Frequent pharyngitis in a child. Pharyngitis symptoms and treatment in children. Specific and nonspecific symptoms

  • Causes of the disease
  • Types of pharyngitis
  • Symptoms
  • Medications
  • Folk remedies
  • Features of patient care

Causes of the disease

  • hypothermia;

Types of pharyngitis

Symptoms

  • redness and swelling;
  • hoarseness of voice;

  • moodiness, tearfulness;
  • restlessness and poor sleep;
  • periodic coughing;

Diagnosis of the disease

Treatment of pharyngitis

Medications

Folk remedies

Features of patient care

  • angina.

The child has a sore throat. Grandmothers with the air of experts claim that this is a cold due to an extra portion of ice cream eaten the day before. Moms suspect a sore throat. The last word belongs to the doctor, who is urgently taken to see the child or who is called to the house. However, the doctor does not share the points of view of the parents and representatives of the older generation and confidently declares that the baby has pharyngitis. Authoritative children's doctor Evgeny Komarovsky will talk about pharyngitis in children.

About the disease

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the mucous and lymphoid tissue of the pharynx. If the inflammatory process moves and invades the nasopharynx, this is already rhinopharyngitis (its other name is nasopharyngitis). Inflammation of the pharynx occurs for a variety of reasons:

  • viral infection caused by influenza viruses, adenoviruses;
  • bacterial infection with streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, fungi of the Candida family;
  • allergies that develop specifically in the larynx– due to inhalation of poisonous, toxic substances, dust.

Pharyngitis can be acute or chronic. Acute develops immediately after a negative impact or infection, and chronic develops against the background of constant or sometimes recurring unfavorable factors that haunt the child for quite a long time. Sometimes chronic pharyngitis is generally an independent disease, not viral or allergic, and in no way related to ARVI, influenza or manifestations of an allergic reaction. Moreover, such “independent” pharyngitis can have full periods of exacerbation and remission.

Evgeny Komarovsky claims that there is nothing unusual about pharyngitis - the disease occurs in childhood more often than parents are used to thinking. There are children who receive this diagnosis 3-4 times a year, but this can no longer be considered the norm. Quite often, inflammation of the pharynx and nasopharynx can be caused by too dry air inhaled by a child, whose parents are very fond of closing all the windows and maintaining a hot microclimate in the apartment.

Symptoms

Viral pharyngitis is usually acute. It develops against the background of ARVI or influenza, which means that it is characterized by all the symptoms of these diseases - runny nose, running snot, headaches, fever up to 38.0 degrees. With such pharyngitis, the child will complain of pain or a sore throat, and it will be painful for him to swallow. An infant who cannot complain about anything will begin to refuse food, cry and worry.

Another distinctive sign of pharyngitis is a dry cough that torments the child, especially at night. The lymph nodes in the neck often become inflamed. Evgeny Komarovsky claims that this is not surprising, because it is through these nodes that the outflow of lymph from the inflamed larynx occurs. Sometimes large red granular granules can be seen on the tonsils or walls of the larynx. Then pharyngitis will be called granulosa (with damage to lymphoid tissue).

Allergic pharyngitis most often develops acutely, too, a short time after inhaling chemicals or allergens. There are no symptoms of ARVI, but there may well be a runny nose. The temperature rises slightly - up to 37.0-37.5, higher - extremely rarely. A dry, unproductive cough and pain when swallowing are also quite intense.

Bacterial pharyngitis is severe, with a temperature rise above 38.5 degrees, with severe pain in the throat. Upon visual examination, purulent formations may be noticeable in the larynx and tonsils, which are often confused with sore throat.

The main difference between acute tonsillitis (tonsillitis) and acute pharyngitis (for the information of parents) is that with angina, the tonsils are affected, and with pharyngitis, the inflammatory process is more diffuse, it spreads to the walls of the larynx. With tonsillitis, the child complains of pain when swallowing; with pharyngitis, a dry cough will certainly be observed, as well as other symptoms characteristic of the disease.

Chronic pharyngitis is less pronounced, and sometimes it is noticed only during periods of exacerbation. A child with a chronic form of the disease often has a sore throat, a feeling of dryness in the mouth and larynx, and a dry cough often appears, but the temperature does not rise (at least until the next exacerbation). An exacerbation will resemble ordinary acute pharyngitis like two peas in a pod.

Treatment

The choice of treatment tactics depends on what kind of illness the child has developed - viral, bacterial or allergic. It should be noted that even a very experienced doctor will not be able to answer this important question solely on the basis of a visual examination of the child and an assessment of all accompanying symptoms. The doctor, of course, will say that the baby has pharyngitis, but only two simple tests will help determine its origin: a clinical blood test and a throat smear for flora and sensitivity to antibiotics.

Without these studies, says Evgeniy Komarovsky, there can be no talk of any normal, responsible and conscious treatment of pharyngitis. After all, all three types of illness are treated with completely different methods and medications.

You should not rush to follow the recommendations of a doctor who, having looked into the throat and established the presence of a disease, immediately prescribes antibiotics or prescribes several types of antiviral drugs. Such a doctor should be asked to write out a referral for tests, which should show how and what is best to treat.

Viral pharyngitis is more common than other types, since children get sick with viral infections more often than all others. Approximately 85% of acute pharyngitis are viral. Such pharyngitis cannot be treated with antibiotics, says Evgeny Komarovsky. Antimicrobial agents are completely inactive against viruses, but increase the risk of developing a bacterial complication by 7-8 times.

The only correct treatment for viral pharyngitis is drinking plenty of warm fluids., sufficiently humidified air in the apartment where the sick child is, irrigation of the nasal mucosa and nasopharynx with saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per liter of water). If the child’s age allows, you can gargle the sore throat with the same saline solution. An antiseptic (for example, Miramistin), as well as lozenges with an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, are used locally for an inflamed throat. Komarovsky warns that there is no need to use “Lugol” (and even more so to cauterize the tonsils and larynx with iodine), since this is much more harmful to the child than pharyngitis, which is not smeared with anything, not treated or cauterized.

Allergic pharyngitis will require a more detailed approach. Antibiotics are strictly contraindicated in the treatment of such a disease. The doctor may prescribe antihistamines, depending on the allergen (if its type can be quickly determined). Salt rinses of the nose and larynx, as well as local antiseptics (except iodine), are relevant.

In addition, you will need to remove from the room all objects that can accumulate dust - carpets, soft toys, books. The air is humidified to a level of 50-70%, ventilated, and the child’s room is often wet cleaned.

For bacterial pharyngitis, according to Evgeny Komarovsky, the issue of the need to use antibiotics is decided on an individual basis. Not in all cases are antimicrobial agents needed at all. If there is a need for them, drugs of the penicillin group are most often used.

A child is contagious until he is given antibiotics. Usually, a day after this, the child can easily attend school or kindergarten if he does not have a fever. Bed rest is optional.

If a child's laboratory tests confirm streptococcal pharyngitis, then all family members should take similar throat swabs. If necessary, all household members should undergo antibiotic treatment to avoid re-infection of the baby.

The best antiseptic for the throat, which even the most expensive pharmaceuticals cannot compare with, is saliva. If there is enough of it, it may well protect the child from pharyngitis. To prevent saliva from drying out, it is advisable to have a humidifier in the house and use it for its intended purpose. In addition, the child should drink enough fluids (to maintain the consistency of saliva). There are no vaccinations against pharyngitis. The main prevention is taking care of the quality of saliva and strengthening the immune system.

In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky will talk about sore throats in children.

What happens to our throat during pharyngitis? Our throat consists of 3 sections: upper, middle and lower. When the infection affects the mucous membrane of the upper section, it becomes inflamed and irritated, and the child begins to suffer from: dry throat, severe sore throat, pain during swallowing, hoarseness, hoarseness.

Reasons for the development of pharyngitis in childhood

  • the most common are viral pharyngitis - more than 50%; respiratory viruses (influenza, parainfluenza, adeno and rhinoviruses) usually cause pharyngitis. But there are also bacterial pharyngitis (stepto, staphylo and pneumococci), which are more often complicated by other diseases. Fungi can also be the cause;
  • There are also pharyngitis associated with damage to the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • pharyngitis also appears due to daily inhalation of dust;
  • pharyngitis associated with allergies;
  • In children, pharyngitis often appears due to chronic adenoiditis, when discharge flows down the back wall of the pharynx and constantly irritates the pharyngeal mucosa. When the throat cools down when consuming cold lemonades or ice cream, local immunity decreases, and due to this, pharyngitis develops;
  • often pharyngitis becomes a secondary disease against the background of gastroesophageal reflux, when gastric contents are thrown into the pharynx and it burns.

Basic and specific symptoms of pharyngitis in children

If pharyngitis is an independent disease, then the body temperature does not increase. The temperature will rise if the underlying disease is a viral infection, and its symptom is pharyngitis. With viral pharyngitis, the back wall of the pharynx is very bright, and swelling is noted. With a bacterial or fungal infection, the back wall also turns red, but white-yellow spots appear on the tonsils, and an unpleasant odor occurs. It is also possible that the submandibular and anterior cervical lymph nodes become enlarged; they become painful when palpated.

The cough with pharyngitis is usually superficial and dry. It usually occurs 2 days after the child is infected. Then a runny nose appears. For the first 2 to 3 days, the cough occurs due to reflex irritation of the dry lining of the throat. If there is severe swelling of the throat, the pain can spread to the ears and there will be a feeling of stuffiness.

Infants tolerate pharyngitis worse: their health worsens due to general symptoms: increased temperature, poor sleep, refusal to eat, severe drooling, regurgitation, runny nose, conjunctivitis.

Symptoms of allergic pharyngitis include rhinitis or swelling of the nose.

Complications of a viral infection include tonsillitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, and pneumonia.

Differences between viral pharyngitis and tonsillitis.

What features does chronic pharyngitis have?

The source of chronic pharyngitis is opportunistic bacteria of the oral cavity, which become more active when local and general immunity decreases. The main predisposing factor for chronic pharyngitis is untreated or inadequately treated acute pharyngitis. With chronic pharyngitis, one anatomical part of the pharynx is affected, and neighboring parts are not included; the child’s well-being is almost never affected. There are no signs of intoxication, the temperature almost does not rise. The main signs are dry throat, lump in the throat, coughing. Due to daily itching, a dry, obsessive cough occurs, which becomes productive over time. Chronic streptococcal pharyngitis causes complications on the heart, kidneys, and thyroid gland.

Diagnosis criteria

  • the doctor collects complaints and medical history;
  • the doctor performs pharyngoscopy - visually examines the pharynx, in which the condition of the mucous membrane of the posterior wall is assessed;
  • laboratory tests: clinical blood test;
  • to determine the causative agent of the disease, the doctor prescribes a throat swab to isolate microflora, sensitivity to antibiotics or PCR;
  • for recurring pharyngitis:

Endoscopic examination of the nose and nasopharynx;

Consultation with an allergist (to rule out an allergic cause of the disease);

Consultation with a gastroenterologist (exclude reflux disease).

How to properly examine the throat of children.

For a thorough examination of the throat, daylight or artificial lighting is not enough; you should resort to a flashlight or lamp with warm light. To examine the throat, you will need a wooden spatula or something resembling it, such as a spoon handle. It is necessary to press not on the root, but on the end or middle of the tongue. Picture of acute pharyngitis: inflammation of the soft palate, the presence of red walls of the pharynx and enlarged follicles on the back wall. If the back wall is loose, there is also an increase in follicles, but there is no noticeable redness, then this symptom indicates chronic pharyngitis. If the back wall has a thin, dryish appearance, it is pale, and vessels are visible on it, then this is atrophic pharyngitis.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children

First of all, parents should go to the pediatrician. If cases of pharyngitis recur, if not all symptoms disappear after therapy, you should go to an otolaryngologist.

1. Home mode.

2. Avoid contact.

3. Compliance with personal hygiene rules: personal dishes, personal towel.

4. Warm, light food.

Diet for pharyngitis

Refusal of seeds and products containing them. From nuts and products containing them. Cold lemonades, from very sour, very cold, very hot, smoked, peppery and salty, because all this irritates the mucous membrane of the pharynx.

5. Ventilation and wet cleaning.

6. Since the main symptom is a feeling of dry throat, it needs to be constantly moistened. Therefore, plenty of warm drinks are prescribed: berry fruit drinks, tea with lemon, milk with honey and butter, mineral water, still.

Complex treatment helps more effectively with pharyngitis. Children should gargle and irrigate the throat and dissolve the tablets.

7. Treatment is determined by the source of the disease. Antibiotics for pharyngitis are not indicated unless a bacterial infection has occurred and a complication has not developed. In case of a viral infection, you should start giving antiviral drugs (Anaferon, Ergoferon, Isoprinosine, Ingavirin). For fungal infections, antifungal drugs are prescribed.

8. Children over 3 years old should often gargle with antiseptic solutions: Miramistin, Chlorhexedine, Furacilin, Chlorophyllipt alcohol solution. Repeat every 2 hours.

If there is no allergy, you can use herbal decoctions for rinsing (chamomile, calendula, sage, propolis tincture). The solution should be prepared at the rate of 10 grams of dry matter per glass of boiled water. Gargle for 5 minutes every hour.

It is most effective to treat pharyngitis comprehensively; the use of traditional medicines alone often leads to complications. Children with allergies should be given iodine and honey containing medications with caution.

9. Local irrigation of the throat with solutions of antiseptics and antibacterial agents in the form of an aerosol. Sprays used: Miramistin, Ingalipt, Tantum-Verde, Kameton, Hexoral. It is important to alternate rinsing with sprays, since by rinsing you do not reach the back wall of the throat, but the spray copes with this.

10. Lozenges: Lizobakt, Gramidin, Strepsils, Faringosept. It should be dissolved 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after meals and in between other methods of treating the throat.

11. Moisturizing the mucous membrane of the oropharynx using a nebulizer: you can use saline yourself. solution.

12. When coughing, it is better to use herbal syrups (Gerbion plantain syrup, Linkas, Bronchipret). If the cough is dry, severely torments the child, and prevents sleep, you can give an antitussive drug (Sinekod, Stoptussin, Codelac Neo).

13. For pharyngolaryngitis the following is prescribed:

If a child has a tendency to laryngospasms, the inhaler should be in the house so that if stenosis occurs, parents can inhale themselves with a glucocorticoid (Pulmicort, Budenit) until the ambulance arrives.

Antihistamines to relieve swelling.

In cases of acute pharyngitis, children usually recover within 7 to 14 days. For chronic pharyngitis, children should either be regularly treated symptomatically or resort to surgical treatment. For obvious hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue, laser cauterization of granules, radio wave treatment, and cryotherapy are performed.

If pharyngitis recurs frequently or is not cured for a long time, this is an indicator to search for the real causes of the disease; in addition, pharyngitis is rarely an independent disease, and often concomitant diseases are adenoiditis, tonsillitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Prevention of pharyngitis

Prevention of pharyngitis consists of hardening, increasing immunity, vaccination against infections, creating an optimal microclimate in the house, nutritious food rich in vitamins. Sanitation of foci of chronic infection: caries, chronic tonsillitis, treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Remember that you should not treat yourself; know that only a doctor, after a professional examination, prescribes medicine, taking into account all the characteristics of the child.

Pharyngitis is more common in children than in adults due to the weakness of the children's immune system. Symptoms of pharyngitis in children begin immediately - on the first or second day of the disease and usually manifest themselves in the form of redness of the throat.

Pharyngitis can be an independent disease (with viral lesions), but much more often in children it develops secondarily, that is, it is a consequence of another underlying disease.

To consolidate the treatment of acute pharyngitis during the recovery period, as well as to treat chronic pharyngitis, lubricating the pharynx with solutions of Lugol, protargol, propolis, etc. is used.

In situations where pharyngitis develops in children: treatment involves carrying out the activities described in this article.

How to treat pharyngitis in children? The disease usually goes away on its own without treatment within a few days. However, treatment can speed up the recovery of a sick child.

Pharyngitis- inflammation of the pharynx, or rather, its back wall, is rarely an independent disease, but is, as a rule, a symptom of respiratory infections. Chronic pharyngitis is associated with stomach diseases and is often the result of reflux of gastric contents, especially at night. This disease responds well to traditional treatment; recipes based on traditional medicine can relieve soreness, pain when coughing, and symptoms.

