My 2.5 yo has complained of a sore throat occassionally for the past 2 weeks. I haven't taken her to the Dr, because it seems very random when she complains of it, ie she'll say it one morning and then won't say it again until 4 days later evening etc. She is generally happy and active and doesn't seem sick. So I'm not sure if its just a virus, or actually a throat infection. I'll have to take her to the Dr if its still sore tomorrow. It seems to be bothering her at the moment, so what can I do for her? Is Panadol the only option? Its not like you can get them gargling is it? Thats what I do when I get a sore throat. So what can I do to help her?

It is probably just viral. If she had a bacterial infection she would get a lot sicker most probably. And as she seems well otherwise, I would just play the 'wait and see' game.

I would give her an icypole if you've got any. They're terrific on sore throats. If that doesn't work then I'd give panadol.

Yep panadol is the way to go... My daughter has had the same for a while... just like we wake up with sore throats too...

Lots of water throughout the day! My 2 girls always have a cup of water by their bed and they have a drink first thing in the morning.

Buy an echinacea, if she has some bug hovering in her throat it can't hurt to boost her immunity before it takes hold. Herron has a kids multi-vit range that taste like fruit tingles, my son loves them. The one in the blue bottle has echinacea.

Good Luck!

I find my DD has a stale smelling breath when she get sore throats, usally before a cold comes on.

Hi
If you're willing to give natural treatments a go (I worked at a health retreat years ago) then I suggest you try SLIPPERY ELM powder - from healthfood shops. It will need to be mixed in some natural (100%) juice eg. apple or apple & blackcurrant so it tastes better for your DD to want to drink it rather than in plain water. The Slippery Elm helps to coat the mucous lining of the throat and stomach with a natural and gentle film so that it doesn't feel so raw.

It helped me heaps when I was pregnant and was vomiting constantly day and night until my throat and stomach was made so raw and painful from all the acidic stomach digestive juices stripping away the protective coating in my throat.

It's worth a try if this persists for you.

I would get her checked out by your dr.
My DS had a sore throat for a couple of days, then the fever, he ended up having tonsillitis, was put on antibiotics, 10 days later, after finishing the antibiotics for a couple of days, still complained of a sore throat. He has now been diagnosed with Glandular Fever.
Not saying that this is what your DD has that, but its better to get checked out. I didnt actually think my DS was that sick....

Feisty

For what it's worth, my 5 year old often gets a sore throat when she needs to poo. I read your other post about your daughter being constipated ... perhaps this is contributing. She might be refluxing a bit because her tummy is too full up. Just a thought.

I would actually suggest you cut right back on her milk and give her other fluids. I'm sure she gets enough calcium through other sources. I think milk can be a bit of a villain to young kids sometimes. My girls do drink a lot of apple juice and water (they don't like milk). I took both of them to the dentist the other day and neither of them have cavities. Their teeth are in tip top shape. I just make sure I clean them twice a day with an electric tooth brush.

Oh, another thing. I found the glycerine suppositories the best way to make my youngest daughter poo in the past when she was bunged up. They're not overly pleasant but they really do the job. Sometimes I think our kids eat more than their little bodies can cope with. Maybe that's why additional fluids like water, etc, don't make that much difference to getting them to poo. It probably just compounds the problem.

Jacqueline