Are kids sick with strep throat at your school? It can be easy for this disease to spread, especially when lots of people are stuck in a small space. To stay healthy when it seems like everyone around you is sniffling or feverish, there are some simple things to keep in mind. Be sure to wash your hands before you eat, avoid touching your face, and avoid contact with people who are obviously sick (as in, you might want to switch seats if the kid next to you is sneezing or coughing!) Also, a healthy lifestyle can do a lot to keep you well – getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and getting some exercise.

If you’re already sick with a sore throat, you might think that strep throat is the culprit. Of course, if your sore throat seems to be the most severe symptom, it can be easy to assume that the cause is strep throat. But a sore throat can be a sign of many diseases – from the common cold to the flu. The symptom is surprisingly routine as it is one of the top ten complaints of people who visit the emergency rooms of hospitals. And according to Aetna InteliHealth, about 85% of sore throats are caused by a virus. This means that taking antibiotics will have absolutely no effect on the person’s illness, and can actually lead to the now widespread problem of antibiotic resistance.

So what is antibiotic resistance?  Basically, the more antibiotics we use incorrectly or unnecessarily (for example, not taking all the medication prescribed, or taking medication that was meant for someone else), the more problems we will have in treating serious bacterial infections. This is why it is so important to get a correct diagnosis from your doctor– don’t assume that you have strep throat until your doctor has performed the appropriate tests!

If you’ve got a bad sore throat, talk to your parents about scheduling an appointment with the family doctor. W2K has all the information on symptoms and how your doctor can treat the illness – read up on strep throat under “Symptoms” and “Treatments.”