In children under 2 years of age, pharyngitis is more severe. The disease is often combined with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and acute catarrhal rhinitis.

And now a little about the symptoms themselves and folk treatment of pharyngitis. In acute pharyngitis, symptoms include a sore throat (especially when swallowing), a dry cough, and discharge of mucus or pus. Acute pharyngitis often develops after hypothermia, ingestion of cold or too hot food, or inhalation of irritating gases and dust. Patients complain of sore throat and sore throat, dry and sometimes painful cough. Symptoms of chronic pharyngitis are less pronounced. Patients complain of a dry or sore throat and a dry, painful cough. With exacerbation, the symptoms of chronic pharyngitis resemble those of acute pharyngitis.

Symptoms of pharyngitis

Symptoms and treatment of acute pharyngitis in a child. Pharyngitis is a fairly common disease and occurs in a variety of forms. According to localization, it can be superficial - the mucous membrane of the pharynx suffers - this is a catarrhal form. Damage to the lymphadenoid elements located in a deeper layer, under the mucous membrane, is another form called granulosa pharyngitis.

Pharyngitis can be limited, for example, to the area of ​​the lateral ridges and more widespread throughout the posterior wall of the pharynx. The nature of inflammation can be acute, subacute and chronic. Pharyngitis can be an independent disease (with viral lesions), but much more often in children it develops secondarily, that is, it is a consequence of another underlying disease. Typically, such pharyngitis is a symptom of acute or subacute adenoiditis, tonsillitis, or exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis.

There are complaints of discomfort in the throat (“sore throat”), pain, which in most cases is insignificant, but sometimes very sharp and accompanied by a rise in body temperature to 38 ° C.

Acute pharyngitis in young children is severe, with high fever and pronounced general symptoms: adynamia (severe lethargy), lack of appetite, sleep disturbance, increased ESR to 25-30 mm/h. However, it must be considered that in these cases the disease should be regarded as acute adenoiditis with corresponding symptoms.

The diagnosis is made based on examination of the pharynx: there is hyperemia (redness), swelling and infiltration of the mucous membrane of the posterior wall of the pharynx, velopharyngeal arches, and sometimes the soft palate. With lateral pharyngitis, hyperemia and swelling of the lateral ridges of the pharynx are determined.

Viral pharyngitis is usually observed in acute viral respiratory diseases. Characterized by extensive bright red hyperemia, involving the palatine tonsils and soft palate. Sometimes red dots (pinpoint hemorrhages) or blisters appear on the mucous membrane of the back of the throat.

Local sensations are represented by a dry, irritating cough for 2-3 days, which gradually subsides. General manifestations may be absent. When a secondary infection occurs, the signs of the disease change accordingly.

Acute pharyngitis is an acute inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa - a common manifestation of acute respiratory diseases. As a rule, with pharyngitis, children complain of pain, discomfort in the throat (burning, soreness, itching), coughing, and sometimes itching and pain in the ears. Infants cannot complain of being unwell, but attentive parents pay attention to restless behavior, sleep disturbances, and worsening appetite. Pharyngitis can be combined with other manifestations of acute respiratory infections, such as runny nose, cough, fever, conjunctivitis.

It should be noted that acute pharyngitis is rarely an isolated disease. It is usually combined with other upper respiratory tract diseases. In children under 2 years of age, the disease is more severe and is often combined with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and acute catarrhal rhinitis. In this case, symptoms of acute rhinitis will be observed - impaired nasal breathing, copious mucous or mucopurulent discharge from the nose.

Treatment of pharyngitis

Treatment is carried out by an ENT doctor at a clinic or a pediatrician.

Therapeutic measures for pharyngitis include the following manipulations.

In case of acute and exacerbation of chronic pharyngitis, not accompanied by pronounced disorders of the general condition, symptomatic treatment is sufficient, including a gentle diet, hot foot baths, warm compresses on the front surface of the neck, milk with honey, steam inhalations and gargling.

In children under 2 years of age the disease is more severe and is often combined with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and acute catarrhal rhinitis.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children under two years of age involves dry warming of the neck, plenty of warm drinks and taking mild restoratives.

How to properly treat a child with a sore throat: Selecting medications for children is not easy, since many of the drugs that are successfully used by adults are contraindicated for children, or do not have all the necessary properties. In most cases, throat diseases cause erosive damage to the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and the appearance of epithelial defects. The faster these defects are eliminated, the faster the unpleasant symptoms will disappear and recovery will occur. Conventional drugs are not able to restore the damaged integrity of the mucous membranes of the oropharynx. Drugs that can perform this task include Derinat, which, in addition to antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and immunomodulatory properties, also has a pronounced reparative effect, that is, it restores the integrity of the epithelium and its protective functions. Thanks to these properties, the drug helps at all stages of the disease. The most convenient way to treat a throat is to use the drug Derinat in the form of a spray. Derinat speeds up the healing process, strengthens the immune system, which prevents possible recurrence of the disease.

Treatment of cough in infants and children under 1 year of age at home is quite difficult. Very few folk remedies are suitable for this. The softest and safest remedy for infants is compresses. And also massage. Compresses should not be used at elevated temperatures.

Compresses for infants with pharyngitis

Honey mustard scone
This folk remedy will help cure a cough in an infant. You need to mix equal amounts of honey, mustard powder, flour, vegetable oil, vodka, divide into two parts, place on a cloth, apply to the chest and back. Secure with a bandage and put on pajamas. This compress can be left overnight, if cough is being treated in children under 1 year of age - for two hours. It’s even better to do this: for the first use, leave it for two hours, if the child tolerated this product well and there are no allergic reactions on the skin, then leave this compress on all night

Compress for a child’s cough with honey and fat.
Mix 2 tbsp. honey, vodka, pork or goose fat. Rub this mixture onto the child's chest, back, feet, wrap the body in a warm diaper, put on socks and put him to bed.

Potato compress.
Boil finely chopped potatoes (better yet, peel them), drain the water, put them in a plastic bag, tie them, then wrap them in several layers of cloth and secure them on your chest. We must make sure that it is not hot, but pleasant. The temperature of the compress can be adjusted by layers of fabric - as it cools, remove excess layers. Warm the baby's chest for 1 hour. After several procedures, the cough goes away.

Treatment of cough in infants




Mustard wraps

Treatment of cough in infants

In addition to compresses, treatment of cough in infants and children under one year of age requires the following measures:
1. Do not limit the child’s mobility - movements promote the discharge of sputum and help cleanse the bronchi of mucus.
2. Take the baby in your arms more often, pat it gently on the back, this will also improve bronchial drainage
3. To quickly cure a baby’s cough, let him drink warm water as often as possible.
4. Get a massage. You can use vegetable oil or massage creams to treat colds in children. You can do a light honey massage. Foot massage is very useful.
5. Humidify the air in the room where the sick baby is, use a special device for this, in winter you can hang a damp cloth on the radiator, or even better, go into the bathtub where the shower was previously running. Moist air will improve the baby's condition.

Mustard wraps
Treatment of cough in children under 1 year of age can be carried out using mustard wraps. This is safer than mustard plasters, which are used to treat coughs in older people.
1 tbsp. l. dissolve dry mustard in 500 ml of warm water, moisten 4 layers of gauze in the solution and wrap the baby’s body, or place the cloth on the back. Wrap a towel on top and cover with a blanket. After 5 minutes, remove the compress and wipe the skin with warm water. After 4 such procedures, the child’s dry cough goes away

Treatment of pharyngitis at home

Irritating foods (hot, cold, sour, spicy, salty) are excluded from the diet; plenty of warm drinks are recommended - tea with lemon, milk with mineral water, etc.

Treatmentpharyngitisatchildrenfolkmeans: Gargling with antiseptic, herbal solutions (for example, a solution of 1% chlorophyllipt, rotokan, sea salt, eucalyptus, etc.) 3 - 4 times a day after meals. However, this is only possible in children older than 2-3 years. Who already know how to gargle.

The following herbal infusions are most effective for gargling:

1. Calendula flowers, plantain leaves, sage leaves, chamomile flowers.

2. Chamomile flowers, oregano herb, sage leaves, St. John's wort herb

3. Dandelion flowers, plantain leaves, birch leaves, pine buds.

Preparation of fees 1-3:

Mix the components in equal parts. 1 tbsp. collection, pour 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes over low heat, leave for 1 hour, strain.

4. Oak bark - 2 parts, linden flowers - 1 part

5. Linden flowers - 2 parts, chamomile flowers - 3 parts

Preparation of fees 4-5:

Brew 1 teaspoon of the mixture in 1 glass of boiling water, strain, and cool.

Rinse with warm infusion 5-6 times a day.

To gargle, you can use a pharmacy tincture of eucalyptus - 20-30 drops per glass of warm water and eucalyptus oil - 15-20 drops per glass.

Irrigation of the pharynx with antiseptic or antibiotic-containing aerosols (a list by age is given below) 2-3 doses 2-4 times a day. Alternate gargling with herbal infusions and antiseptic solutions.

Gargling should be combined with inhalations. For inhalation, you can use an infusion of the following herbs: St. John's wort, mint herb, sage leaves, coltsfoot leaves, oregano herb, wild rosemary herb, chamomile flowers, eucalyptus leaves, plantain leaf. It is better to use a mixture of 2-3 herbs. The infusion is prepared as in collections 1-3.

1. Linden flowers, raspberries (if there are no allergies).

2. Raspberry berries - 2 parts, black currant leaves - 2 parts, coltsfoot leaves - 1 part, oregano herb - 1 part.

3. Plantain leaves, linden flowers, raspberries, anise.

Preparation: pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 3-5 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Drink the decoction in 2 doses (1/2 cup each) with an interval of 2 hours.

Resorption of tablets or lozenges with antibacterial, analgesic, emollient substances (faringosept, falimint, strepsils, laripront, etc.), in children over 5 years old.

For bacterial pharyngitis, systemic antibiotics are necessary. Antibacterial therapy is justified only if the etiology of the disease is known or suspected to be streptococcal. Unjustified antibacterial therapy contributes to the development of resistance to antibiotics, and can also be complicated by adverse drug reactions. Antibiotics, if necessary, will be prescribed to you by your doctor!

Infants and young children cannot gargle or swallow tablets, so they are only prescribed to drink plenty of fluids and irrigate the throat with an antiseptic. It should be noted that children under two years of age should use all aerosols with caution due to the possibility of developing a spasm of the glottis.

Rinse method: take one sip of the prepared solution, clearly pronouncing the letter “O” or “E”, gargle, then spit out the solution. Rinse 3-4 times a day after meals.

For influenza, rimantadine is prescribed, for herpes infection - acyclovir.

For bacterial pharyngitis, local antibacterial drugs are prescribed - Bioparox (4 inhalations in the mouth every 4 hours) or Hexasprey (2 injections 3 times a day). The limitation for the use of these drugs is the age of up to 2.5 years (laryngospasm may develop).

The drug Yox, an otorhinolaryngological disinfectant containing polyvidone iodine, which releases active iodine upon contact with the mucous membrane, has a good therapeutic effect. Iodine, in turn, has a wide spectrum of antimicrobial effects; in addition, iodine accelerates the process of cleansing the mucous membranes of necrotic tissue (plaques). Yox also has an anesthetic (pain-relieving) effect.

Prevention: hardening the body, eliminating harmful factors, restoring impaired nasal breathing, increasing the body's defenses (use of immunocorrector drugs)

Chronic pharyngitis is often not an independent disease, but a manifestation of the pathology of the entire gastrointestinal tract: chronic atrophic gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis. The entry of acidic gastric contents into the pharynx during sleep with gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia is often a hidden cause of the development of chronic catarrhal pharyngitis, and in this case, without eliminating the underlying cause of the disease, any local treatment methods provide an insufficient and short-lived effect. Smoking (and passive smoking too) and tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils) lead to the development of atrophic changes in the pharyngeal mucosa.

Pharyngitis often develops with constantly difficult nasal breathing. It can be caused not only by switching to mouth breathing, but also by the abuse of vasoconstrictor drops, which flow from the nasal cavity into the pharynx and have an unnecessary anemic effect there. Symptoms of pharyngitis may be present with the so-called postnasal drip (postnasal drip). In this case, discomfort in the throat is associated with the flow of pathological secretions from the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses along the back wall of the pharynx. In addition to constant coughing, this condition can cause wheezing in children, which requires differential diagnosis with bronchial asthma.

Local antibacterial agents can be widely used in the treatment of pharyngitis. The choice of the optimal drug is determined by the spectrum of its antimicrobial activity, the absence of allergenicity and toxic effect. Of course, the most effective local drugs will not completely replace the need for systemic administration of antibiotics for sore throat and pharyngitis caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus. On the other hand, due to the nonbacterial etiology of many forms of pharyngitis, the emergence of an increasing number of resistant strains of bacteria, as well as the undesirable effects of general antibiotic therapy, local administration of drugs with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity is in many cases the method of choice.

Treatment of pharyngitis in a child with folk remedies

For treatment of pharyngitis In children, local, symptomatic general and folk remedies are used that increase immunity.

  • Mix the juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey and a glass (200 ml) of hot red (dry) wine. Boil for 2-3 minutes, add a little cinnamon and 1 clove bud. Leave for 20 minutes, strain and drink hot. This is a good remedy for the first symptoms of pharyngitis(stingling, painful cough).
  • If you have a slight headache, sore throat, weakness, you need to pour very hot water into a bowl, add a 20-30% decoction of pine needles or chamomile flowers and steam your feet well. You need to dry them with a hard towel and immediately put on woolen socks. The next procedure is to heat the chamomile decoction well in a saucepan, tilt your head over it, covered with a towel, and breathe in the hot steam. Finally, before going to bed, you need to drink a mug of viburnum tea with honey (mash viburnum fruits with honey, pour boiling water over them, and rub). You can add mint and linden blossom to viburnum.
  • Take 3 teaspoons of finely grated carrots, add 1 chopped golden mustache joint and 1 teaspoon of honey. Stir and hold in the mouth, dissolving, pushing the tongue towards the back wall of the throat, 5 - 7 minutes, once a day. Then spit it out. The course of treatment is 7 days.
  • Eucalyptus tincture has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, strong antiseptic, and analgesic effects. It is used internally for pharyngitis. 10 drops in half a glass of warm water 2-3 times a day.
  • Rosehip tea perfectly strengthens the mucous membrane of the back of the throat. You need to drink this tea for 2-3 months. You can add viburnum berries, lemon balm and sage to the rose hips. Pour the collection with boiling water in a thermos at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon of the mixture in a glass of water, leave for 2 hours and strain. Before use, add 1-2 drops of sea buckthorn oil.
  • For pharyngitis, propolis inhalation is useful: place 60 g of propolis and 40 g of wax in an aluminum bowl or mug with a capacity of 300 ml and place it in another larger container with boiling water. Propolis and wax will dissolve under these conditions, and the volatile substances of propolis, together with water vapor, will sublimate. Inhalations are recommended for 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening. People suffering from pharyngitis need to think about increasing local immunity. As studies in recent years have shown, with pharyngitis, the protective forces of the pharynx are reduced. They can be supported with herbal infusions, teas, and natural juices. At home, they are prepared from available berries, fruits, herbs and honey. Used to prevent seasonal exacerbations of the disease. Here are some recipes.
  • Take a glass of raisins and cranberries, but 1.5 glasses of walnut kernels and honey, 1 glass (200 ml) of vodka. Grind all solid components, pour in vodka and slightly warmed honey. Stir everything. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day an hour before meals. One serving per course of treatment.

Attention! Medicines containing alcohol should not be given to children and adolescents!

  • Mix the juice from fresh plantain leaves with an equal amount of honey and cook for 20 minutes, store in a tightly closed container, take 1 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day.
  • Take 1 teaspoon of sage herb, add a glass of water, bring to a boil, cool, strain, add 1 teaspoon of honey. Drink at night.
  • Take 5 g of rose hips (chopped), nettle herb and thyme herb. Pour 15 g of collection into 200 ml of cold water, boil for 2-3 minutes, leave for 1 hour. Take 10 ml with honey as hot tea 2 times a day after meals. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
  • For acute pharyngitis, a hot decoction of wild apples (2 tablespoons per 200 ml of water) is useful; it is recommended to take a glass 1-2 times a day for 10-20 days.
  • Fresh agave juice with honey (1:1 ratio) 1 teaspoon 4 times a day is a good remedy for prolonged pharyngitis.
  • Take 1 tbsp. spoon of St. John's wort herb and pour 1 glass of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1-2 hours and strain. Add 20 drops of pharmaceutical alcohol tincture of propolis to the infusion. Gargle 2-3 times a day and the illness will go away.

