A whooping cough is another condition that causes this disease. This is a very serious issue for your baby as your child may feel uneasy and due to a cough, many times, he may vomit.
This serious issue needs immediate settlement by the consultation of the doctor.
Sore Throat in Babies – Causes
A whooping cough comes to be the first one under concern. Several other diseases include quite some illness like that of measles, chicken pox as well as croup.
Microorganisms that cause the infection of a sore throat.
This disease is mostly caused due to viral infection. Bacteria can also be considered for the cause of this disease. Another common example of the disease caused by bacterial infection is a whooping cough.
In case of sore throat, the tonsils often referred as tonsillitis are inflamed. Often a kind of bacteria or cocci called streptococcus is responsible for causing strep throat.
Impact of sore throat in Babies
Babies who generally have got sore throats feel uneasy and uncomfortable. They are unable to communicate their words. As every time, they open their mouth to speak something; they cry out of terrible pain.
How can you know that your baby has got a strep throat?
If your baby’s sore throat inflammation does not get healed for a long duration of time, it is quite possible as well as predictable that he is suffering from strep throat.
This means that he is infected by streptococcus. He will remain quite severe and stay quiet all throughout the day due to the lack of comfort within him.
Some common medications for a sore throat
You can give a dose of Calpol as a primary aid if you find your child suffering from a sore throat. However, do not maximize the dose as it may lead to fatal conditions. This medicine can be accompanied by a common cold.
However, if you do not confirm regarding the doses of medication, it is better that you do not take a risk. Consult a doctor before you go for anything. Follow the prescription provided by the physician to yield better results.
How would your baby leave indications for you to understand?
Look, it is really difficult to predict that your baby is ill. However, being a mom, you can easily identify the illness in your baby. He may not be able to talk to you, but he will definitely find some or the other way to provide you indications.
He or she will behave a little unusual or abnormal to let you know that it is suffering.
Observe your baby carefully
Being a mother, it is quite obvious that you can well understand the behavior of your baby. You must have noticed your baby very carefully. So, if you have done so, you will easily be able to identify or detect the discomfort that it is facing. It will give you clear indication concerning its pain and illness.
Symptoms that your baby is suffering from a sore throat
However, you cannot say a specific cause behind a sore throat. There may be plenty of reasons behind its occurrences. The cause of the disease may state the symptoms of a sore throat.
Some common symptoms of sore throat in babies:
- You will find that your baby has got a swelling or pus. He may be flecked with a bright red swelling. This indicates that your baby has got a sore throat which is infected.
- Your baby will find it difficult to swallow any food whenever you try to feed it. It will be rough for them to swallow any food. While you are attempting to feed your baby, you may find that it is tough for it to open its mouth wide.
- Your baby would suffer from labored breathing. This is mostly common when your baby has caught a cold. It is especially caused as your child has got a kind of congestion in his nasal cavity which is being blocked by a cough. This ensures that your child needs proper treatment.
Some of the physical symptoms that ensure you that your child is in terrible pain or discomfort.
A sore throat in babies causes several kinds of disorders which are reflected even in the form of physical appearances. If your child is in the stage of infancy, it may cry a lot to make you understand that something or the other is giving trouble inside it.
Some of the common symptoms that would let you know that he is uneasy are:
- Loss of appetite.
- The presence of a stiff neck.
- Your child will show you clear signs of dehydration.
- Your baby will look cranky and irritated all the time.
- Your baby may also drool a lot.
Cure for a sore throat in babies
Here are some ways that you will definitely find helpful to soothe your baby from a sore throat:
- You can give sips of chicken broth to your baby. This will be very comfortable to drink the hot drink and you will find that your baby will slowly relax after the meal.
- The warmth that is received from the drink will ease a sore throat to diminish its swellings.
- You may find that your baby lacks energy. It is quite obvious because he has a weakened immune power at this time. So, no need to worry, it may happen many a time.
- You can make him drink a little amount of hot tea or lemon drink. Tea acts as a stimulant, thereby providing energy to your baby which is an urgent requirement of the child during the present diseased situation.
- You can make your child gargle with lukewarm water mixed with a pinch of salt. This result in osmosis due to the concentration gradient, and you will feel relieved. You can also use medicines, tablets or syrups in consultation with a physician.
Prevention for a sore throat in babies
If your child is already suffering from a sore throat, then you have nothing to do other than providing medical aids to it. But in the inevitable scenario, you have options to prevent your baby from acquiring sore throat. Here are some tips that you need to follow:
- Do not catch a cold. Wear warm garments if you are travelling to some distant and cold lands.
- Avoid cold drinks or ice-creams during the cold season. This may increase the inflammation.
- Avoid getting your baby contaminated utilizing infected people.
What would you do if your child’s age is below one year?
If you have a small baby, you must be quite worried and frustrated to see your baby in such pain. But do not worry, it is a common occurrence and following some easy steps will definitely cure your baby.
If your baby is too small, do not add any amount of honey to the warm water as it would make your baby vomit. Make lukewarm water so that your baby does not get a burnt mouth or tongue.
Stir the liquid with your fingers to ensure that the water is not too hot for your child. This will give you a clear estimation of the warmth of the water.
Some other attempts to cure a sore throat in babies
You can soothe your baby’s sore throat with a formula popsicle. In order to calm your baby down, you can make use of a frozen washcloth. You can feed him with frozen breast milk.
It is such a situation that reveals the hunger of your baby but due to uneasiness, he cannot tolerate anything to eat although he is hungry.