School can come as a welcome change for both students and parents at the end of a long, unstructured summer. Unfortunately, the start of school also means that your kids are exposed to more germs including those that can cause strep throat. By teaching your kids some basic self-care tips and modeling them yourself at home, you can help to reduce their risk of strep throat.

Wash Hands Frequently

The hand-washing habit isn’t always automatic in children. You will probably need to prompt young kids several times a day to wash their hands before eating, after using the bathroom, after blowing their nose or coughing and before touching silverware or dishes. It’s worth your effort since frequent handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent picking up as well as spreading the germs that cause strep throat.

Dispose of Tissues Promptly

If your child has a cold or needs to sneeze, teach them to cough into a tissue to avoid spreading germs. It’s also important to throw away tissues used to contain coughs or wipe the nose immediately after use. This prevents the germs from getting into the air and from someone else picking up the tissue and getting mucus on their hands.

Avoid Contact with Anyone Who Has Strep Throat

It’s easy enough to avoid people outside the family who have strep throat simply by staying away from them. It can be a little more challenging when a sibling or perhaps you or your partner have it. In this case, the person with diagnosed strep throat should start on antibiotics immediately and stay in another room if possible.

If your child does come down with strep throat, they will need to stay home until the contagious stage has passed. Your doctor at PrimeCare Urgent Care will let you know when it’s safe for your child to go back to school or childcare.

Don’t Share Food, Cups or Utensils

People usually spread the germs that cause strep throat before they even know that they’re sick. This is just one reason why it’s essential never to share eating utensils, cups or food with anyone. You never know who is about to come down with strep throat or perhaps already has it.

Most Common Strep Throat Symptoms in Children

We encourage you to visit PrimeCare Urgent Care right away if your child has any of these symptoms:

• Pain when swallowing
• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Rash
• Swollen lymph nodes
• White or yellow spots on tonsils
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Our urgent care center is available seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We accept walk-ins and you can reserve a spot online as well. If your child does have strep throat, our doctors can make a prompt diagnosis and prescribe an antibiotic to get them feeling better in no time.