Pharyngitis is an inflammatory process localized on the back wall of the pharynx. The main symptom of this disease, which a child may complain to parents about, is pain and discomfort in the throat. In most cases, pharyngitis develops against the background of acute respiratory infections, together with other catarrhal processes in the nasopharynx and upper respiratory tract, much less often as an independent pathology. It occurs in children of all ages. The smaller the child, the more severe the disease and the more difficult the choice of medications.

  • Causes of the disease
  • Types of pharyngitis
  • Symptoms
  • Features of symptoms depending on the cause
  • Features of symptoms in young children

Diagnosis of the disease Treatment of pharyngitis

  • Medications
  • Folk remedies
  • Features of patient care

Possible complications and prevention

Causes of the disease

Pharyngitis in children can develop as an independent disease or be a consequence of some other disease. In most cases, inflammation of the pharynx occurs against the background of damage to the body by acute respiratory viral infections (influenza virus, parainfluenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus) and other viruses (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus). Less commonly, bacterial pathogens (streptococci, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae and diphtheria bacillus, meningococci) become the cause of pharyngitis. The greatest risks of pharyngitis occur in children attending kindergartens and schools in the autumn-winter period during seasonal epidemics of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections.

The following factors can contribute to the development of the inflammatory process on the back wall of the pharynx:

  • difficulty breathing through the nose, leading to inhalation of cold, unpurified air through the mouth and drying out of the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat;
  • posterior rhinitis, in which infected mucous discharge does not come out through the nasal passages when blowing the nose, but flows down;
  • hypothermia;
  • weakening of local immunity;
  • frequent use of vasoconstrictor drops in the treatment of a runny nose, flowing down from the nasal cavity, irritating the mucous membrane of the back wall of the pharynx and reducing its protective properties;
  • exacerbation of some chronic diseases (rhinitis, adenoiditis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, stomatitis, caries);
  • removal of the palatine tonsils, accompanied by atrophic changes in the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • lack of vitamins (A and group B);
  • gastroesophageal reflux, as a result of which stomach contents often enter the pharynx, irritating its mucous membrane.

Sometimes the causes of pharyngitis are allergic reactions that occur in response to an allergen entering the mucous membrane of the throat. Inflammation of the pharynx can also be caused by mechanical damage to its mucous membrane from foreign bodies or surgical operations, exposure to vapors of chemical solvents, dust, tobacco smoke, and hot air. Also, inflammation of the pharynx develops as a result of eating too hot, rough, spicy or sour foods.

Types of pharyngitis

Taking into account the etiological factor, pharyngitis in adults and children can be infectious (viral, bacterial, fungal), traumatic, allergic, or caused by contact of the pharyngeal mucosa with irritating factors. Treatment of the disease directly depends on its type.

According to the nature of the disease, the disease occurs in acute or chronic form. In the first case, children experience acute inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. Chronic pharyngitis is a sluggish inflammatory process that lasts several months or more and is characterized by phases of remissions and exacerbations. Most often it occurs as a result of incompletely cured acute pharyngitis or as an independent disease due to prolonged irritation of the pharyngeal mucosa by aggressive factors.

Depending on the severity of the inflammatory process, chronic pharyngitis occurs:

  • simple, or catarrhal, manifested in the form of hyperemia of the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • granulosa, or hypertrophic, accompanied by the proliferation of tissues affected by the inflammatory process;
  • atrophic, accompanied by drying or thinning of inflamed tissues;
  • mixed, in which pathological changes in the mucous membrane, characteristic of the hypertrophic and atrophic type, are simultaneously present on the back wall of the throat.

Symptoms

Symptoms of pharyngitis in children differ depending on the form of the disease and severity. A characteristic sign of acute inflammation is:

  • redness and swelling;
  • sharp pain in the throat, noticeably increasing when swallowing, especially solid and hot foods;
  • increase in body temperature up to 38°C;
  • hoarseness of voice;
  • coughing caused by a feeling of soreness and soreness in the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • irradiation of pain to the ears (if inflammation affects the tubopharyngeal ridges).

With chronic pharyngitis, the symptoms are less pronounced; there is dryness and a sore throat. This form of inflammation is not characterized by an increase in temperature and a change in the general condition and activity of the child. However, during exacerbations, the symptoms of chronic pharyngitis intensify and the clinical picture is similar to acute pharyngitis.

With granulosa chronic pharyngitis, a viscous coating of thick mucus accumulates on the back wall of the pharynx, red swollen plaques form, the submandibular lymph nodes may be enlarged and painful on palpation, and there is a nagging pain in the back of the head.

The atrophic form of chronic pharyngitis in children is diagnosed extremely rarely. It is characterized by pallor and dryness of the mucous membrane of the throat, the formation of crusts on it, which are dried mucus, and the appearance of a vascular pattern on the back wall of the pharynx.

Features of symptoms depending on the cause

With pharyngitis that occurs against the background of ARVI, the inflammatory process spreads to the entire pharynx, including the tonsils and soft palate. It is often accompanied by a runny nose, conjunctivitis, cough, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Pharyngitis caused by pathogenic bacteria is characterized by a long course, headache, fever, and tonsillitis. When the throat is affected by fungi, cracks and erosions form on its mucous membrane and in the corners of the mouth, a characteristic white cheesy coating appears on the back wall of the pharynx, and the posterior cervical lymph nodes become enlarged.

If the cause of pharyngitis is an allergen on the mucous membrane of the throat, it manifests itself in the form of a dry cough and is not accompanied by fever and severe sore throat.

Features of symptoms in young children

Parents can suspect pharyngitis in infants who cannot yet express themselves and show where it hurts based on the following signs:

  • moodiness, tearfulness;
  • restlessness and poor sleep;
  • periodic coughing;
  • decreased appetite and regurgitation after feeding;
  • temperature rise to 39°C.

For young children under 2 years of age, acute pharyngitis is severe. If its cause is ARVI, then it is combined with acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx, runny nose, cough, and is accompanied by a rise in body temperature, general weakness and lethargy, and decreased appetite.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you suspect pharyngitis in children, parents should consult a doctor. Self-diagnosis and self-medication are fraught with complications, and the younger the child, the more serious they can be. Confirmation of the presence of an inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the posterior pharyngeal wall, as well as its form and causes, is established on the basis of:

  • complaints from the child or parents, if the child is small;
  • examination of the mouth and throat (pharyngoscopy);
  • palpating the lymph nodes in the neck;
  • results of bacteriological culture of a throat smear.

With pharyngitis, there is moderate redness, swelling and infiltration of the posterior wall of the pharynx, velopharyngeal arches and, less commonly, the soft palate.

A sore throat can be a symptom not only of pharyngitis, but also of tonsillitis, measles, and scarlet fever. Unlike pharyngitis, angina is characterized by rapid dynamics of development of the clinical picture. The next day, purulent plaque and plugs appear on the tonsils, their redness and increase in size are observed, and the body temperature rises sharply to 40°C.

Treatment of pharyngitis

Drugs and procedures for the treatment of pharyngitis in children should be prescribed by a local pediatrician or pediatric otolaryngologist, taking into account the patient’s age, the cause of the disease and the severity of the patient’s condition. Treatment is carried out at home. In uncomplicated forms of the disease occurring against the background of ARVI, the inflammatory process subsides on its own within a few days.

Medications

For acute pharyngitis and exacerbation of chronic pharyngitis in children, the following medications are used for treatment:

  • preparations for preparing solutions for gargling (rotocan, furatsilin, chlorophyllipt);
  • solutions for lubricating inflamed mucous membranes (protargol, Lugol's solution);
  • lozenges and lozenges with antiseptic, emollient and analgesic effects (lizobact, septefril, faringosept, strepsils, imudon);
  • sprays and aerosols for irrigating the pharynx (hexasprey, ingalipt, jox, tantum verde, cameton, miramistin);
  • antibacterial drugs locally, less often systemically (with a precisely established bacterial etiology of the disease and determination of the sensitivity of the pathogen to specific antibiotics);
  • immunomodulatory drugs for pharyngitis against the background of ARVI (viferon, laferobion, immunoflazid, aflubin);
  • solutions for inhalation (buffered soda, decasan, saline solution);
  • antipyretics based on paracetamol or ibuprofen when the temperature rises above 38°C.

To treat pharyngitis in a child under 3 years of age, sprays and aerosols are not used, since when injected they can provoke a reflex spasm of the larynx and an attack of suffocation, as well as gargling due to the difficulty of performing this procedure independently for children.

For fungal pharyngitis in children, treatment consists of treating the throat with local antifungal drugs. Inflammation of the pharynx caused by an allergic reaction is treated by taking antihistamines in the form of tablets, drops or syrups (fenistil, Erius, Zyrtec, cetirizine, Zodak).

Folk remedies

Among the traditional methods of treatment for pharyngitis, after consultation with a doctor, children can be given steam inhalations and gargling with decoctions of medicinal plants (chamomile, sage, calendula, eucalyptus, St. John's wort, oak bark), which have an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and healing effect. For rinsing, a simple saline solution is also used (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of water).

At night, you can give the patient warm milk with honey or mineral water, which will have a warming and softening effect. However, before using such folk remedies, you should make sure that the child is not allergic to the herbs and honey used.

Features of patient care

Of great importance for the speedy recovery of the child is plenty of warm drinking (still mineral water, tea, compote, berry fruit drinks) and fresh moist air, to which the famous pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky draws special attention to parents. All this will contribute to the effective hydration and cleansing of the affected area. pharyngeal mucosa.

To reduce injury and irritation of the inflamed mucous membrane of the throat during illness, the child should adhere to a gentle diet. It is not recommended to give him too rough, hard, spicy, salty, sour, hot or cold food.

Video: Pediatric ENT about symptoms and treatment of pharyngitis

Possible complications and prevention

In the absence of timely and correct treatment, acute pharyngitis in children can lead to complications, the main of which are:

  • transition of the disease to a chronic form;
  • spread of infection to the lower organs of the respiratory system (laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis);
  • peritonsillar and retropharyngeal abscess;
  • autoimmune diseases (rheumatism);
  • angina.

To reduce the risk of acute or chronic pharyngitis in children, it is necessary to follow simple preventive measures, which are aimed primarily at increasing immunity and minimizing contact with potential pathogens. These include regular walks in the fresh air, good nutrition and rest.

Hypothermia should be avoided. In the room where the child lives, it is important to create a normal level of humidity and temperature (cool, moist air), and to eliminate contact with polluted air, tobacco smoke, and dust. It is necessary to promptly treat rhinitis, sinusitis, and adenoiditis to prevent prolonged nasal congestion and forced breathing through the mouth, as well as prevent contact with sick people during seasonal epidemics of ARVI.

» Treatment of children

How to treat pharyngitis in children under 2 years of age

However, the disease can occur with slightly different symptoms even among children; for the most part, it depends on age.

How do children under 2 years old cope with the disease?

The disease is especially difficult for children under 2 years of age. As a rule, the etiology of the disease is complemented by inflammation of the baby’s nasopharyngeal mucosa and acute catarrhal rhinitis. The main symptoms: cough, constant sore throat, sore throat, discomfort during swallowing and eating - remain unchanged.

The baby is worried and sad, complaining about lack of appetite because it hurts him to eat. A dry cough may be accompanied by an elevated body temperature. The child's sleep and normal rhythm of life are disrupted.

Methods of treating the disease

Let’s try to understand in more detail how to treat pharyngitis in children under 2 years of age. Of course, you need to turn to the most effective methods: gargling, sore throat, drinking plenty of fluids and taking medications. But the treatment of children of this age has its own characteristics. The thing is that when resorting to medication, there are many age restrictions. Therefore, the course of treatment you decide to follow must be agreed with a qualified doctor.

Throat sprays or softening painkillers, which seem completely harmless, also have their own characteristics. When purchasing a product at a pharmacy, be sure to read the attached instructions, and remember, consulting a doctor when choosing any drug will not be superfluous. The health of your baby is most important!

Traditional medicine is always at hand!

The safest thing to do is rinse with various herbal infusions: calendula, chamomile, sage. Many traditional medicine methods for treating pharyngitis in children under two years of age suggest using inhalations, using herbal decoctions and treating the throat with natural ingredients.

The first reliable and safe assistants for a small patient will be a dry compress on the neck area, warm drinks and systematic rinsing.

Do not forget to exclude hot food and drinks, all kinds of seasonings. Listen to your child's complaints and take care of his health!

How to treat a child for acute and chronic pharyngitis

Let's look at the main symptoms and treatment of pharyngitis in children using folk remedies.

Pharyngitis is especially common among children and, as a rule, can occur for three main reasons:
  1. hypothermia;
  2. direct contact with the sick person;
  3. weakness of the immune system (especially local).

Main symptoms

Symptoms of the disease in children are as follows:
  1. burning (stingling);
  2. aching pain in the throat and upper respiratory system;
  3. redness due to irritation of the oral mucosa.

Photos of a sore throat can be viewed on the Internet (or on our website) so that parents can understand how to distinguish a healthy throat from a diseased one. A sick child is not comfortable, because every sip causes him severe pain, as if there is a lump in his throat.

Regular incidence and improper (as well as untimely) treatment of a viral disease in preschool children may in the future manifest itself in the child developing chronic pharyngitis and increase the risk of throat cancer.

Traditional methods of treating pharyngitis

If pharyngitis is detected (especially in a child aged 2–3 years), treatment must be started immediately, because delay can cause various complications such as tonsillitis (including acute tonsillitis) or sore throat. If treatment for viral diseases is delayed, complications can also appear in adults.

When treating pharyngitis at home, Dr. Komarovsky (for example) recommends that you first of all take care of your child drinking plenty of fluids.

This is especially important, because when the mucous membrane dries out, the actions taken may be ineffective:
  • In this case, the child needs to constantly drink various fruit drinks and compotes, slightly carbonated mineral waters, decoctions of linden and chamomile and vitamin tinctures.
  • You also need to wet clean the sick person’s room more often, and then ventilate the room.
  • Often, parents lubricate the sick person’s throat with propolis tinctures, hydrogen peroxide or iodine.
  • The most effective way is rinsing (5-7 times a day, no less) with various tinctures of chamomile, eucalyptus, sage or calendula or Furacilin solution.
  • When a child under one year of age is in a place with a large crowd of people, doctors recommend that parents always carry with them protective equipment against viral infections.

Video

Chronic pharyngitis in a child and drug treatment of the disease

Children face problems such as pharyngitis much more often than adults. This is explained by the fact that the immune system of children is weaker and sometimes is unable to fight back bacteria and viruses. However, the older a child gets, the stronger his immunity is, and the less often he gets sick. The main part of the respiratory tract that becomes most inflamed with pharyngitis is the throat. There are three main forms of the disease: acute, subacute and chronic. Unfortunately, the latter form of the disease is not uncommon among children, so every conscious parent should know the reasons for its development.

The chronic form is usually called a whole group of diseases that affect the mucous membrane of the pharynx and lymphadenoid granules and mucous glands diffusely located in its cavity.

Depending on how widespread the inflammatory process is and how deeply individual elements are affected, chronic pharyngitis in children can take various forms, namely: diffuse, catarrhal, limited, hypertrophic, granulosa or atrophic.

Causes and symptoms of chronic pharyngitis in children

The main difference between the chronic course of the disease and the acute form of this disease is the very long development, which sometimes stretches for more than one year and does not manifest itself in any way until a certain moment. Often this form of pharyngitis develops in children who have a special structure and structure of the pharynx, as well as its mucous membrane.

The cause of the development of the disease is also considered to be prolonged exposure to unfavorable external factors on the nasopharynx. These factors include:

  • increased smoke;
  • dust;
  • hot air;
  • contact with chemicals.

Also, one of the reasons for the development of a chronic form of the disease may be a lack of B vitamins and vitamin A.

In most cases, chronic pharyngitis is not an independent disease; it only symbolizes an exacerbation of other diseases of internal organs, such as chronic gastritis, cardiac disorders, kidney disease, pancreatitis and more.

