Symptom Checker

When to seek medical advice

Get emergency medical care if your child has a sore throat and also:

• Has difficulty breathing
• Is drooling or has difficulty swallowing
• Cannot tolerate liquids

See your doctor as soon as possible if your child's sore throat lasts longer than one week or is accompanied by:

• Fever
• Red, swollen tonsils
• White patches or pus on the back of the throat
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Blood in saliva or phlegm
• Skin rash
• Hoarse voice
• Signs of dehydration, such as no wet diapers or urine production in eight hours, dry skin, dry mouth, or crying without tears