Is Flu Of The Throat Same As Stripped Throat?

Hello, Thank you for your query. A sore throat can be caused by many micro organisms. Flu is the term used for throat infections caused by viruses. These can be seasonal and need mostly supportive treatment (control of fever if more than 100F taken orally, decongestants, mucolytics). Most cases willl recover in 7-10 days with proper rest, nutrition and hydration. A strep. throat is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus and usually involves a more severe disease. If clinically suspected , it can be confirmed at the doctor s office by doing a throat swab. This will need treatment with antibiotics to prevent the possibility of complications associated with this. Congestion of nose, sinuses and throat, blowing your nose, or sniffling can cause ear ache or even an ear infection. Suggestions: - Make sure he is well hydrated, sips of water through out the day. Urine should be light yellow (except for first morning urine which may be dark as it is concentrated over night) - Run the hot water in the bathroom, keep windows/doors closed. once the bathroom is warm and humid. let your grandson in there for a warm (not hot) bath in the tub. This should be done with an adult present at all times. 15-20 minutes of this will help reduce fever/ congestion. do this twice a day. -give him smaller and frequent meals that he can easily swallow, chewing will be difficult with a runny or blocked nose. - have him gently blow his nose out regularly (one nostril at a time not both together and not forcefully). avoid sniffling as this can cause ear pain/infection/headaches. -if secretions are too thick, use plain saline nasal drops (not spray) 2 drops each nostril 5 minutes before a meal or bedtime, helps him breathe better. - Garlic is a natural antioxidant and mucolytic. boil it with milk or saute in a little oil and give it to him either alone or with a favourite suitable food. -cover his ears and throat with a scarf or thin cloth when awake. keep his sleep environment moist. Use humidifiers if necessary. Air conditioners dry the air. - don t expect him to eat normally for a few days. he should eat but it will be less that usual. Caution - if he develops sever ear pain, discharge from ears, - if his fever persists more than 100F for 3 days , -If his fever reduces and goes back up again after 24 hours - he takes a turn for the worse- symptomatically take him to the pediatrician once more. If he eats,drinks, sleeps reasonably. fever reduces with fever medicines, overall seems to be ok. don t worry. It wiil take upto 10 days to recover from the flu. Hope this helps and please get back to us for any further queries. Wish you all good health