How long can a child have a fever with a sore throat and what does this mean?

Sore throat is a disease that occurs when the tonsils are damaged by bacteria, fungi or viruses. A synonym for tonsillitis is tonsillitis. Usually the disease occurs in an acute form. The most common causes of sore throat are streptococci. They are often present on clothing, food and other objects, but do not always cause a sore throat. Bacteria can attack the body when immunity decreases. This happens due to hypothermia, lack of nutrients, deterioration in quality of life, and stress. Of course, a child’s body is much more delicate than an adult’s, so all these factors greatly affect his immunity.

Why are the tonsils affected first? To understand this, you need to think about the purpose of this part of the body. Tonsils are popularly called “tonsils.” They are made up of lymph cells and protect the body from infection. If aggressive microorganisms enter the mouth with a weakened immune system, the tonsils prevent the infection from entering the body through the oral cavity.

Symptoms

Protecting the body, the tonsils become inflamed. In this case, the following symptoms occur:

• the natural pink color of the tonsils gives way to bright red;
• they increase in size and are rounded;
• their tissue becomes loose;
• adhesions may appear between the tonsils and the palate;
• with some lesions, the tonsils become covered with plaque - white, gray or yellow;
• ulcers appear on them;
• due to inflammation and pus, there is an unpleasant odor from the mouth;
• The lymph nodes in the neck also become enlarged and painful.

If the tonsils fail to stop the disease, it spreads throughout the body . Then the child becomes weaker and apathetic, nagging pain appears in the bones and joints, a headache begins, a sore throat intensifies, and the temperature rises. All these symptoms indicate the development of acute tonsillitis. When they appear, it is important to start treatment quickly and correctly, but, of course, it is better if it is possible to prevent infection by observing preventive measures.

What is hyperthermia with tonsillitis?

Acute tonsillitis in children can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Bacterial inflammation of the tonsils is traditionally called angina by doctors. The causative agent in most cases is beta-hemolytic streptococcus, less often the culprits are other microorganisms (for example, staphylococci, hemolytic bacillus, corynebacteria).

A sore throat is characterized by a high temperature - more than 38.5°C. The following symptoms are also noted:

• Severe intoxication (headache, weakness, lack of appetite).
• Severe pain in the throat when swallowing.
• Inability to eat solid food.
• Significant enlargement, hypertrophy of the tonsils. In severe cases, there is practically no gap between them.

With bacterial sore throat, as a rule, there are no other catarrhal symptoms - runny nose, cough, nasal discharge, sneezing.

In acute tonsillitis of viral etiology, the temperature also usually exceeds 38°C. But sometimes the disease can occur with low-grade fever – 37.1–37.9°C. It is extremely rare that there is no hyperthermia with inflammation of the tonsils. In this case, the disease manifests itself only as a sore throat, enlargement and redness of the tonsils. This course of sore throat is more typical for adults; it practically does not occur in children, since their immune response is more pronounced.

Prevention of sore throat

To prevent the occurrence of acute tonsillitis in a child, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Do not skip routine medical examinations. This is the only way to notice the disease in time and prevent its development.
2. Teach your child to a high level of hygiene, explaining its importance for health. Clean the children's room often.
3. Regularly ventilate the child’s bedroom, allow sunlight and street air to destroy harmful microorganisms in the room.
4. Limit contact with sick children.
5. Ask your doctor about methods of increasing immunity and which vitamin complexes are best suited for your individual case. Taking vitamins is especially important in the spring. At this time of year, the body is acutely lacking them after cold weather and a small amount of plant food.
6. Feed your child food rich in vitamins and minerals.
7. To protect the oral cavity from infections, rinse your mouth with a saline or soda solution. Among herbal infusions, chamomile and calendula protect mucous membranes well.

These recommendations are easy to implement and can not only save the child from a lot of unpleasant sensations, but also save him from fatal complications to vital organs.

Why does the temperature rise when sick?

Many people don’t panic too much before the temperature rises.
And as soon as the thermometer shows more than 37 degrees, they perceive the symptom as the worst problem. However, this is an initially incorrect perception. First, it’s worth understanding why the temperature rises. The increase is necessary to protect against viruses and bacteria. At elevated temperatures, the body intensively produces interferon, a protein that can destroy viruses and prevent them from spreading throughout the body .

