How to Treat Children's Sore Throats

Sore throats are a pretty common occurrence. Most of us will have one at least once or twice a year. When it comes to children's sore throats, most are caused by factors other than bacterial infection. This means you must find a way to treat them without the help of antibiotics. Read on to learn more about how to treat children's sore throats.

Things You'll Need

• Humidifier
• Throat lozenges
• Over-the-counter pain reliever
• Ice pops/liquids
• Soft foods

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the possible cause of your child's sore throat. Children have sore throats for a variety of different reasons, few of which are the bacterial infections that need to be treated by antibiotics. A primary suspect is allergies, especially during the months in which the pollen count is high. Other causes include irritation caused by dry air, exposure to tobacco smoke, loud and frequent yelling, a cold or another viral infection.

• 2

  Eliminate environmental factors that might be exacerbating your child's sore throat. That means getting rid of the pet to which he might be allergic, providing a humidifier to counteract the dry air caused by the winter heating system, banning cigarettes near your child and encouraging him to play quieter games until his throat feels better.

• 3

  Treat the pain of a sore throat with over-the-pain relievers and throat lozenges. The dosing for children's medicines varies depending on their weight. Make sure you read the throat lozenge package carefully to make sure you aren't giving your child more than the maximum recommended daily amount.

• 4

  Keep your child well hydrated. Lubricating his throat, while perhaps a painful endeavor, will help avoid increased pain caused by parching. Allow your child to eat ice pops or drink a sweet drink he doesn't get on a regular basis to entice him to drink more liquids.

• 5

  Provide a variety of choices of soft and liquid foods to keep your child's stomach from growling. She will need to have something in her stomach if she's taking a pain reliever, so offer her a selection of soups, teas, puddings and milkshakes that won't hurt as much going down.

• 6

  Distract your child from the pain. Children tend to focus on illness or pain, especially when they have nothing else to do. Consider making a day at home with a sore throat, a day at home to watch a special movie or play games you don't normally play. Not only will your child be distracted but you also won't have to hear complaints all day long.