Various bacteria, viruses and fungi can cause an exacerbation of the disease; when tissue immunity weakens, they begin to become more active and spread to neighboring areas at incredible speed. Local causes of the development of chronic pharyngitis are diseases such as rhinitis, sinusitis, adenoiditis and tonsillitis.

The very first symptoms of chronic pharyngitis in children are pain and discomfort in the throat. Soon after the first symptoms, the child’s temperature rises to 37.5-38.0 degrees.

The sore throat gets worse during the day, so the child finds it difficult to breathe, he cannot talk and refuses to eat. Following the fever comes a runny nose, and the eyes begin to water. In addition, the chronic form of the disease is characterized by a dry, painful cough and sore throat. Thirst and dry nose are constant companions of pharyngitis. If the exacerbation develops very actively, the child may also experience ear pain.

How to cure chronic pharyngitis in a child with medications

Treatment of chronic pharyngitis in a child begins only after a thorough diagnosis. Drug treatment is prescribed only by a doctor; any amateur activity is fraught with complications and consequences.

Treatment must be comprehensive, so its main components are:

  • rinsing with antiseptic solutions of table salt (1 tsp), furatsilin and iodine (2 drops per glass of water) or potassium permanganate (light pink);
  • taking antibiotics for the bacterial nature of the disease (Bioparox, Biseptol, Hexoral);
  • irrigation with antiseptic sprays (Ingalipt, Yox, Givalex);
  • resorption of tablets and lozenges with analgesic, antibacterial, softening properties (Falimint, Strepsils, Laripront, Angisept).

In addition, inhalations with oil solutions, antimycotic and antimicrobial medications are used to treat the symptoms of chronic pharyngitis in children.

And remember, only a doctor after an examination can tell you how to cure chronic pharyngitis in a child. Moreover, this applies to the use of both medicines and folk remedies.

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The throat is sore and raw, it hurts to swallow, and a low temperature is a sign of pharyngitis. In this disease, inflammation affects the back wall of the pharynx, but does not affect the tonsils, unlike tonsillitis. You can get pharyngitis after hypothermia; it is often a component of acute respiratory infections along with a runny nose. The most common cause is viruses, but bacterial pharyngitis also occurs. If everything is done correctly, then this disease passes quickly and unnoticed by the child’s body.

Causes of pharyngitis

Most cases of pharyngitis are caused by viruses that enter the pharyngeal mucosa. How the disease will proceed depends on the state of local immunity: the virus can gain a foothold in the tonsils, causing tonsillitis, or can only affect the pharynx - pharyngitis. If the virus came from the nose, having previously disabled it, doctors call it “ nasopharyngitis».

Sometimes pharyngitis is caused by bacteria such as streptococcus or mycoplasma (rarely). In this case, its course may become longer, the symptoms more pronounced, and the temperature high. If the doctor detects streptococcus, the child will need to be given antibiotics. But you shouldn’t do this if you have viral diseases!

Symptoms of pharyngitis

The classic symptoms of pharyngitis are a sore throat and pain when swallowing. Middle-aged children often complain about this. Infants, unfortunately, cannot tell their mother that they are hurting, but they become more capricious, sleep poorly, and cough.

A cough may accompany pharyngitis as a symptom, but if the inflammation is limited to the pharynx, it will never be severe. Rather, it can be called the word “coughing.” A severe cough indicates that the infection has gone lower - causing tracheitis, laryngitis or bronchitis.

How to distinguish pharyngitis from sore throat

The sore throat with pharyngitis is moderate and appears only when swallowing food (not water), especially hot or hard food. It is not pain that is constantly present, but an unpleasant sensation in the throat - “soreness”. With sore throat, unlike pharyngitis, the pain in the throat is constant, and when swallowing it intensifies, and it does not matter what the child is trying to swallow - food or water.

The next important difference between pharyngitis and sore throat is the dynamics of body temperature. When the tonsils are affected, it rises quickly and high, sometimes up to 40 degrees, and often a white coating appears the next day. And pharyngitis usually begins with a sore throat, and only then, or at the same time, the temperature rises slightly. It is worth noting that with streptococcal tonsillitis, the temperature can also rise very high.

In general, pharyngitis in its pure form is quite rare. It is usually combined with a runny nose and acute respiratory infections.

How is pharyngitis diagnosed?

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must examine the child's throat. With pharyngitis it is moderately red, the tonsils are not enlarged. The back of the pharynx may be granular. With a bacterial infection, pus may appear on it, but this happens quite rarely.
Tests for pharyngitis are usually not needed. They make sense if the doctor suspects some more serious disease, a symptom of which may be pharyngitis. Most often, a swab is taken from the throat and tested for the presence of two diseases - streptococcus and diphtheria. If these tests are confirmed, the baby will be prescribed antibiotics and may be admitted to the hospital.

Can a mother look at her child’s throat herself? Of course it can. But without sufficient experience, she is unlikely to distinguish pharyngitis from tonsillitis and be able to understand the severity of the disease.

Chronic pharyngitis

If pharyngitis lasts more than 2 weeks, it is called chronic. In case of long-term pharyngitis, you should consult a doctor. Its reasons may be:

Attachment of a bacterial infection;
mononucleosis (with enlarged lymph nodes);
foreign body in the pharynx or its consequences;
irritation of the throat by environmental factors: very dry air in the apartment, air pollution from tobacco smoke, exhaust fumes, dust, etc.;
breathing through the mouth if you have allergies;
adenoids;
chronic runny nose, in which mucus from the nose flows down the back of the throat, irritating it and causing pharyngitis.

How to treat pharyngitis

Since most pharyngitis is viral, we cannot act directly on the cause of the disease. The child’s body must cope with the virus on its own. Our efforts will be aimed at relieving unpleasant symptoms: sore throat, pain, high temperature, as well as giving peace and strength for recovery to a sore throat.

Gargling– helps relieve discomfort and reduce swelling. The safest rinse is warm, salted water. Place one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and rinse at least 3 times a day. Not suitable for small children.
Warm drink– warm tea, infusions, herbal infusions. Fluids help prevent dehydration, which worsens all illnesses. In addition, warm drinks relieve pain in the throat due to pharyngitis. Talk to your pediatrician about which herbal teas are best for your child.
Humidifying the air in the room– you can use a humidifier, or if you don’t have one, then a large open container of water. Dry air irritates a child's throat and nose, causing a runny nose and pharyngitis. However, everything is good in moderation; you should not turn the room into a greenhouse or tropical jungle.
Temperature reduction– if it rises above 38 degrees, and the child feels unwell. You can use over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

You should not use antibiotics for pharyngitis without a doctor's prescription. Most cases of pharyngitis are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not work on them. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics can lead to complications, as well as the development of microbial resistance to these drugs.

Throat aerosols can be used in children over 2 years of age. This should not be done in young children, as there is a risk of causing a complication - spasm of the glottis with the development of acute respiratory failure. Choose an aerosol (spray) carefully, preferably without alcohol or very harsh irritants, so as not to cause discomfort to the child.

Lollipops with an anesthetic component will help relieve a sore throat. Before use, make sure that the child is not allergic to the anesthetic. Consult your doctor or pharmacist about this.

Sometimes, with pharyngitis combined with a runny nose, it makes sense to drip vasoconstrictor drugs (nazol, xylometazoline, etc.) into the child’s nose. They reduce swelling of the mucous membrane and the amount of mucus released. The mucus stops flowing into the throat and does not provoke pharyngitis. Regarding medications, consult your doctor. You should not use vasoconstrictor drugs for more than 3-4 days in a row due to the possibility of addiction and rebound effect.

In treatment chronic tonsillitis the most important thing is not drugs, but eliminating unfavorable environmental factors:
protect the child from air pollutants, tobacco and other types of smoke, dust;
monitor the air humidity in the room and maintain it at 50-60% using a humidifier;
It is necessary to regularly walk with the baby in any weather, except for days when the child has a high temperature.

The more time a child spends outside, the healthier he grows, and the more strength he has to fight infections. Remember that, as one book says, “children have a great time outside in good weather, but good in bad weather.”

Pharyngitis is more common in children than in adults due to the weakness of the children's immune system. Symptoms of pharyngitis in children begin immediately - on the first or second day of the disease and usually manifest themselves in the form of redness of the throat.

Pharyngitis can be an independent disease (with viral lesions), but much more often in children it develops secondarily, that is, it is a consequence of another underlying disease.

To consolidate the treatment of acute pharyngitis during the recovery period, as well as to treat chronic pharyngitis, lubricating the pharynx with solutions of Lugol, protargol, propolis, etc. is used.

In situations where pharyngitis develops in children: treatment involves carrying out the activities described in this article.

How to treat pharyngitis in children? The disease usually goes away on its own without treatment within a few days. However, treatment can speed up the recovery of a sick child.

Pharyngitis- inflammation of the pharynx, or rather, its back wall, is rarely an independent disease, but is, as a rule, a symptom of respiratory infections. Chronic pharyngitis is associated with stomach diseases and is often the result of reflux of gastric contents, especially at night. This disease responds well to traditional treatment; recipes based on traditional medicine can relieve soreness, pain when coughing, and symptoms.

In children under 2 years of age, pharyngitis is more severe. The disease is often combined with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and acute catarrhal rhinitis.

And now a little about the symptoms themselves and folk treatment of pharyngitis. In acute pharyngitis, symptoms include a sore throat (especially when swallowing), a dry cough, and discharge of mucus or pus. Acute pharyngitis often develops after hypothermia, ingestion of cold or too hot food, or inhalation of irritating gases and dust. Patients complain of sore throat and sore throat, dry and sometimes painful cough. Symptoms of chronic pharyngitis are less pronounced. Patients complain of a dry or sore throat and a dry, painful cough. With exacerbation, the symptoms of chronic pharyngitis resemble those of acute pharyngitis.

Symptoms of pharyngitis

Symptoms and treatment of acute pharyngitis in a child. Pharyngitis is a fairly common disease and occurs in a variety of forms. According to localization, it can be superficial - the mucous membrane of the pharynx suffers - this is a catarrhal form. Damage to the lymphadenoid elements located in a deeper layer, under the mucous membrane, is another form called granulosa pharyngitis.

Pharyngitis can be limited, for example, to the area of ​​the lateral ridges and more widespread throughout the posterior wall of the pharynx. The nature of inflammation can be acute, subacute and chronic. Pharyngitis can be an independent disease (with viral lesions), but much more often in children it develops secondarily, that is, it is a consequence of another underlying disease. Typically, such pharyngitis is a symptom of acute or subacute adenoiditis, tonsillitis, or exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis.

There are complaints of discomfort in the throat (“sore throat”), pain, which in most cases is insignificant, but sometimes very sharp and accompanied by a rise in body temperature to 38 ° C.

Acute pharyngitis in young children is severe, with high fever and pronounced general symptoms: adynamia (severe lethargy), lack of appetite, sleep disturbance, increased ESR to 25-30 mm/h. However, it must be considered that in these cases the disease should be regarded as acute adenoiditis with corresponding symptoms.

The diagnosis is made based on examination of the pharynx: there is hyperemia (redness), swelling and infiltration of the mucous membrane of the posterior wall of the pharynx, velopharyngeal arches, and sometimes the soft palate. With lateral pharyngitis, hyperemia and swelling of the lateral ridges of the pharynx are determined.

Viral pharyngitis is usually observed in acute viral respiratory diseases. Characterized by extensive bright red hyperemia, involving the palatine tonsils and soft palate. Sometimes red dots (pinpoint hemorrhages) or blisters appear on the mucous membrane of the back of the throat.

Local sensations are represented by a dry, irritating cough for 2-3 days, which gradually subsides. General manifestations may be absent. When a secondary infection occurs, the signs of the disease change accordingly.

Acute pharyngitis is an acute inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa - a common manifestation of acute respiratory diseases. As a rule, with pharyngitis, children complain of pain, discomfort in the throat (burning, soreness, itching), coughing, and sometimes itching and pain in the ears. Infants cannot complain of being unwell, but attentive parents pay attention to restless behavior, sleep disturbances, and worsening appetite. Pharyngitis can be combined with other manifestations of acute respiratory infections, such as runny nose, cough, fever, conjunctivitis.

It should be noted that acute pharyngitis is rarely an isolated disease. It is usually combined with other upper respiratory tract diseases. In children under 2 years of age, the disease is more severe and is often combined with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and acute catarrhal rhinitis. In this case, symptoms of acute rhinitis will be observed - impaired nasal breathing, copious mucous or mucopurulent discharge from the nose.

Treatment of pharyngitis

Treatment is carried out by an ENT doctor at a clinic or a pediatrician.

Therapeutic measures for pharyngitis include the following manipulations.

In case of acute and exacerbation of chronic pharyngitis, not accompanied by pronounced disorders of the general condition, symptomatic treatment is sufficient, including a gentle diet, hot foot baths, warm compresses on the front surface of the neck, milk with honey, steam inhalations and gargling.

In children under 2 years of age the disease is more severe and is often combined with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx and acute catarrhal rhinitis.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children under two years of age involves dry warming of the neck, plenty of warm drinks and taking mild restoratives.

How to properly treat a child with a sore throat: Selecting medications for children is not easy, since many of the drugs that are successfully used by adults are contraindicated for children, or do not have all the necessary properties. In most cases, throat diseases cause erosive damage to the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and the appearance of epithelial defects. The faster these defects are eliminated, the faster the unpleasant symptoms will disappear and recovery will occur. Conventional drugs are not able to restore the damaged integrity of the mucous membranes of the oropharynx. Drugs that can perform this task include Derinat, which, in addition to antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and immunomodulatory properties, also has a pronounced reparative effect, that is, it restores the integrity of the epithelium and its protective functions. Thanks to these properties, the drug helps at all stages of the disease. The most convenient way to treat a throat is to use the drug Derinat in the form of a spray. Derinat speeds up the healing process, strengthens the immune system, which prevents possible recurrence of the disease.

Treatment of cough in infants and children under 1 year of age at home is quite difficult. Very few folk remedies are suitable for this. The softest and safest remedy for infants is compresses. And also massage. Compresses should not be used at elevated temperatures.

Compresses for infants with pharyngitis

Honey mustard scone
This folk remedy will help cure a cough in an infant. You need to mix equal amounts of honey, mustard powder, flour, vegetable oil, vodka, divide into two parts, place on a cloth, apply to the chest and back. Secure with a bandage and put on pajamas. This compress can be left overnight, if cough is being treated in children under 1 year of age - for two hours. It’s even better to do this: for the first use, leave it for two hours, if the child tolerated this product well and there are no allergic reactions on the skin, then leave this compress on all night

Compress for a child’s cough with honey and fat.
Mix 2 tbsp. honey, vodka, pork or goose fat. Rub this mixture onto the child's chest, back, feet, wrap the body in a warm diaper, put on socks and put him to bed.

Potato compress.
Boil finely chopped potatoes (better yet, peel them), drain the water, put them in a plastic bag, tie them, then wrap them in several layers of cloth and secure them on your chest. We must make sure that it is not hot, but pleasant. The temperature of the compress can be adjusted by layers of fabric - as it cools, remove excess layers. Warm the baby's chest for 1 hour. After several procedures, the cough goes away.

Treatment of cough in infants




Mustard wraps

Treatment of cough in infants

In addition to compresses, treatment of cough in infants and children under one year of age requires the following measures:
1. Do not limit the child’s mobility - movements promote the discharge of sputum and help cleanse the bronchi of mucus.
2. Take the baby in your arms more often, pat it gently on the back, this will also improve bronchial drainage
3. To quickly cure a baby’s cough, let him drink warm water as often as possible.
4. Get a massage. You can use vegetable oil or massage creams to treat colds in children. You can do a light honey massage. Foot massage is very useful.
5. Humidify the air in the room where the sick baby is, use a special device for this, in winter you can hang a damp cloth on the radiator, or even better, go into the bathtub where the shower was previously running. Moist air will improve the baby's condition.

Mustard wraps
Treatment of cough in children under 1 year of age can be carried out using mustard wraps. This is safer than mustard plasters, which are used to treat coughs in older people.
1 tbsp. l. dissolve dry mustard in 500 ml of warm water, moisten 4 layers of gauze in the solution and wrap the baby’s body, or place the cloth on the back. Wrap a towel on top and cover with a blanket. After 5 minutes, remove the compress and wipe the skin with warm water. After 4 such procedures, the child’s dry cough goes away

Treatment of pharyngitis at home

Irritating foods (hot, cold, sour, spicy, salty) are excluded from the diet; plenty of warm drinks are recommended - tea with lemon, milk with mineral water, etc.