In the blood and tissues of the body there are special cells - phagocytes. They protect against any foreign organisms that should not be in the human body. Macrophages are cells in tissues; they are the first to respond to the presence of a foreign virus or bacteria. They react the same way to any stimulus - they absorb it. While absorption occurs, a protein is released, which tells the body that the temperature needs to be increased. An increased value is a kind of “signaling” that awakens other phagocytes.

Leukocytes are protective blood cells. When the temperature rises, they are activated and begin to destroy the irritant. At the same time, the bone marrow increases the production of new white blood cells.

Other immune cells are lymphocytes. The size of these cells is small, due to which they are mobile and easily move throughout the body. Lymphocytes produce antibodies that target the specific virus that causes the disease.

It has not yet been clarified how exactly the body understands the difference between a virus and non-dangerous microorganisms. The main thing is that thanks to the increase in temperature, the body begins to fight, and the chances of recovery increase significantly. Therefore, if a high temperature occurs with a sore throat in a child, there is no need to panic and urgently lower it. It is important to give the body a chance to destroy the disease itself. In childhood, increases in temperature are especially important - the body learns to produce antibodies, which in the future will help quickly and effectively fight diseases.

How to bring down a fever?

high body temperature
High temperature during acute viral tonsillitis or at the beginning of antibacterial treatment significantly worsens the patient's condition. In children, severe fever can trigger the development of febrile seizures.

It is considered optimal to take antipyretic drugs at temperatures above 38.5°C - for viral sore throat. This is due to the production of interferon, which is most active under conditions of hyperthermia. However, if the child does not tolerate fever well or is already receiving antibacterial medications, antipyretics can be taken even at lower thermometer readings.

You should know that all antipyretics also have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, so their use is also advisable at a temperature of 37.5–38°C.

In children, antipyretics based on paracetamol and ibuprofen are used:

• Panadol.
• Rapidol.
• Efferalgan.
• Cefekon.
• Nurofen.

Depending on age, different dosage forms are indicated:

• Candles.
• Suspension.
• Syrup.
• Soluble tablets.
• Capsules.
• Powders.

For sore throat in adults, the temperature can be reduced not only with paracetamol or ibuprofen, but also with nimesulide, diclofenac, and acetylsalicylic acid.

Stages of temperature rise and its norm

In an adult, a normal body temperature ranges from 36.5 to 36.9. In children under 3 years of age, the body temperature may be elevated, and this is a normal state of the body. At this age, 37-37.1 can be considered the norm. A temperature from 37.2 to 38 is called subfebrile and indicates that there is a slight inflammatory process in the human body.

The next degree of temperature increase is febrile. This type includes a temperature from 38 to 39.1 degrees. After the extreme point of febrile temperature, a stage begins, which is called hyperthermic. Hyperthermia is a dangerous condition of the body that is important to prevent .

37–37.5°C after recovery

Sometimes, with obvious positive dynamics (disappearance of intoxication symptoms, reduction of sore throat), the child’s temperature remains at 37–37.5°C. All parents should know that a reading of 37 on the thermometer is normal and there is no need to treat such “hyperthermia.” In children under two years of age, a temperature of up to 37.2°C is considered normal.

Some viral infections are characterized by a so-called “temperature trail” after recovery for 3–7 days. However, the child has no other signs of illness. To exclude complications or the addition of a bacterial infection, the doctor may advise you to take a general blood test - if the leukemia formula is normal, no additional treatment is required.

With bacterial tonsillitis, a low-grade fever of 37.1–37.5°C may also persist during antibiotic therapy. In such a situation, you should see a doctor again. If inflammatory changes in the throat decrease and positive changes are noted in blood counts, the treatment regimen is not changed. Only a sudden rise in temperature after its normalization or the appearance of new symptoms should alert parents and pediatricians.

A high temperature with a sore throat can significantly worsen the condition of a sick child, but with proper treatment it quickly normalizes.

When to lower the temperature

Based on information about the functioning of the immune system, it may seem that the temperature does not need to be lowered at all, so as not to interfere with important functions of the body. However, everything is good in moderation; the correct behavior would be not to interfere with the body’s ability to cope with the disease as long as it is safe for it. In what cases should antipyretics be used?

