Sore throat in children

Sore throat is a common problem for children. Usually it appears as a result of a bacterial or viral infection. Although sore throat in children often goes without complications, sometimes babies need antibiotic treatment. Some causes of sore throat can be dangerous for a child's life. How to determine the causes of sore throat in children, how to diagnose them and how to treat them?

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Sore throat - Causes

The causes of pain in the child's throat depend on his age, season and climate. Viruses are the most common causes of sore throats in children, but bacteria are even more dangerous. Bacteria and viruses are transmitted from one child to another very easily - through dirty hands, which first a patient, and then a healthy child touches the door handle, phone, toys and even his own nose. Causes of infection can also be coughing and sneezing.

Other common causes of sore throat that are not associated with an infection are breathing with dry and cold air through the mouth, and not through the nose (especially in winter) and allergies (allergic rhinitis). A small percentage of children with sore throats can swallow a foreign body (for example, toys, coins, food). They get stuck in the throat, esophagus or airways and cause sore throats.

It is difficult to determine the cause of pain in the child's throat, based on visual symptoms alone, in which parents may simply not understand. In most cases, medical examinations and laboratory tests are needed, of which we wrote above. Let's look at the causes of pain in the child's throat for more details.

Viruses

There are many viruses that can cause pain and swelling of the throat. The most common are those viruses that transmit the infection to the upper respiratory tract, causing symptoms of a cold. Other viruses that cause sore throat, include influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus (the cause of mononucleosis).

Viral sore throat

Sore throat caused by a viral infection usually lasts four to five days

Symptoms

Symptoms that may be caused by a viral infection may include a runny nose and nasal congestion, irritation or redness of the eyes, coughing, hoarseness, upper jaw pain, skin rash or diarrhea and redness of the throat. In addition, children with viral infections can feel chills.

Treatment

Throughout this time, active treatment with antiviral agents is being conducted to reduce sore throat. Treatment may not eliminate the virus if antibiotics are prescribed. They do not eliminate the sore throat caused by the virus, but they fight only with bacteria.

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Bacteria streptococcus group A

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is the name of a bacterium that causes sore throat. Although other bacteria can also cause sore throat, streptococcus is the most common bacterial infection. Up to 30 percent of children with quinsy catch this infection. Acute pharyngitis, caused by streptococci, usually appears in winter and early spring. It is most common among schoolchildren and their younger brothers and sisters (from 5 to 15 years).

Symptoms

Symptoms of "strep throat" in children older than three years often appear suddenly and include chills (with a temperature above 38 ° C), headache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms can be supplemented with swollen glands of the neck, white spots of pus in the tongue, in the back of the throat and on the sides, small red spots in the sky and swelling of the tongue.

Cough and colds caused by streptococcus are rarely in children older than five years.

Treatment

With bacterial infection, antibiotics are prescribed. They are effective against streptococcal infections. Among these antibiotics - penicillin and ampicillin, as well as other preparations of a number of cephalosporins.

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Acute pharyngitis

Acute pharyngitis caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes, affects about 50 percent of all children with sore throats. Acute pharyngitis may occur several times a year.

Symptoms

The first symptoms are sore throat, which is worse when chewing or swallowing and accompanied by a fever with a high fever. The child may also complain of headache and abdominal pain, sometimes with vomiting.

Acute pharyngitis caused by streptococci is rare in children under two to three years of age. Nevertheless, infection can occur in younger children, it causes a runny nose and congestion in the nose, a prolonged temperature (above 38 º C). Children younger than one year can be whimsical, whiny, they lose appetite. The infected throat looks fiery red, and often, but not always, is covered with a whitish coating resembling cottage cheese, on the tonsils and the back wall of the pharynx. The lymph nodes of the neck are enlarged and very sensitive.

Treatment

Acute pharyngitis is usually treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin or antibiotics such as penicillin (eg, amoxicillin). Children who are allergic to penicillin are prescribed an alternative antibiotic. For young children, antibiotics are usually given in tablets or liquid form two or three times a day. Injections are used if the child does not want to take oral medications.

Symptoms of acute pharyngitis with proper treatment usually improve within one to two days. Nevertheless, it is important for the child to undergo the entire course of treatment (usually 10 days). If the child does not improve or the condition worsens within three days, thorough diagnosis is needed.

Scarlet fever

Some streptococcal bacteria secrete toxins that cause other diseases. Except pharyngitis. For example, after one or two days of chills and sore throat, scarlet fever may develop.

Symptoms

The language is initially white, then intensely red. Tiny red dots appear on the mucous throat and on the soft part above the tongue (soft tissue that hangs at the top of the pharynx).

Small pimples, which are rigid, like sandpaper, appear on the neck and upper face, and then spread throughout the body. The rash is most noticeable in the folds of the skin, it can appear even on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. This disease usually affects children between the ages of four and eight, the peak of the disease falls on the age of ten years.

Treatment

First of all, the child with scarlet fever needs to be isolated for a period of 7 to 10 days. He should not go to school or kindergarten, so as not to infect other children.

Pain in the throat with scarlet fever can be treated with anesthetics. The fever can be reduced with a mild anesthetic, such as paracetamol, its less common name is acetaminophen (the name of the drug is Tylenol).