Treatmentpharyngitisatchildrenfolkmeans: Gargling with antiseptic, herbal solutions (for example, a solution of 1% chlorophyllipt, rotokan, sea salt, eucalyptus, etc.) 3 - 4 times a day after meals. However, this is only possible in children older than 2-3 years. Who already know how to gargle.

The following herbal infusions are most effective for gargling:

1. Calendula flowers, plantain leaves, sage leaves, chamomile flowers.

2. Chamomile flowers, oregano herb, sage leaves, St. John's wort herb

3. Dandelion flowers, plantain leaves, birch leaves, pine buds.

Preparation of fees 1-3:

Mix the components in equal parts. 1 tbsp. collection, pour 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes over low heat, leave for 1 hour, strain.

4. Oak bark - 2 parts, linden flowers - 1 part

5. Linden flowers - 2 parts, chamomile flowers - 3 parts

Preparation of fees 4-5:

Brew 1 teaspoon of the mixture in 1 glass of boiling water, strain, and cool.

Rinse with warm infusion 5-6 times a day.

To gargle, you can use a pharmacy tincture of eucalyptus - 20-30 drops per glass of warm water and eucalyptus oil - 15-20 drops per glass.

Irrigation of the pharynx with antiseptic or antibiotic-containing aerosols (a list by age is given below) 2-3 doses 2-4 times a day. Alternate gargling with herbal infusions and antiseptic solutions.

Gargling should be combined with inhalations. For inhalation, you can use an infusion of the following herbs: St. John's wort, mint herb, sage leaves, coltsfoot leaves, oregano herb, wild rosemary herb, chamomile flowers, eucalyptus leaves, plantain leaf. It is better to use a mixture of 2-3 herbs. The infusion is prepared as in collections 1-3.

1. Linden flowers, raspberries (if there are no allergies).

2. Raspberry berries - 2 parts, black currant leaves - 2 parts, coltsfoot leaves - 1 part, oregano herb - 1 part.

3. Plantain leaves, linden flowers, raspberries, anise.

Preparation: pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 3-5 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Drink the decoction in 2 doses (1/2 cup each) with an interval of 2 hours.

Resorption of tablets or lozenges with antibacterial, analgesic, emollient substances (faringosept, falimint, strepsils, laripront, etc.), in children over 5 years old.

For bacterial pharyngitis, systemic antibiotics are necessary. Antibacterial therapy is justified only if the etiology of the disease is known or suspected to be streptococcal. Unjustified antibacterial therapy contributes to the development of resistance to antibiotics, and can also be complicated by adverse drug reactions. Antibiotics, if necessary, will be prescribed to you by your doctor!

Infants and young children cannot gargle or swallow tablets, so they are only prescribed to drink plenty of fluids and irrigate the throat with an antiseptic. It should be noted that children under two years of age should use all aerosols with caution due to the possibility of developing a spasm of the glottis.

Rinse method: take one sip of the prepared solution, clearly pronouncing the letter “O” or “E”, gargle, then spit out the solution. Rinse 3-4 times a day after meals.

For influenza, rimantadine is prescribed, for herpes infection - acyclovir.

For bacterial pharyngitis, local antibacterial drugs are prescribed - Bioparox (4 inhalations in the mouth every 4 hours) or Hexasprey (2 injections 3 times a day). The limitation for the use of these drugs is the age of up to 2.5 years (laryngospasm may develop).

The drug Yox, an otorhinolaryngological disinfectant containing polyvidone iodine, which releases active iodine upon contact with the mucous membrane, has a good therapeutic effect. Iodine, in turn, has a wide spectrum of antimicrobial effects; in addition, iodine accelerates the process of cleansing the mucous membranes of necrotic tissue (plaques). Yox also has an anesthetic (pain-relieving) effect.

Prevention: hardening the body, eliminating harmful factors, restoring impaired nasal breathing, increasing the body's defenses (use of immunocorrector drugs)

Chronic pharyngitis is often not an independent disease, but a manifestation of the pathology of the entire gastrointestinal tract: chronic atrophic gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis. The entry of acidic gastric contents into the pharynx during sleep with gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia is often a hidden cause of the development of chronic catarrhal pharyngitis, and in this case, without eliminating the underlying cause of the disease, any local treatment methods provide an insufficient and short-lived effect. Smoking (and passive smoking too) and tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils) lead to the development of atrophic changes in the pharyngeal mucosa.

Pharyngitis often develops with constantly difficult nasal breathing. It can be caused not only by switching to mouth breathing, but also by the abuse of vasoconstrictor drops, which flow from the nasal cavity into the pharynx and have an unnecessary anemic effect there. Symptoms of pharyngitis may be present with the so-called postnasal drip (postnasal drip). In this case, discomfort in the throat is associated with the flow of pathological secretions from the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses along the back wall of the pharynx. In addition to constant coughing, this condition can cause wheezing in children, which requires differential diagnosis with bronchial asthma.

Local antibacterial agents can be widely used in the treatment of pharyngitis. The choice of the optimal drug is determined by the spectrum of its antimicrobial activity, the absence of allergenicity and toxic effect. Of course, the most effective local drugs will not completely replace the need for systemic administration of antibiotics for sore throat and pharyngitis caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus. On the other hand, due to the nonbacterial etiology of many forms of pharyngitis, the emergence of an increasing number of resistant strains of bacteria, as well as the undesirable effects of general antibiotic therapy, local administration of drugs with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity is in many cases the method of choice.

Treatment of pharyngitis in a child with folk remedies

For treatment of pharyngitis In children, local, symptomatic general and folk remedies are used that increase immunity.

  • Mix the juice of half a lemon, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey and a glass (200 ml) of hot red (dry) wine. Boil for 2-3 minutes, add a little cinnamon and 1 clove bud. Leave for 20 minutes, strain and drink hot. This is a good remedy for the first symptoms of pharyngitis(stingling, painful cough).
  • If you have a slight headache, sore throat, weakness, you need to pour very hot water into a bowl, add a 20-30% decoction of pine needles or chamomile flowers and steam your feet well. You need to dry them with a hard towel and immediately put on woolen socks. The next procedure is to heat the chamomile decoction well in a saucepan, tilt your head over it, covered with a towel, and breathe in the hot steam. Finally, before going to bed, you need to drink a mug of viburnum tea with honey (mash viburnum fruits with honey, pour boiling water over them, and rub). You can add mint and linden blossom to viburnum.
  • Take 3 teaspoons of finely grated carrots, add 1 chopped golden mustache joint and 1 teaspoon of honey. Stir and hold in the mouth, dissolving, pushing the tongue towards the back wall of the throat, 5 - 7 minutes, once a day. Then spit it out. The course of treatment is 7 days.
  • Eucalyptus tincture has anti-inflammatory, expectorant, strong antiseptic, and analgesic effects. It is used internally for pharyngitis. 10 drops in half a glass of warm water 2-3 times a day.
  • Rosehip tea perfectly strengthens the mucous membrane of the back of the throat. You need to drink this tea for 2-3 months. You can add viburnum berries, lemon balm and sage to the rose hips. Pour the collection with boiling water in a thermos at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon of the mixture in a glass of water, leave for 2 hours and strain. Before use, add 1-2 drops of sea buckthorn oil.
  • For pharyngitis, propolis inhalation is useful: place 60 g of propolis and 40 g of wax in an aluminum bowl or mug with a capacity of 300 ml and place it in another larger container with boiling water. Propolis and wax will dissolve under these conditions, and the volatile substances of propolis, together with water vapor, will sublimate. Inhalations are recommended for 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening. People suffering from pharyngitis need to think about increasing local immunity. As studies in recent years have shown, with pharyngitis, the protective forces of the pharynx are reduced. They can be supported with herbal infusions, teas, and natural juices. At home, they are prepared from available berries, fruits, herbs and honey. Used to prevent seasonal exacerbations of the disease. Here are some recipes.
  • Take a glass of raisins and cranberries, but 1.5 glasses of walnut kernels and honey, 1 glass (200 ml) of vodka. Grind all solid components, pour in vodka and slightly warmed honey. Stir everything. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day an hour before meals. One serving per course of treatment.

Attention! Medicines containing alcohol should not be given to children and adolescents!

  • Mix the juice from fresh plantain leaves with an equal amount of honey and cook for 20 minutes, store in a tightly closed container, take 1 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day.
  • Take 1 teaspoon of sage herb, add a glass of water, bring to a boil, cool, strain, add 1 teaspoon of honey. Drink at night.
  • Take 5 g of rose hips (chopped), nettle herb and thyme herb. Pour 15 g of collection into 200 ml of cold water, boil for 2-3 minutes, leave for 1 hour. Take 10 ml with honey as hot tea 2 times a day after meals. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
  • For acute pharyngitis, a hot decoction of wild apples (2 tablespoons per 200 ml of water) is useful; it is recommended to take a glass 1-2 times a day for 10-20 days.
  • Fresh agave juice with honey (1:1 ratio) 1 teaspoon 4 times a day is a good remedy for prolonged pharyngitis.
  • Take 1 tbsp. spoon of St. John's wort herb and pour 1 glass of boiling water in a thermos, leave for 1-2 hours and strain. Add 20 drops of pharmaceutical alcohol tincture of propolis to the infusion. Gargle 2-3 times a day and the illness will go away.

Pharyngitis is a disease that is accompanied by a strong inflammatory process in the lymphoid tissue and mucous membranes of the throat. This pathology is often diagnosed in children and causes unpleasant symptoms.

The insidiousness of pharyngitis lies in the fact that it can be infectious in nature and in childhood this disease is more pronounced. The progression of such a disease in the body can cause many complications, so parents should know how to treat pharyngitis in children. To eliminate pathology, both drug treatment and traditional medicine are widely used.

Causes of disease in children

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa, which is infectious in nature.

In most cases, pharyngitis in children and adults develops as infections of viral or bacterial origin progress in the body. This leads to the development of an active inflammatory process in the mucous membranes of the throat. Most often, inflammation develops under the influence of the following groups of pathogenic microorganisms:

  • influenza and parainfluenza viruses
  • rhinovirus
  • coronaviruses
  • adenoviruses

The development of pharyngitis of bacterial origin occurs under the influence of:

  • streptococci
  • staphylococci
  • hemophilus influenzae infection

If the child’s immune system is impaired, this can trigger the development of fungal pharyngitis. In childhood, this type of disease is diagnosed with severe pathologies and intensive treatment with antibacterial drugs.

More rare causes of the development of an inflammatory process in the pharynx are:

  • allergic reactions
  • injuries of various types
  • performing surgery
  • penetration of foreign objects
  • effects on the mucous membrane of the throat of potent drugs

The likelihood of developing pharyngitis increases when the child’s body is exposed to the following factors:

  • severe hypothermia
  • decrease in the body's protective functions
  • progression of chronic diseases
  • increased concentration of irritants in the air

Another important reason for the development of chronic pharyngitis is the penetration of stomach contents into the pharynx during regurgitation, reflux, vomiting and hiatal hernia.

Chronic pharyngitis can occur when inflammatory processes in the nasal cavity, tonsils and paranasal sinuses progress in the child’s body. Pathology can be provoked by constant breathing through the mouth due to nasal congestion, as well as long-term treatment with vasoconstrictor drops. The fact is that such drugs fall on the back wall of the pharynx and thereby cause severe irritation of the mucous membrane.

Symptoms of pathology

Dryness, sore throat, sore throat and high temperature are signs of pharyngitis

Pharyngitis in children causes the following symptoms:

  • discomfort in the throat area
  • severe itching and burning
  • the appearance of pain during swallowing
  • sore throat
  • rise in body temperature to 38 degrees

Medical practice shows that pharyngitis in young children is quite severe. There is a rise in body temperature and a deterioration in the general condition, which is complemented by pronounced lethargy of the baby. Pharyngitis is often combined with the course of a disease such as adenoiditis, as evidenced by deterioration of appetite, sleep problems and increased ESR levels in the body.

To make a diagnosis, a specialist examines the child’s pharynx and notes the following signs of the disease:

  • the throat turns bright red
  • the mucous membrane becomes swollen and infiltrated
  • the palatine arches and soft palate become inflamed
  • the mucous membrane of the posterior pharyngeal wall becomes granular

With further progression of pharyngitis, the lateral ridges in the pharynx become stained. Children are often diagnosed with pharyngitis of viral origin, which is characterized by a bright red throat with the appearance of hemorrhages and blisters on the back of the throat. Local symptoms continue for 2-3 days, an irritating cough and a dry cough appear, which gradually subside.

In some cases, there may be no general signs of the disease, but a secondary complication develops in the form of tonsillitis or adenoiditis.

Sometimes patients complain of referred pain in the ears, which is considered one of the symptoms of pharyngitis. Medical practice shows that this disease is most severe in young children and causes the development of complications.

How dangerous is the disease?

The most dangerous complications after pharyngitis are considered to be autoimmune pathologies, which develop as a result of the child’s body’s increased sensitivity to pathogenic microorganisms that provoked the disease.

In fact, pharyngitis does not pose a serious danger to the body, but its progression and lack of effective treatment can cause the development of many complications.

The greatest danger is streptococcal pharyngitis, the progression of which in the body causes various complications. The most common purulent complications are:

  • a retropharyngeal abscess develops when pus accumulates in the area of ​​the lymph nodes and tissue of the retropharyngeal space
  • peritonsillar abscess is characterized by inflammation of the tissue around the tonsils, where ulcers appear

Young children may develop complications as a result of damage to the nasopharyngeal area in the form of sinusitis and rhinitis. In addition, after pharyngitis the following can be diagnosed:

  • tracheitis
  • bronchitis
  • conjunctivitis

The most dangerous complication is inflammation of the membranes of the brain, which experts call meningitis and encephalitis.

Features of the treatment of pharyngitis in children of different ages

Medications for the treatment of pharyngitis in a child are prescribed by a doctor after examination.

In the smallest children under 1 year of age, the disease is too painful and at that age they do not yet know how to gargle on their own. If parents suspect acute pharyngitis, they should definitely seek advice from a specialist. In the absence of high body temperature and an allergic reaction, it is allowed to apply a honey-mustard compress to the throat area. In addition, you can treat the pharynx with antiseptics without menthol and alcohol.

Experts recommend the following treatment regimen for pharyngitis in young children: it is necessary to crush the Faringosept tablet well, dip a pacifier in it and offer it to the child. It is recommended to pick up the child and lightly pat him on the back, which helps improve drainage in the bronchi.

In children aged 1-2 years, pharyngitis is also quite severe, but not as intense as in infants. Treatment of the disease involves:

  • organization of sufficient drinking regime
  • in the absence of contraindications, compresses can be applied
  • carrying out inhalations with a nebulizer with saline solution or Borjomi water

At this age, treatment of pharyngitis can be carried out using antiseptic drugs in the form of a spray, for example, Yox or Givalex. Such medicines have a disinfecting effect on the throat and speed up the child’s healing process. It is recommended to constantly ventilate the room where the child is and ensure that the required humidity is maintained.

When pharyngitis develops in children over 3 years of age, it is necessary to adhere to bed rest and drink large amounts of liquid that contains alkali.

In addition, it is necessary to organize a gentle diet and completely exclude fried and sweet foods from the child’s diet.

To treat the disease, you can make honey-based compresses and apply them to your feet. Hot foot baths and nebulizer inhalations have a good effect. It is recommended to gargle with special antiseptic agents purchased ready-made at the pharmacy. You can prepare solutions for gargling yourself at home by dissolving 2-3 drops of Furacilin and iodine in 30 ml of warm water. This mixture must be brought to room temperature and offered to the child for rinsing.

Good results are achieved by using antiseptic sprays such as Yox and Givalex. If the child already knows how to dissolve medications in the form of tablets, then you can offer him:

  • Faringosept
  • Septolete
  • Angisept

The use of antibacterial drugs in the treatment of pharyngitis in children remains a rather controversial issue. There are many situations where it is possible to cure a disease without the use of antibacterial drugs. Despite this, in severe forms of pharyngitis you simply cannot do without antibiotics, especially in situations where there is a threat to the child’s life or an advanced stage with atrophied mucosa is diagnosed. Most often, antibiotics are prescribed when diagnosing a viral, bacterial or infectious disease.