If the child is about 2 months old or less, you should be wary of temperatures above 38 degrees. Everything below is beneficial for the immune system, and 38.1 is worth starting to lower.

In older children and adults, the body is not as delicate as that of an infant. In this case, the temperature must be lowered if it has risen to 38.5–39.5 degrees. At what point exactly you need to start worrying and use medications to lower your temperature depends on the individual characteristics of the body. First, you should consult your doctor about this condition. Perhaps the patient has contraindications in the form of chronic diseases or complications, due to which the temperature should not be allowed to rise above 38.5 degrees. Such diseases include some diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems. For people who have had seizures, it is better to lower their temperature without waiting for it to rise to febrile.

Secondly, well-being is an important factor. There are people who are able to feel comfortable even at a temperature of 39.5, while others feel bad when the mark on the thermometer is no more than 38 degrees. It is important to focus on the child’s internal feelings, because his body is trying to heal on its own.

How to lower a child's temperature?

The second most popular question at a pediatrician’s appointment is: “How to bring down the temperature with a sore throat?”

Definitely, use antipyretics and under no circumstances use “traditional medicine”:

1. do not wipe the child with vinegar or alcohol, this can lead to poisoning of the young body, which is already suffering from intoxication;
2. do not drink apple cider vinegar or other dubious products;
3. Do not wrap your baby in blankets, this can cause an uncontrolled rise in temperature. On the contrary, you should dress your child lightly and change wet clothes regularly.

There are many different medications that have an antipyretic effect. As a rule, children are prescribed drugs based on Paracetamol in suspensions or suppositories. The effectiveness of each form is determined individually, but, for example, in the case when a child has difficulty swallowing or is feeling nauseous, only a rectal suppository will save the situation.

When to give an antipyretic?

You can start giving medicine to lower the temperature at 38 ºС, without waiting for it to creep higher. Moreover, if a child finds it difficult to perceive the increase in the mercury column, it is quite possible to start taking the drug at 37.8 ºС. The rule that works with viruses that you need to start at 38.6 ºC does not work for bacterial infections, because, unfortunately, the body does not develop immunity to them.

Paracetamol

There is an opinion, confirmed in practice, that in case of bacterial infections, Paracetamol does not always live up to the expectations placed on it. If after 40 minutes to an hour there is no effect from the drug taken, you need to use another one, but keep in mind that the temperature in children that has reached 40 ºC will not wait. In this case, you must definitely call an ambulance.

The volume of Paracetamol per day should not exceed 4 doses allowed for age, and the interval between doses should be at least 4 hours.

Preparations based on Paracetamol

• Paracetamol-Baby (suspension);
• Panadol-Baby (suspension, suppositories);
• Paralen (suspension);
• Paramax (candles);
• Piaron (syrup);
• Tsefekon (suppositories);
• Efferalgan (suppositories, powder for suspension).

Ibuprofen

In cases where the child’s temperature allows further experimentation, but the effect of Paracetamol has not been achieved, you can try an Ibuprofen-containing drug. If it turns out that such medications help much better than any others, then they should always be kept in the medicine cabinet in case the baby gets sick.

The permitted daily dose of a suspension with Ibuprofen should not exceed 30 mg per kg of the child’s weight, and to relieve fever it is divided into 3-4 doses with an interval of at least 6 hours.

Preparations based on Ibuprofen

• Nurofen for children (suspension, rectal suppositories);
• Arofen (suspension);
• Bofen (syrup);
• Ibufen for children (suspension);
• Imet for children (suspension).

Why is temperature dangerous?

Febrile fever with tonsillitis in children can be dangerous if the child has chronic diseases that are incompatible with this condition. It is also undesirable to allow such a condition to last for a long time. If the temperature stays above 39 degrees for a long time, complications may occur in the brain, which are dangerous with irreversible consequences and respiratory arrest.

Similar dangers also apply to hyperthermic temperatures, and in this case they occur much earlier. High temperature is very harmful to the heart and nervous system, therefore it is important to correct this condition in a timely manner, without waiting for an increase to 40 degrees.

Purulent sore throat and its main symptoms

As a rule, if a child has a fever, this indicates that purulent plaque is forming on the tonsils. When examining the throat, you can see enlarged red tonsils with white spots. The child's tongue has a grayish coating and a crimson color.