With inflammation, they fight with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. These drugs should be dosed by weight, not by age. Headache can be removed with drugs with paracetamol. In the treatment of scarlet fever, antibiotics of the penicillin series are also used.

In addition, parents should ensure that the child's body is not dehydrated. Dehydration can occur if the child does not want to drink or eat because of sore throat. Signs of mild dehydration include dry mouth, increased thirst, more severe dehydration causes a decrease in diuresis, lack of tears during crying, dry mouth and sunken eyes.

Symptoms accompanying sore throat in children

In chronic sore throats, it is important for a child to consult a pediatrician in time to prevent further spread of infection, as well as serious complications - streptococcal group A (for example, rheumatic fever).

It is difficult for parents to find out exactly what the pain in the child's throat is caused by a bacterial or viral attack. Then it is better to contact the clinic to establish the correct diagnosis, especially if the sore throat of children is accompanied by one or more symptoms

• The child's body temperature rises to more than 38.3 º C
• The child does not eat and often coughs
• The child was in contact with a person who has a sore throat
• The baby has difficulty breathing or swallowing
• The child's voice is muffled
• The child manifests rigidity (stiffness) of the occipital muscles or it is difficult for him to open his mouth
• Parents have questions or doubts about the symptoms of the disease

Diagnosis of pain in the throat of a child

If the doctor suspects that the child has acute pharyngitis, he can recommend a laboratory study of blood and urine to confirm or deny his diagnosis. If the child does not have symptoms of sore throat, laboratory testing of blood and urine is usually not required.

There are two types of tests useful for the diagnosis of acute pharyngitis: an express test (which is called a strip test abroad) and a culture test of the smear (it is checked for bacteria). For both tests, you need to take a swab from the throat of the baby.

The results of the rapid test can be obtained quickly, within a few minutes. The results of bacterial inoculation will be available after 24-48 hours. Further treatment depends on the child's illness and does not require antibiotics.

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When should I see a doctor with a sore throat in a child?

Do not send your child to the doctor with the first signs of a sore throat. Wait a day or two, if your child does not feel bad so far, use a throat spray, such as an inhalipt, a gum. Observe the direction in which the disease develops. If your child has acute symptoms: severe sore throat, fever, chills, call a doctor immediately.

For a child who has symptoms of dehydration, the physician should be examined as soon as possible to determine if active treatment is required.

Methods of treatment of sore throat

Oral rinses

Rinsing with salt water is an excellent relief from pain in the child's throat. A very useful recipe - you need to dilute t 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. Salt on a glass of warm water. You need to rinse your throat with water, but you can not swallow it. Children under six do not know how to gargle correctly, so they can use other means, for example, sprays.

For rinsing, you can use soda, diluted in warm water, or brewed sage. It is very effective in reducing the inflammation of the child's throat.

Sprays

Aerosols containing anesthetics are good tools for treating pain in the throat of a child. However, the component of such anesthesia, benzocaine, can cause allergic reactions in some children. Therefore, if signs of allergies - skin rashes, perspiration in the throat after applying a spray, itching, delayed breathing, you need to see a doctor to change the remedy.

Lozenges to reduce sore throat

Pleasant to taste lollipops are sometimes recommended for the removal of dryness and pain in the larynx. But doctors do not recommend candies to children under the age of three to four years, who can choke on them. If the child is older than three to four years old, candies can be used in combination with other drugs, for example, antibiotics.

Warm Teas

Tea with honey, kalina or lemon can relieve the pain in the throat of children. Teas have another useful role - they prevent dehydration, because with all kinds of sore throats need to drink plenty of fluids. Teas are just this warm liquid. Honey is undesirable to give to children under 12 months because of risk of an allergy. Teas can also be herbal. They can be brewed on chamomile, plantain, calendula or sage.

Precautions for sore throat

• Throw out the old toothbrush of the child that he used before the illness. Buy a new toothbrush as soon as you start treating the baby with antibiotics. After the course of treatment the child again needs a new toothbrush. This will protect the throat from getting the infection from the old brush.
• When visiting the dentist's office, it is necessary to follow the disinfection of the instruments by which the doctor checks the oral cavity of the child.
• All family members or friends who come into contact with the child, you need to check for diseases, especially sore throats and colds.

To keep the throat of the child healthy, and the pain in the child's throat occurs as rarely as possible, one must constantly take care of prevention, and then going to the doctor will become a rarity.

Prevention of throat diseases in children

Hand washing is an important and very effective way of preventing the spread of infections that cause sore throats in children. Hands of the child should be washed as often as possible with warm water and soap and wipe at least 15 - 30 seconds. Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the nails, the skin between the fingers and wrists.

Alcohol-based wipes are a good alternative for disinfecting hands if you are out of the house. The hand disinfecting cloth should slide over the entire surface of the hands, fingers and wrists until it becomes dry. Hand napkins are available, cheap, they are portable, so they are easy to carry with you in your pocket or purse.

It is necessary to wash the child's hands after a cough, runny nose or sneezing. Teach your child to avoid touching your eyes with your fingers, nose or mouth - this can prevent the infection from developing.

During coughing and sneezing, you need to use napkins to cover the mouth and nose of the baby. These used napkins must be discarded immediately.