Hayden's Diagnosis

So, after a month of Hayden being sick, and being on antibiotics twice, and a blood test, the conclusion is.............................. Hayden is a Strep Carrier.

If your child has repeated strep throats, it is possible that they may be a strep carrier. This can be confirmed by a positive strep test when they are feeling well without any sore throat. If he/she is a carrier, then the strep test is not useful to guide treatment for a sore throat since strep may simply be an “innocent bystander” during a viral cold illness. In that case, your health care provider would determine treatment by examination and symptoms rather than by the test. Strep carriers tend not to spread disease. Furthermore, they are not at risk of developing rheumatic fever. Treatment with antibiotics often does not eliminate strep in carriers. Carriers are only treated with antibiotics in the rare instance that a family member has repeated strep infections and it is suspected that the infection seems to be cycling through the family.

Everyone who couldn't keep their hands or lips off of Hayden can sleep better now ;)