More information about pharyngitis can be found in the video:

Experts say that the best option for the treatment of pharyngitis is the use of local agents rather than broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs. Such drugs do not have a negative effect on organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of antibacterial agents, it is recommended to combine their use with corticosteroids. Treating pharyngitis with medications such as Hexoral, Biseptol and Bioparox has a good effect.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children can be carried out by laser exposure to the pharyngeal mucosa. If the disease reaches an advanced stage, then the following is prescribed:

  • cryodestruction of side rollers and granules
  • cauterization with silver nitrate
  • radio wave shading

In some cases, treatment of the inflammatory process in the pharynx is carried out through surgery. The specialist uses a laser to target purulent granules and overgrown mucous membranes, but healthy tissue is not affected.

Traditional medicine against disease

In order for the treatment of pharyngitis to be more effective, it is necessary to use both medications and folk remedies.

It must be remembered that treatment of pharyngitis in children with folk remedies is carried out only after consultation with a specialist. Independent use of various herbal decoctions, infusions, and bee products can lead to undesirable consequences for children's health.

At home, you can make a honey compress on your feet according to the following scheme:

  • it is necessary to melt the bee honey to a liquid consistency in a water bath
  • You should lubricate the child’s feet with this honey and wrap them in several layers of gauze.
  • for a stronger effect of the drug, it is recommended to wear warm socks
  • You need to keep this compress on your feet for 20-30 minutes

When treating acute pharyngitis, you can use herbal infusions to gargle. With their help, it is possible to get rid of pain, reduce the severity of the inflammatory process and alleviate the general condition of the child. To prepare herbal infusions you can use:

  • chamomile
  • lavender
  • sage
  • raspberries
  • eucalyptus
  • marshmallow

Such herbal decoctions have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect on the inflamed tissue of the larynx, and it is necessary to gargle with them until the child recovers completely.

A folk remedy made from tomato juice and carefully chopped garlic gives a good effect. It is recommended to use this medicine every day after lunch for 7 days. It should be remembered that treatment in this way is contraindicated in patients with gastrointestinal problems.

Pharyngitis is not considered a very dangerous disease, but its consequences can pose a serious threat to the child's health.

It is for this reason that when a child shows the first signs of illness, it is necessary to show him to a specialist. Proper nutrition, fortification of the body, increasing the protective properties of the body and timely vaccination help to avoid infection with such a pathology.

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Pharyngitis is an inflammatory process localized on the back wall of the pharynx. The main symptom of this disease, which a child may complain to parents about, is pain and discomfort in the throat. In most cases, pharyngitis develops against the background of acute respiratory infections, together with other catarrhal processes in the nasopharynx and upper respiratory tract, much less often as an independent pathology. It occurs in children of all ages. The smaller the child, the more severe the disease and the more difficult the choice of medications.

  • Causes of the disease
  • Types of pharyngitis
  • Symptoms
  • Features of symptoms depending on the cause
  • Features of symptoms in young children

Diagnosis of the disease Treatment of pharyngitis

  • Medications
  • Folk remedies
  • Features of patient care

Possible complications and prevention

Causes of the disease

Pharyngitis in children can develop as an independent disease or be a consequence of some other disease. In most cases, inflammation of the pharynx occurs against the background of damage to the body by acute respiratory viral infections (influenza virus, parainfluenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus, coronavirus) and other viruses (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus). Less commonly, bacterial pathogens (streptococci, staphylococci, Haemophilus influenzae and diphtheria bacillus, meningococci) become the cause of pharyngitis. The greatest risks of pharyngitis occur in children attending kindergartens and schools in the autumn-winter period during seasonal epidemics of influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections.

The following factors can contribute to the development of the inflammatory process on the back wall of the pharynx:

  • difficulty breathing through the nose, leading to inhalation of cold, unpurified air through the mouth and drying out of the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat;
  • posterior rhinitis, in which infected mucous discharge does not come out through the nasal passages when blowing the nose, but flows down;
  • hypothermia;
  • weakening of local immunity;
  • frequent use of vasoconstrictor drops in the treatment of a runny nose, flowing down from the nasal cavity, irritating the mucous membrane of the back wall of the pharynx and reducing its protective properties;
  • exacerbation of some chronic diseases (rhinitis, adenoiditis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, stomatitis, caries);
  • removal of the palatine tonsils, accompanied by atrophic changes in the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • lack of vitamins (A and group B);
  • gastroesophageal reflux, as a result of which stomach contents often enter the pharynx, irritating its mucous membrane.

Sometimes the causes of pharyngitis are allergic reactions that occur in response to an allergen entering the mucous membrane of the throat. Inflammation of the pharynx can also be caused by mechanical damage to its mucous membrane from foreign bodies or surgical operations, exposure to vapors of chemical solvents, dust, tobacco smoke, and hot air. Also, inflammation of the pharynx develops as a result of eating too hot, rough, spicy or sour foods.

Types of pharyngitis

Taking into account the etiological factor, pharyngitis in adults and children can be infectious (viral, bacterial, fungal), traumatic, allergic, or caused by contact of the pharyngeal mucosa with irritating factors. Treatment of the disease directly depends on its type.

According to the nature of the disease, the disease occurs in acute or chronic form. In the first case, children experience acute inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. Chronic pharyngitis is a sluggish inflammatory process that lasts several months or more and is characterized by phases of remissions and exacerbations. Most often it occurs as a result of incompletely cured acute pharyngitis or as an independent disease due to prolonged irritation of the pharyngeal mucosa by aggressive factors.

Depending on the severity of the inflammatory process, chronic pharyngitis occurs:

  • simple, or catarrhal, manifested in the form of hyperemia of the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • granulosa, or hypertrophic, accompanied by the proliferation of tissues affected by the inflammatory process;
  • atrophic, accompanied by drying or thinning of inflamed tissues;
  • mixed, in which pathological changes in the mucous membrane, characteristic of the hypertrophic and atrophic type, are simultaneously present on the back wall of the throat.

Symptoms

Symptoms of pharyngitis in children differ depending on the form of the disease and severity. A characteristic sign of acute inflammation is:

  • redness and swelling;
  • sharp pain in the throat, noticeably increasing when swallowing, especially solid and hot foods;
  • increase in body temperature up to 38°C;
  • hoarseness of voice;
  • coughing caused by a feeling of soreness and soreness in the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • irradiation of pain to the ears (if inflammation affects the tubopharyngeal ridges).

With chronic pharyngitis, the symptoms are less pronounced; there is dryness and a sore throat. This form of inflammation is not characterized by an increase in temperature and a change in the general condition and activity of the child. However, during exacerbations, the symptoms of chronic pharyngitis intensify and the clinical picture is similar to acute pharyngitis.

With granulosa chronic pharyngitis, a viscous coating of thick mucus accumulates on the back wall of the pharynx, red swollen plaques form, the submandibular lymph nodes may be enlarged and painful on palpation, and there is a nagging pain in the back of the head.

The atrophic form of chronic pharyngitis in children is diagnosed extremely rarely. It is characterized by pallor and dryness of the mucous membrane of the throat, the formation of crusts on it, which are dried mucus, and the appearance of a vascular pattern on the back wall of the pharynx.

Features of symptoms depending on the cause

With pharyngitis that occurs against the background of ARVI, the inflammatory process spreads to the entire pharynx, including the tonsils and soft palate. It is often accompanied by a runny nose, conjunctivitis, cough, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Pharyngitis caused by pathogenic bacteria is characterized by a long course, headache, fever, and tonsillitis. When the throat is affected by fungi, cracks and erosions form on its mucous membrane and in the corners of the mouth, a characteristic white cheesy coating appears on the back wall of the pharynx, and the posterior cervical lymph nodes become enlarged.

If the cause of pharyngitis is an allergen on the mucous membrane of the throat, it manifests itself in the form of a dry cough and is not accompanied by fever and severe sore throat.

Features of symptoms in young children

Parents can suspect pharyngitis in infants who cannot yet express themselves and show where it hurts based on the following signs:

  • moodiness, tearfulness;
  • restlessness and poor sleep;
  • periodic coughing;
  • decreased appetite and regurgitation after feeding;
  • temperature rise to 39°C.

For young children under 2 years of age, acute pharyngitis is severe. If its cause is ARVI, then it is combined with acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx, runny nose, cough, and is accompanied by a rise in body temperature, general weakness and lethargy, and decreased appetite.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you suspect pharyngitis in children, parents should consult a doctor. Self-diagnosis and self-medication are fraught with complications, and the younger the child, the more serious they can be. Confirmation of the presence of an inflammatory process on the mucous membrane of the posterior pharyngeal wall, as well as its form and causes, is established on the basis of:

  • complaints from the child or parents, if the child is small;
  • examination of the mouth and throat (pharyngoscopy);
  • palpating the lymph nodes in the neck;
  • results of bacteriological culture of a throat smear.

With pharyngitis, there is moderate redness, swelling and infiltration of the posterior wall of the pharynx, velopharyngeal arches and, less commonly, the soft palate.

A sore throat can be a symptom not only of pharyngitis, but also of tonsillitis, measles, and scarlet fever. Unlike pharyngitis, angina is characterized by rapid dynamics of development of the clinical picture. The next day, purulent plaque and plugs appear on the tonsils, their redness and increase in size are observed, and the body temperature rises sharply to 40°C.

Treatment of pharyngitis

Drugs and procedures for the treatment of pharyngitis in children should be prescribed by a local pediatrician or pediatric otolaryngologist, taking into account the patient’s age, the cause of the disease and the severity of the patient’s condition. Treatment is carried out at home. In uncomplicated forms of the disease occurring against the background of ARVI, the inflammatory process subsides on its own within a few days.

Medications

For acute pharyngitis and exacerbation of chronic pharyngitis in children, the following medications are used for treatment:

  • preparations for preparing solutions for gargling (rotocan, furatsilin, chlorophyllipt);
  • solutions for lubricating inflamed mucous membranes (protargol, Lugol's solution);
  • lozenges and lozenges with antiseptic, emollient and analgesic effects (lizobact, septefril, faringosept, strepsils, imudon);
  • sprays and aerosols for irrigating the pharynx (hexasprey, ingalipt, jox, tantum verde, cameton, miramistin);
  • antibacterial drugs locally, less often systemically (with a precisely established bacterial etiology of the disease and determination of the sensitivity of the pathogen to specific antibiotics);
  • immunomodulatory drugs for pharyngitis against the background of ARVI (viferon, laferobion, immunoflazid, aflubin);
  • solutions for inhalation (buffered soda, decasan, saline solution);
  • antipyretics based on paracetamol or ibuprofen when the temperature rises above 38°C.

To treat pharyngitis in a child under 3 years of age, sprays and aerosols are not used, since when injected they can provoke a reflex spasm of the larynx and an attack of suffocation, as well as gargling due to the difficulty of performing this procedure independently for children.

For fungal pharyngitis in children, treatment consists of treating the throat with local antifungal drugs. Inflammation of the pharynx caused by an allergic reaction is treated by taking antihistamines in the form of tablets, drops or syrups (fenistil, Erius, Zyrtec, cetirizine, Zodak).

Folk remedies

Among the traditional methods of treatment for pharyngitis, after consultation with a doctor, children can be given steam inhalations and gargling with decoctions of medicinal plants (chamomile, sage, calendula, eucalyptus, St. John's wort, oak bark), which have an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and healing effect. For rinsing, a simple saline solution is also used (1 teaspoon of salt per glass of water).

At night, you can give the patient warm milk with honey or mineral water, which will have a warming and softening effect. However, before using such folk remedies, you should make sure that the child is not allergic to the herbs and honey used.

Features of patient care

Of great importance for the speedy recovery of the child is plenty of warm drinking (still mineral water, tea, compote, berry fruit drinks) and fresh moist air, to which the famous pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky draws special attention to parents. All this will contribute to the effective hydration and cleansing of the affected area. pharyngeal mucosa.

To reduce injury and irritation of the inflamed mucous membrane of the throat during illness, the child should adhere to a gentle diet. It is not recommended to give him too rough, hard, spicy, salty, sour, hot or cold food.

Video: Pediatric ENT about symptoms and treatment of pharyngitis

Possible complications and prevention

In the absence of timely and correct treatment, acute pharyngitis in children can lead to complications, the main of which are:

  • transition of the disease to a chronic form;
  • spread of infection to the lower organs of the respiratory system (laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis);
  • peritonsillar and retropharyngeal abscess;
  • autoimmune diseases (rheumatism);
  • angina.

To reduce the risk of acute or chronic pharyngitis in children, it is necessary to follow simple preventive measures, which are aimed primarily at increasing immunity and minimizing contact with potential pathogens. These include regular walks in the fresh air, good nutrition and rest.

Hypothermia should be avoided. In the room where the child lives, it is important to create a normal level of humidity and temperature (cool, moist air), and to eliminate contact with polluted air, tobacco smoke, and dust. It is necessary to promptly treat rhinitis, sinusitis, and adenoiditis to prevent prolonged nasal congestion and forced breathing through the mouth, as well as prevent contact with sick people during seasonal epidemics of ARVI.

The throat is sore and raw, it hurts to swallow, and a low temperature is a sign of pharyngitis. In this disease, inflammation affects the back wall of the pharynx, but does not affect the tonsils, unlike tonsillitis. You can get pharyngitis after hypothermia; it is often a component of acute respiratory infections along with a runny nose. The most common cause is viruses, but bacterial pharyngitis also occurs. If everything is done correctly, then this disease passes quickly and unnoticed by the child’s body.

Causes of pharyngitis

Most cases of pharyngitis are caused by viruses that enter the pharyngeal mucosa. How the disease will proceed depends on the state of local immunity: the virus can gain a foothold in the tonsils, causing tonsillitis, or can only affect the pharynx - pharyngitis. If the virus came from the nose, having previously disabled it, doctors call it “ nasopharyngitis».

Sometimes pharyngitis is caused by bacteria such as streptococcus or mycoplasma (rarely). In this case, its course may become longer, the symptoms more pronounced, and the temperature high. If the doctor detects streptococcus, the child will need to be given antibiotics. But you shouldn’t do this if you have viral diseases!

Symptoms of pharyngitis

The classic symptoms of pharyngitis are a sore throat and pain when swallowing. Middle-aged children often complain about this. Infants, unfortunately, cannot tell their mother that they are hurting, but they become more capricious, sleep poorly, and cough.

A cough may accompany pharyngitis as a symptom, but if the inflammation is limited to the pharynx, it will never be severe. Rather, it can be called the word “coughing.” A severe cough indicates that the infection has gone lower - causing tracheitis, laryngitis or bronchitis.

How to distinguish pharyngitis from sore throat

The sore throat with pharyngitis is moderate and appears only when swallowing food (not water), especially hot or hard food. It is not pain that is constantly present, but an unpleasant sensation in the throat - “soreness”. With sore throat, unlike pharyngitis, the pain in the throat is constant, and when swallowing it intensifies, and it does not matter what the child is trying to swallow - food or water.

The next important difference between pharyngitis and sore throat is the dynamics of body temperature. When the tonsils are affected, it rises quickly and high, sometimes up to 40 degrees, and often a white coating appears the next day. And pharyngitis usually begins with a sore throat, and only then, or at the same time, the temperature rises slightly. It is worth noting that with streptococcal tonsillitis, the temperature can also rise very high.

In general, pharyngitis in its pure form is quite rare. It is usually combined with a runny nose and acute respiratory infections.

How is pharyngitis diagnosed?

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor must examine the child's throat. With pharyngitis it is moderately red, the tonsils are not enlarged. The back of the pharynx may be granular. With a bacterial infection, pus may appear on it, but this happens quite rarely.
Tests for pharyngitis are usually not needed. They make sense if the doctor suspects some more serious disease, a symptom of which may be pharyngitis. Most often, a swab is taken from the throat and tested for the presence of two diseases - streptococcus and diphtheria. If these tests are confirmed, the baby will be prescribed antibiotics and may be admitted to the hospital.

Can a mother look at her child’s throat herself? Of course it can. But without sufficient experience, she is unlikely to distinguish pharyngitis from tonsillitis and be able to understand the severity of the disease.

