My 7 year old has been ill with an apparent virus for about a week. Last Wednesday he said his throat was swollen and since has eaten very little. His tonsils (always large) are extreme at present and he is having a VERY hard time breathing at night. In addition his breath is terrible. One visit to a walk-in clinic and a subsequent visit to the hospital points to a virus but he is not improving and I m getting concerned. Trying to coax him to drink more fluids, and using vaporizer at night doesn t seem to be helping. He is not getting rest so he is not able to fight this.
Hello. I just read through your question. This sounds like a prolonged viral illness, but it also could be a bacterial worst. You mentioned going to the hospital and going to an urgent care center. However, I think the best place to get this diagnosed is with your regular doctor. It is possible that there may be a bacterial infection that has not yet been diagnosed and requires antibiotics. It is also possible that if the tonsils are so swollen that he is having difficulty breathing, he may need to be on steroid treatment for a period of 3 to 5 days in order to decrease the swelling of the tonsils, and ease his breathing. I recommend consulting with your doctor about this, so that the correct diagnosis can be made and the appropriate treatment plan implemented.