The main symptoms of purulent sore throat, in addition to those listed above, are: • Weakness and lethargy of the child,

• Bad breath, • Chills, • Headache, • Ear pain. • Nausea, • Speech impairment.

Rules of conduct for parents

What should parents do if their child has a sore throat? As mentioned above, the development of the disease is rapid. Body temperature can rise sharply to 40 degrees, which requires parents to immediately and adequately respond. But don’t panic and try to bring down the temperature with antipyretic drugs until the reading exceeds 38.5.

If the temperature with a sore throat lasts more than 5 days, while the child becomes weaker, then it is better to consult with your doctor rather than make independent decisions. Most likely, the baby needs to change the name of the medications and prescribe adequate drug therapy. Only your doctor will tell you how much and what medications to take.

Remember that the effectiveness of treatment depends on the correct choice of drugs, as well as following all the doctor’s recommendations. So, after taking antibiotics, the temperature begins to decrease on the second day, because the antibiotic is characterized by a cumulative effect. Although there are now medications that can give effect after the first use. This applies to those antibiotics that are used once a day for several days.

Recovery period from a sore throat

Parents of a child are always concerned about how long the painful condition will last. And a particularly important question is how many days does the elevated temperature last for this disease? The first day of illness is the most difficult - at this time the temperature rises greatly and the discomfort is greatest. The next two days, with proper treatment, the risk of complications decreases, but the temperature still continues to bother the patient. The next days depend on the condition of the child and his immunity. Some people experience noticeable improvement after three days of illness. The temperature with sore throat in children lasts for 4-6 days if the body cannot cope with the disease and the treatment is prescribed incorrectly.

How long does elevated temperature last for sore throat in children?

Children are more often susceptible to this disease in the presence of provoking factors, especially during the off-season:

• hypothermia of the throat or body due to prolonged exposure to the cold or drinking cold drinks;
• prolonged exposure to drafts;
• the period of recovery after a viral infection or its current presence;
• poor nutrition;
• overwork;
• contact with a person infected with a sore throat or any household item on which dangerous microorganisms are present.

According to statistics, more than half of the world's population suffered from sore throat, mostly in childhood. It most often occurs between the ages of 1 and approximately 15 years.

This does not mean that at 7 months or 17 years old a child cannot be a carrier of this infection.

Since babies under 6 months have practically no contact with the outside world, they simply do not have the opportunity to get sick.

But if the virus does enter the baby’s body, the disease will be quite severe.

The infection is caused by various microorganisms; therefore, the following types of sore throat are distinguished:

• bacterial;
• viral;
• fungal

Depending on the depth of inflammation of the tonsils in children, sore throat occurs:

• catarrhal (or acute pharyngitis) - a mild form of the disease, it is accompanied by signs: redness of the tonsils, swelling in the pharynx, dryness and coating on the tongue;
• lacunar - the most severe form, characterized by extensive suppuration and damage to the tonsils, a purulent network is formed;
• follicular - ulcers appear in significant numbers on the surface of the tonsils: with this form, the tonsils and the back wall of the throat become inflamed;
• herpetic - develops as a result of enterovirus entering the body.

In addition to these types, there are:

• primary;
• secondary;
• specific.

The most obvious symptoms of all types of disease are severe sore throat, which manifests itself during swallowing and when talking, refusal to eat and drink, fever in children, which sometimes reaches +40ºC, weakness, dizziness, headache, and in some cases nausea , vomiting and diarrhea.

If any of these symptoms appear, you should immediately seek help from a specialist.

Let's consider what temperature occurs with a sore throat and how many days it lasts. With this disease, the range of possible temperatures is quite large: from 37 to 40ºС.

A logical question immediately arises: how long does the temperature last in children with sore throat? Most often, the high temperature persists for 3-5 days.

How many days a high temperature can last also depends on the type of sore throat. So, with catarrhal form it lasts 1-2 days, follicular - about 3-4 days, lacunar - 4-5 days.

With herpetic sore throat, it rises rapidly - in a couple of hours it can reach 39ºC.

A distinctive feature of this type of sore throat is that it has 2 peaks of temperature increase - on the first and third days. In other forms of the disease there is only 1 peak increase.