Chronic pharyngitis

If pharyngitis lasts more than 2 weeks, it is called chronic. In case of long-term pharyngitis, you should consult a doctor. Its reasons may be:

Attachment of a bacterial infection;
mononucleosis (with enlarged lymph nodes);
foreign body in the pharynx or its consequences;
irritation of the throat by environmental factors: very dry air in the apartment, air pollution from tobacco smoke, exhaust fumes, dust, etc.;
breathing through the mouth if you have allergies;
adenoids;
chronic runny nose, in which mucus from the nose flows down the back of the throat, irritating it and causing pharyngitis.

How to treat pharyngitis

Since most pharyngitis is viral, we cannot act directly on the cause of the disease. The child’s body must cope with the virus on its own. Our efforts will be aimed at relieving unpleasant symptoms: sore throat, pain, high temperature, as well as giving peace and strength for recovery to a sore throat.

Gargling– helps relieve discomfort and reduce swelling. The safest rinse is warm, salted water. Place one teaspoon of salt in a glass of water and rinse at least 3 times a day. Not suitable for small children.
Warm drink– warm tea, infusions, herbal infusions. Fluids help prevent dehydration, which worsens all illnesses. In addition, warm drinks relieve pain in the throat due to pharyngitis. Talk to your pediatrician about which herbal teas are best for your child.
Humidifying the air in the room– you can use a humidifier, or if you don’t have one, then a large open container of water. Dry air irritates a child's throat and nose, causing a runny nose and pharyngitis. However, everything is good in moderation; you should not turn the room into a greenhouse or tropical jungle.
Temperature reduction– if it rises above 38 degrees, and the child feels unwell. You can use over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.

You should not use antibiotics for pharyngitis without a doctor's prescription. Most cases of pharyngitis are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not work on them. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics can lead to complications, as well as the development of microbial resistance to these drugs.

Throat aerosols can be used in children over 2 years of age. This should not be done in young children, as there is a risk of causing a complication - spasm of the glottis with the development of acute respiratory failure. Choose an aerosol (spray) carefully, preferably without alcohol or very harsh irritants, so as not to cause discomfort to the child.

Lollipops with an anesthetic component will help relieve a sore throat. Before use, make sure that the child is not allergic to the anesthetic. Consult your doctor or pharmacist about this.

Sometimes, with pharyngitis combined with a runny nose, it makes sense to drip vasoconstrictor drugs (nazol, xylometazoline, etc.) into the child’s nose. They reduce swelling of the mucous membrane and the amount of mucus released. The mucus stops flowing into the throat and does not provoke pharyngitis. Regarding medications, consult your doctor. You should not use vasoconstrictor drugs for more than 3-4 days in a row due to the possibility of addiction and rebound effect.

In treatment chronic tonsillitis the most important thing is not drugs, but eliminating unfavorable environmental factors:
protect the child from air pollutants, tobacco and other types of smoke, dust;
monitor the air humidity in the room and maintain it at 50-60% using a humidifier;
It is necessary to regularly walk with the baby in any weather, except for days when the child has a high temperature.

The more time a child spends outside, the healthier he grows, and the more strength he has to fight infections. Remember that, as one book says, “children have a great time outside in good weather, but good in bad weather.”

What happens to our throat during pharyngitis? Our throat consists of 3 sections: upper, middle and lower. When the infection affects the mucous membrane of the upper section, it becomes inflamed and irritated, and the child begins to suffer from: dry pharynx, severe sore throat, pain during swallowing, hoarseness, hoarseness.

Reasons for the development of pharyngitis in childhood

  • the most common are viral pharyngitis - more than 50%; respiratory viruses (influenza, parainfluenza, adeno- and rhinoviruses) usually cause pharyngitis. But there are also bacterial pharyngitis (stepto-, staphylo- and pneumococci), which are more often complicated by other diseases. Fungi can also be the cause;
  • There are also pharyngitis associated with physical damage to the pharyngeal mucosa;
  • pharyngitis also appears due to daily inhalation of dust;
  • pharyngitis associated with allergies;
  • In children, pharyngitis often appears due to chronic adenoiditis, when discharge, flowing down the back wall of the pharynx, constantly irritates its mucous membrane. When the throat cools down when consuming cold lemonades or ice cream, local immunity decreases, and as a result pharyngitis develops;
  • often pharyngitis becomes a secondary disease against the background of gastroesophageal reflux, when gastric contents are thrown into the pharynx and it burns.

Basic and specific symptoms of pharyngitis in children

If pharyngitis is an independent disease, then the body temperature does not increase. The temperature will rise if the underlying disease is a viral infection, and its symptom is pharyngitis. With viral pharyngitis, the back wall of the pharynx is very bright, and swelling is noted. With a bacterial or fungal infection, the back wall also turns red, but white-yellow spots and an unpleasant odor appear on the tonsils. It is also possible that the submandibular and anterior cervical lymph nodes become enlarged and become painful when palpated.

The cough with pharyngitis is usually dry and of little productivity. It usually occurs on the 2nd day after the child is infected. Then a runny nose appears. For the first 2 to 3 days, the cough occurs due to reflex irritation of the dry lining of the throat. If there is severe swelling of the throat, the pain can spread to the ears and there will be a feeling of stuffiness.

Infants tolerate pharyngitis worse - their health worsens due to general symptoms: increased temperature, poor sleep, refusal to eat, severe drooling, regurgitation, runny nose, conjunctivitis.

Symptoms of allergic pharyngitis include rhinitis or swelling of the nasal mucosa.

Complications of a viral infection can include tonsillitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, and pneumonia.

Differences between viral pharyngitis and sore throat

What features does chronic pharyngitis have?

The source of chronic pharyngitis is opportunistic bacteria of the oral cavity, which become more active when local and general immunity decreases. The main predisposing factor for chronic pharyngitis is untreated or inadequately treated acute pharyngitis. With chronic pharyngitis, one anatomical part of the pharynx is affected, and the neighboring ones are not included; the child’s well-being is almost never disturbed. There are no signs of intoxication, the temperature almost does not rise. The main symptoms are dry throat, lump in the throat, coughing. Due to daily itching, a dry, obsessive cough occurs, which becomes productive over time. Chronic streptococcal pharyngitis causes complications on the heart, kidneys, and thyroid gland.

Diagnosis criteria

  • the doctor collects complaints and medical history;
  • the doctor performs pharyngoscopy - visually examines the pharynx, in which the condition of the mucous membrane of its posterior wall is assessed;
  • laboratory tests: clinical blood test;
  • to determine the causative agent of the disease, the doctor prescribes a throat swab to isolate the microflora and its sensitivity to antibiotics; or PCR;
  • for recurring pharyngitis:

— endoscopic examination of the nose and nasopharynx;

— consultation with an allergist (to rule out an allergic cause of the disease);

— consultation with a gastroenterologist (exclude reflux disease).

How to properly examine a child's throat

For a thorough examination of the throat, daylight or artificial lighting is not enough; you should resort to a flashlight or lamp with warm light. To examine the throat, you will need a wooden spatula or something resembling it, such as a spoon handle. It is necessary to press not on the root, but on the end or middle of the tongue.

Picture of acute pharyngitis: inflammation of the soft palate, the presence of red walls of the pharynx and an increase in lymphoid follicles on its back wall. If the back wall is loose, there is also an increase in follicles, but there is no noticeable redness, then this symptom indicates chronic pharyngitis. If the back wall has a thin, dryish appearance, it is pale, and vessels are visible on it, then this is atrophic pharyngitis.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children

First of all, parents should go to the pediatrician. If cases of pharyngitis recur, if not all symptoms disappear after therapy, you should go to an otolaryngologist.

1. Home mode.

2. Avoid contact with infectious patients.

3. Compliance with personal hygiene rules: personal dishes, personal towel.

4. Warm, light food.

Diet for pharyngitis

Refusal of seeds and products containing them. From nuts and products containing them. Cold lemonades, from very sour, very cold, very hot, smoked, peppery and salty, because all this irritates the mucous membrane of the pharynx.

5. Ventilation and wet cleaning.

6. Since the main symptom is a feeling of dry throat, it needs to be constantly moistened. Therefore, plenty of warm drinks are prescribed: berry fruit drinks, tea with lemon, milk with honey and butter, mineral water, still.

Complex treatment helps more effectively with pharyngitis. Children should gargle, irrigate, and dissolve the tablets.

7. Treatment is determined by the source of the disease. Antibiotics for pharyngitis are not indicated unless a bacterial infection has occurred and a complication has not developed. In case of a viral infection, you should start giving antiviral drugs (Anaferon, Ergoferon, Isoprinosine, Ingavirin). For fungal infections, antifungal drugs are prescribed.

8. Children over 3 years old should often gargle with antiseptic solutions: Miramistin, Chlorhexedine, Furacilin, Chlorophyllipt alcohol solution. Repeat every 2 hours.

If there is no allergy, you can use herbal decoctions for rinsing (chamomile, calendula, sage, propolis tincture). The solution should be prepared at the rate of 10 grams of dry matter per glass of boiled water. Gargle for 5 minutes every hour.

It is most effective to treat pharyngitis comprehensively; the use of traditional medicines alone often leads to complications. Children with allergies should be given iodine and honey containing medications with caution.

9. Local irrigation of the throat with solutions of antiseptics and antibacterial agents in the form of an aerosol. Sprays used: Miramistin, Ingalipt, Tantum-Verde, Kameton, Hexoral. It is important to alternate rinsing with sprays, since by rinsing you do not reach the back wall of the throat, but the spray copes with this.

10. Lozenges: Lizobakt, Gramidin, Strepsils, Faringosept. It should be dissolved 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after meals and in between other methods of treating the throat.

11. Moisturizing the mucous membrane of the oropharynx using a nebulizer: you can use saline yourself. solution.

12. When coughing, it is better to use herbal syrups (Gerbion - plantain syrup, Linkas, Bronchipret). If it greatly torments the child and prevents him from falling asleep, you can give him an antitussive drug (Sinekod, Codelac Neo).

13. For pharyngolaryngitis the following is prescribed:

  • voice rest;
  • limit communication, exclude whispered speech, shouting, telephone conversations.

If a child has a tendency to laryngospasms, an inhaler should be in the house so that if stenosis occurs, parents can inhale themselves with a glucocorticoid (Pulmicort, Budenit) until the ambulance arrives.

  • antihistamines to relieve swelling.

In cases of acute pharyngitis, children usually recover within 7 to 14 days. For chronic pharyngitis, children should either be regularly treated symptomatically or resort to surgical treatment. For obvious hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue, laser cauterization of granules, radio wave treatment, and cryotherapy are performed.

If pharyngitis recurs often or is not cured for a long time, this is an indicator to search for the real causes of the disease; in addition, pharyngitis is rarely an independent disease, and often concomitant diseases are adenoiditis, tonsillitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Prevention of pharyngitis

Prevention of pharyngitis consists of hardening, increasing immunity, vaccination against infections, creating an optimal microclimate in the house, nutritious food rich in vitamins. Sanitation of foci of chronic infection: caries, chronic tonsillitis, treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Remember that you should not treat yourself; know that only a doctor, after a professional examination, prescribes medicine, taking into account all the characteristics of the child.

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The onset of autumn cold weather traditionally entails a significant increase in the number of infectious diseases. Children are most susceptible to harmful bacteria and viruses.

A fragile body, frequent disobedience and splashing in puddles, long walks in wet clothes - many children's pranks serve as an excellent breeding ground for the development of diseases.

Pharyngitis - what is it and why do we get sick?

Symptoms of pharyngitis in a child are characterized by an acute inflammatory process of the mucous membranes in the throat and pharynx. The disease can have an independent form - it can proceed like a normal disease, but most often pharyngitis is one of the dangerous complications of an acute viral infection.

In young children (under 2 years of age), a more severe course of the disease is often observed with additional severe symptoms of rhinitis and inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx.

What causes pharyngitis? The main reasons are:

  • Inhalation of polluted air vapors. Contact with the mucous membrane of the throat by cold or too hot air.
  • Exposure to the respiratory system of chemical irritants (gases, tobacco smoke, the smell of spicy food, dust). The frequent request “pharyngitis in children from passive smoking” is confirmed by medical sources.
  • The result of infection with harmful microorganisms (staphylo- or streptococci, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella, etc.). These can be bacteria, viruses, and less commonly fungi. Most often this is a consequence of influenza and similar infections.
  • Infection with fungi (genus Candida).
  • A focal reaction to immediate inflammation (if the pathological focus is located close to the pharynx - with rhinitis, sinusitis, advanced forms of caries - its transfer to neighboring organs is observed).
  • Genetic and hereditary factor. In this case, pharyngitis itself does not develop initially, but there is an increased predisposition to its formation due to the abnormal structure of the pharynx. Its mucous membrane turns out to be less resistant to the irritants discussed above.
  • Acute allergy.
  • Hypovitaminosis.
  • Chronic diseases or endocrine disorders (for example, diabetes).
  • Congenital anomalies, mechanical damage, burns.

Types of pharyngitis in children, photos and table

Considering the causes of the disease, two stages of the active course of the disease are distinguished. So, if there is a direct effect on the pharyngeal mucosa of the causative factor, an acute form of the disease develops (successfully treated with antibiotics, antiviral agents, the choice of which depends on the cause).

When detected late and in an advanced form, the disease develops into a chronic form. In this case, the role of the root cause factor fades into the background. The chain of ongoing pathological changes is already associated with long-term inflammation. Delayed treatment can lead to a number of dangerous consequences.

The summary table reflects the forms of the disease and their clinical and morphological features.

Characteristic

Superficial (catarrhal) - according to localization of distribution The lesion of the delineated local part is only the mucous membrane of the pharynx.
Granular Inflammation of lymphoid follicles, which are located deep in the mucosa.
Limited Only the side ridges are affected.
Common Pronounced symptoms on the entire surface and back wall of the pharynx.
Acute (according to the form of the course) The main symptoms are dry cough, tickling, fever. The inflammation lasts for 2 weeks.
Subacute Mild symptoms with active division of microorganisms.
Chronic During the period of exacerbation, symptoms of the acute form are expressed.

It is important to promptly and correctly treat the acute form of pharyngitis in order to prevent it from becoming chronic in the future.

Symptoms of pharyngitis in a child + photo

Symptoms of pharyngitis photo

Pharyngitis in children, symptoms and treatment, which must correspond to the underlying cause, are extremely important to determine at an early stage of the development of the disease. If parents notice their baby has a red throat and lack of appetite, this is a good reason to sound the alarm and seek advice from a specialist.

  • Timely identification of the disease is the key to quick treatment and absence of complications.

Fever, cough with pharyngitis in children are traditional signs of the disease. Other general symptoms include general weakness of the body, fatigue and weakness, increased drowsiness or complete lack of sleep.

  • The child becomes irritable and refuses to eat due to pain when swallowing.

Reliable signs for identifying the disease during the initial examination are a red throat and pronounced swelling of the pharyngeal mucosa and velopharyngeal arches. If pharyngitis is caused by a virus, then vesicles (small bubbles) or bright dotted inclusions form on the back wall.

Parents can also examine the throat, but an inexperienced eye is unlikely to detect minimal changes. Therefore, consultation with a specialist must be carried out without fail and in a timely manner.

Important nuance! Differential diagnosis allows you to distinguish pharyngitis from tonsillitis by the level of pain when swallowing. So, in the first case, a sore throat is expressed only when eating solid food. With a sore throat, it is difficult to swallow even water or other liquids.

Features of cough

Cough is a classic sign of any inflammatory process in the throat area. During the first day, the cough with pharyngitis is unproductive and dry (caused by swelling and irritation of the cough receptors).

On the 3rd day, slight sputum production may be observed - this is the first sign of relief in the child’s general condition, because toxins begin to be partially eliminated with mucus and pathological secretions.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children begins with getting rid of the cough that torments the body. Drugs that inhibit the functioning of the cough center (codeine, Tusuprex - drink only after consultation with your doctor) will help eliminate this symptom.

Treatment of pharyngitis in a child - drugs and traditional methods

Features of treatment and the prescription of a specific drug depend on the cause of the disease. Potent drugs - antibiotics - are prescribed only if there are clear indications (for example, an increase in temperature of more than 38-39 ° C) and with a reliable connection with a bacterial pathogen.

  • In case of chronic pharyngitis, all efforts should be directed toward increasing general immunity; antibiotics are indicated only during exacerbations.

Treatment of acute pharyngitis in children involves the use of local antiseptic drugs that relieve pain and irritation. These are special lozenges, sprays, oil solutions, etc.

Auxiliary methods for effective treatment of the disease:

  • warming the throat by inhalation;
  • various compresses;
  • drinking plenty of purified water;
  • exclusion of solid foods from the diet.

Cough relievers include syrups and lozenges. Chronic pharyngitis requires an integrated approach and a course of fortification.

Among the proven folk recipes are gargling with potato decoction or inhaling its vapors, infusions of grated garlic, and blackberry leaves. It should be remembered that home treatment is only a bonus to qualified help. But you shouldn’t make it the main one!

Dr. Komarovsky is a famous pediatrician whose advice is listened to by millions of parents across the country. Regarding pharyngitis, the doctor has several important recommendations. It is recommended to supplement therapeutic measures with plenty of fluids and frequent ventilation of the children's room.

Completely eliminate the influence of low temperatures (wiping with a cold towel, applying ice) and rubbing with vinegar or vodka.

  • Regular use of antipyretics is prohibited - the drugs do not cure, but only relieve one of the symptoms.
  • No self-treatment - it is impossible to find out the root cause and prescribe the correct course of medication on your own.
  • Stick to the dosage prescribed by your doctor and do not deviate from the instructions.

Nebulizer efficiency

New technologies of modern medicine offer parents to use a nebulizer - a device for home or hospital inhalation - to relieve the symptoms of pharyngitis. This new product allows for maximum local impact on the affected area.

Products are divided into powder, dosed and nebulizer. The latter type is highly effective due to the deep penetration of the smallest particles of the drug into the tissue.

Pharyngitis treatment with a nebulizer involves the use of special solutions. Fluimucil, Gentamicin, Furacilin destroy microorganisms and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Alkaline mineral water or physiological composition can also be used in the treatment process. For a more effective result, it is recommended to add essential oils (aloe juice, mint extract) to the solution.

  • Before starting the course, be sure to follow the instructions and consult with a specialist.

Possible complications of pharyngitis

If neglected or improperly treated, a number of complications can develop. First of all, in such a situation, the ears, nose, joints (in some cases, the heart) suffer.

As a result of untreated pharyngitis, a chronic form of the disease develops, which cannot be completely cured in the future. A period of exacerbation and excruciating pain can occur from the influence of even the slightest factors (tobacco smoke or cold temperature).

Peritonsillar abscess can develop from bacterial pharyngitis. Its main symptoms are intense sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes, and jaw muscle spasms.

In extreme cases, infection enters the blood and develops sepsis. It is extremely important to prevent this deadly danger and consult a doctor promptly.

Other complications:

  • retropharyngeal abscess - extensive suppuration of the retropharyngeal space of the throat;
  • chronic form of bronchitis;
  • tracheitis and laryngitis - inflammation of the structural elements of the trachea and larynx, respectively;
  • acute form of articular rheumatism due to autoimmune damage to the musculoskeletal system;
  • hearing loss, acute ear pain - observed after 1.5 - 2 weeks;
  • poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis - a complication in the kidney area;
  • cervical lymphadenitis - inflammation of the lymph nodes in the cervical region.

Other possible negative reactions include sialadenitis (inflammation of the salivary glands). The complication is very rare.

Don't spread the disease! The child's body is not configured to actively fight viruses and infections. Do not self-medicate.

Pharyngitis is not a complex disease and has a favorable prognosis with timely detection and prompt treatment. The chronic atrophic form requires systematic therapeutic procedures.

To prevent the occurrence of an acute form, regular prevention should be carried out, taking into account the main pathogenic factors and possible causes.

  1. Prevent hypothermia of the child's body. Avoid drafts.
  2. Carry out hardening.
  3. Saturate your child’s diet with vitamins and only healthy foods.
  4. Do not start purulent-inflammatory diseases (runny nose, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, influenza).
  5. Regularly sanitize the oral cavity.

Prevention will not be effective in the presence of local or general causes. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the influence of all irritating factors. Smoking and tobacco smoke, dusty rooms, irritating solid foods are the main causative agents of the disease.

The health of children is the greatest wealth and achievement of parents. You need to pay attention to the slightest changes in behavior, lack of appetite and low activity. Timely detection of the problem will minimize the risk and guarantee the baby’s well-being in the future.

Diseases of the posterior pharyngeal wall accompany people throughout their lives. Most often, children suffer from this pathological process because they have weakened immunity and anatomical features of the throat structure. It is useful for every parent to know how to treat acute pharyngitis in children. This article will indicate which medications are best to take in case of illness, how to distinguish the disease from similar ailments based on clinical signs.

As a rule, the disease is provoked in children due to the influence of infectious pathogens on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Inflammation in the posterior pharynx is caused by influenza viruses, herpes, adenoviruses, fungi and bacterial bodies. The most common acute form of the disease occurs in children.

Acute pharyngitis in a child is provoked by the following factors:

  • injuries, burns of the respiratory tract;
  • foreign bodies getting into the throat;
  • infectious, viral damage;
  • hypothermia;
  • emotional shock.

Passive smoking also causes the development of this disease, since nicotine smoke irritates the throat and provokes the activation of bacteria. Pediatric pharyngitis is divided into:

  • acute (treated for 1 month);
  • prolonged (more than 31 days);
  • chronic (does not go away within 6 months, often worsens).

An advanced form of pathology can occur in the catarrhal, granulosa and atrophic phase. The disease can have an allergic, fungal, viral, bacterial and traumatic etiology.

Symptoms of pharyngitis in children allow timely detection of the development of the disease. The most pronounced clinical picture is during the onset of the pathology. Symptoms are usually severe, children complain of severe pain in the throat, and the temperature rises above 38 degrees.

How to eliminate the inflammatory process in the back wall of the pharynx in children is determined by the attending physician. You cannot select treatment on your own, especially in the acute stage of the disease.

The disease requires complex therapy using pharmaceutical, folk and physiotherapeutic measures.

As a rule, treatment takes place at home if the parents strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations. In a one-year-old child, pharyngitis is usually cured in the hospital, since constant monitoring and medical care are required.

Factors leading to the development of pharyngitis in children.

Symptoms

Clinical manifestations of acute inflammatory disease in the posterior wall of the larynx are quite striking. Children experience burning, dryness, soreness, and soreness in the throat; the symptoms are especially noticeable when swallowing. How to treat acute pharyngitis in children will depend on the clinical manifestations of the disease and the stage of advanced pathology. Symptomatic therapy helps relieve painful symptoms and improve the patient’s condition.

Acute pharyngitis in children: symptoms and treatment:

  • severe pain in the throat;
  • shallow cough symptom;
  • hoarseness in the voice;
  • the temperature may rise and remain subfebrile;
  • headache;
  • sleep disorder

In newborn babies, the disease is much more severe, the symptoms remain the same, with the addition of a rash on the body, runny nose, dysphagia, dyspepsia, and conjunctivitis. The severe course of this form of the disease in children is sometimes complicated by the development of purulent otitis, mediastinitis, and retropharyngeal abscess.

The chronic course of the disease is characterized by discomfort and the sensation of a foreign object in the throat, a barking cough symptom. Upon visual examination, the mucous membrane is loose, there is redness on it. The child feels nausea, vomiting, soreness in the throat, pain radiates to the ear. Treatment of acute pharyngitis in children differs from therapeutic measures aimed at eliminating the advanced form of the disease. It is necessary to fight the disease with frequent exacerbations. This process is fraught with dangerous complications in the form of otitis media and meningitis.

With inflammation of the posterior wall of the pharynx of fungal etiology, the symptoms do not differ from the catarrhal and hyperplastic varieties. Cracks and ulcers are often observed in the corners of the mouth, the posterior lymph nodes are enlarged, and there is a cheesy coating in the area of ​​the larynx, over which a reddish, eroded mucosa is visible. Treatment of pharyngitis in a 2-year-old child of this etiology often requires inpatient conditions.

Signs of the development of pharyngitis in children.

Diagnostics

Only the attending physician can make an accurate diagnosis. In general, diagnosis does not cause difficulties in determining the disease. It is useful for every parent to know how to distinguish pathology from catarrhal tonsillitis, diphtheria and other infectious diseases. When establishing a diagnosis, the results of laboratory tests and the general condition of the patient’s body are taken into account. Pharyngitis in children under one year of age is difficult to determine, since the child cannot express complaints; parents must do this for the baby, after first monitoring his behavior.

Tests required to make a diagnosis:

  • rhinoscopy;
  • otoscopy;
  • auscultation.

Using a throat smear, it is possible to clarify the causative agent of the infection in order to select therapy to cure a disease such as pharyngitis. Prevention of the disease requires maintaining the protective properties of the body, hardening, and timely treatment of colds.

How to identify pharyngitis in children.

Treatment

Often, the fight against inflammation of the posterior pharyngeal wall of the acute phase is limited to local therapy. During the development of the disease, it is necessary to create the most favorable conditions for the patient’s recovery.

  1. It is necessary to exclude the consumption of spicy, fried, sour, cold and too hot foods.
  2. The air temperature in the room should not exceed 25 degrees Celsius.
  3. Oxygen must be humidified using special humidifiers.
  4. The patient is instructed to remain silent, unless absolutely necessary, not to talk.

As a local therapy, patients are prescribed disinfectants for irrigation of the oropharynx (herbal decoctions, antiseptics). The back wall of the throat should be treated with Lugol's solution, Iodinol. Medicinal and alkaline inhalation measures will relieve pain. Dissolving lozenges will help moisturize the larynx, relieve soreness and pain. Newborns who cannot take pills and gargle on their own are advised to drink plenty of fluids and use antimicrobial medications.

To prevent the occurrence of chronic pharyngitis in children, manipulations are carried out to restore nasal breathing and sanitize foci of inflammation.

How to get rid of pharyngitis in children

Drops for oral administration

Drops are used to relieve local inflammation in the nasopharynx, which occurs due to the spread of the disease to nearby organs. To treat pathology, these medications are used on average for no longer than 7 days. Topical drops for eliminating acute pharyngitis are preparations based on antibacterial components, such as Isofra, vasoconstrictor drugs - Nazol and Naphthyzin.

  1. Isofra drops are produced on the basis of the local antibacterial agent framycetin. This component is effective for chronic respiratory diseases. The course of treatment usually lasts 10 days. Uncontrolled use of drops is fraught with addiction. The medicine Isofra does not have side effects and has no contraindications.
  2. The drug Nazol Baby is actively used for pharyngitis in the treatment of children; the drops provide a vasoconstrictor effect. The medication effectively eliminates nasal congestion and inflammation in the nasal mucosa. These drops cannot be used for atherosclerosis, heart failure, and glaucoma. Side effects include nausea, sleep disturbances, and sometimes vomiting.
  3. The drug Naphthyzin also has a vasoconstrictor effect and is used both for the treatment of pharyngitis and for acute and chronic diseases. Drops help eliminate swelling and reduce the amount of mucus. The medicine is contraindicated in children under 3 years of age.

In children under 3 years of age, the acute form of pharyngitis is usually accompanied by catarrhal rhinitis, an inflammatory process in the lining of the nasopharynx. Drops quite effectively eliminate these phenomena.

Medicine for pharyngitis Isofra

Nazol drug for the treatment of pharyngitis in children

Naphthyzin remedy for pharyngitis.

Medicinal aerosols

Sprays are widely used to treat inflammation of the posterior pharyngeal wall in children. This form of drugs is convenient to use; aerosols have virtually no side effects.

What drugs are most effective for treating pharyngitis?

Sea salt spray – Aqualor. This substance provides a strong bactericidal

Preparations in the form of sprays for the treatment of pharyngitis in children.

impact. To enhance the result, the drug contains chamomile and aloe. Plants have a calming, softening effect on the inflamed larynx. As a rule, Aqualor is used no more than 6 times a day.

Aerosol Lugol for treating an inflamed larynx.

Aerosol Lugol. This drug is produced on the basis of iodine and has a bactericidal and antispasmodic effect. It is most effective to use such a drug at the stage of development of the disease. You need to treat the throat 2-4 times a day. Within half an hour after using the medicine, there is no need to give the child anything to eat or drink so that the active ingredients have time to be absorbed into the larynx. This spray should not be used if you are intolerant to iodine. The course of treatment is prescribed by the doctor individually. Newborns should apply the aerosol to a pacifier, which should then be given to the child.

Aerosol for irrigation of an inflamed pharynx Hexoral.

Hexoral. This medication can only be used by children over 3 years of age. The drug provides antiseptic and antispasmodic effects. The product effectively eliminates all fungi. The active components of the medication remain exclusively on the mucous membrane, therefore, there are no problems with the digestive system. The spray should only be used in the morning and evening, as the results last for 12 hours. Hexoral effectively eliminates purulent inflammatory processes. The course of treatment is determined by the pediatrician.

Aerosols act by distributing active components directly to the site of inflammation. The product also prevents the spread of infection to other organs.

Rinse solutions

Liquids for irrigation of the oropharynx for acute pharyngitis in children are used as local therapy. With their help, it is possible to relieve soreness in the throat and relieve swelling.

  1. Chlorhexine solution. To make a medicinal rinse, you need to take 10 milliliters of the product and 30 ml of boiled water. Since the solution cannot be swallowed, the procedure must be carried out in this way: the baby stands over the sink, and the parent injects the medicine from a syringe. Manipulations are carried out 3 times a day for 2 weeks.
  2. Chlorophyllipt. Using the product, you can lubricate the inflamed pharynx with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of the drug for irrigating the pharynx. For 100 milliliters of warm boiled water you will need 5 ml of medicine, stir the mixture thoroughly. The event is carried out 4 times a day for 14 days.

The above medications should be used to treat a child when he is already able to rinse the oropharynx on his own without swallowing the solution. Before purchasing medication, you should consult your doctor. Such medications are quite harmless, but to avoid side effects, it is better to be safe.

How to irrigate the throat for pharyngitis in children.

Preparations for resorption

Medicinal lozenges are easy to use and have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Lozenges often have a pleasant taste and aroma so that children do not refuse to use this remedy.

  1. Septolete. These lozenges can be used by children under 4 years of age. You need to dissolve the drug every 5 hours, 1 tablet, until the symptoms subside. The course of treatment should last no more than 7 days.
  2. Faringosept. Lozenges for resorption include ambazone, which provides a powerful antiseptic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect. To get maximum results, you need to dissolve 1 tablet every 3 hours. Allowed for use by children over 3 years old. Children under 7 years old are given three pieces a day. The course of treatment should not last more than 5 days.
  3. Grammidin. Lozenges are produced on the basis of lidocaine, this substance often provokes allergic reactions. Lozenges are prescribed for children over 4 years of age. You are allowed to take no more than 4 lozenges per day. The course of treatment lasts no longer than 6 days.

It should be noted that lozenges for pharyngitis are allowed for use in the absence of problems with the kidneys. It is important to make sure that the baby does not suffer from such diseases before giving him the pills.

Medicines to treat pharyngitis in children.

Faringosept resorption agent

Resorption agent for pharyngitis.

Why is the disease dangerous?

In the absence of timely and competent treatment, acute pharyngitis in children can lead to the development of complications. They are much more difficult to treat than the disease itself in any form.

What complications arise after pharyngitis in children:

  • transition of the disease to a chronic course;
  • spread of infection to nearby organs;
  • the appearance of retropharyngeal and peritonsillar abscess;
  • rheumatism;
  • tonsillitis.

The consequences of untreated pharyngitis can be avoided if you start fighting the disease in a timely manner. It should be noted that complications appear much more often in children than in adults. Therefore, full compliance with all recommendations of the attending physician is required.

Prevention

To minimize the risk of developing inflammation of the posterior pharyngeal wall in infants, you need to follow simple rules that are aimed at increasing the body’s protective functions and preventing contact with pathogens. Prevention of pharyngitis in children consists of:

  • avoid hypothermia (they provoke the activation of pathogenic microorganisms present in the body);
  • regular walks with fresh oxygen (1-2 times a day, subject to normal weather);
  • the room where the sick child is located must have humidified oxygen;
  • You should not smoke in the room where the baby is, it is better to do it outside;
  • regularly carry out wet cleaning in the room;
  • promptly treat rhinitis, adenoiditis, sinusitis.

The child should be given vitamins during outbreaks of acute respiratory diseases. If your baby is prone to colds, you should always adhere to preventive rules.

With this video you can find out what acute pharyngitis in children is, the symptoms and treatment of the disease.



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