A child's throat can hurt for various reasons. And this is not always considered the result of any disease. Dry throat or tingling is sometimes associated with drinking hot drinks or cold food, as well as inhaling dirty air, crying or screaming for a long time. But how to treat a sore throat in a child if it is caused by an infection?
Since the mucous membrane in the oral cavity is almost completely covered with nerve endings, their irritation occurs frequently. If the pain does not go away, it must be eliminated as quickly as possible. There are many ways to solve this problem.
Symptoms
Signs of a sore throat in children are expressed in the following symptoms.
- Throat hyperemia.
- Swelling of the larynx.
- Inflammatory lesion of the tonsils.
- Temperature increase.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
- Loss of voice.
- Rhinitis (runny nose).
- Moodiness.
- Irritability.
- Weakness in the body.
If the cause of a sore throat is an influenza infection, then the little patient will not only experience discomfort in the throat, but also the body temperature will begin to rise significantly and health will deteriorate.
What to do if your child often has a sore throat?
Our editorial office received a cry for help from one mother: “My throat hurts again,” I hear from my six-year-old son, and I feel incredibly tired. Less than two weeks later, he fell ill with a sore throat. And in the last two months this is already the third illness associated with the throat. I have already tried to harden it, and vice versa, to give only warm water, and to watch for drafts, and everything is in vain. All efforts were devoted to strengthening the “weak link”: they drank herbal decoctions, and disinfected the throat, and tried various drugs to strengthen the immune system, and yet, it often comes to antibiotics. Is there another, more effective and safe way to protect a child from these endless diseases? Using modern knowledge and the experience of other mothers, we managed to find an effective drug.
First, let’s figure out why the throat is so susceptible to various infections. As we know, the throat is the first filter after the nasopharynx, through which all pathogenic microorganisms inhaled along with the air pass. Local immunity in the oral cavity and pharynx is ensured by increased work of the tonsils and a sufficient amount of lysozyme in saliva. And at the moment when the immune forces of the tonsils and the sufficient supply of lysozyme in saliva are depleted, the child more often begins to suffer from inflammatory diseases of the throat.
Throat infections, in addition to obvious pain when swallowing, may be accompanied by other associated symptoms , such as:
– Increased body temperature;
– Pain in the muscles;
– Enlarged lymph nodes.
But no parent wants their child to experience all these symptoms.
Yes, they are now selling drugs that can cure the disease within a few days, and yet, is there a medicine that can prevent the appearance and development of diseases of such a vulnerable throat?
Marina: “Yes, my son gets sick often, I’m simply not able to protect him from all infections. He is in second grade and attends after-school and sports classes. It seems to me that I have already tried all the known drugs for treating the throat. But all of them are aimed at eliminating pain that has already appeared. And only recently I discovered an excellent product - Lizak lozenges.
Indications for the use of medications
Sore throat remedies for children are prescribed for the following ailments.
- Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums without tooth decay).
- Rubella (a viral disease that affects only humans, manifested by small-spotted rashes).
- Stomatitis (damage to the oral mucosa).
- Pharyngitis (inflammatory process of the mucous membrane and lymphoid tissue of the larynx).
- Influenza (an acute viral illness that disrupts the upper and lower respiratory tract, accompanied by severe intoxication).
- Laryngitis (damage to the larynx).
- Scarlet fever (an infectious disease caused by hemolytic streptococcus).
- Tonsillitis (an inflammatory process in the tonsils that appears due to the influence of bacteria or other pathogenic microorganisms on lymphoid tissue).
- Chickenpox (an acute viral infection transmitted by airborne droplets).
- Non-productive, irritating reflex cough.
Why does a child have a sore throat?
In approximately 99 cases out of a hundred, an inflamed pharynx in children is observed in the presence of acute respiratory pathologies. However, there are other reasons why a child’s oropharynx becomes red and painful. These include:
- pharyngitis - inflammation of the back wall of the pharynx;
- laryngitis - an inflammatory process in the larynx;
- tonsillitis (tonsillitis) - inflammation of the tonsils; in the chronic form, the larynx can hurt continuously, the pharynx has a red tint, and a gray, white or grayish-yellow coating is noticeable on the tonsils;
- scarlet fever (the disease is accompanied by soreness in the larynx);
- false croup (stenosis of the larynx) is characterized by rapid narrowing of the organ, suffocation;
- diphtheria (children have a very sore throat with this disease, while the tonsils increase in size, making it difficult for the patient to breathe;
- trauma to the oropharynx with sharp objects (babies often put toys into their mouths, which scratch the delicate mucous membrane).
Causes of the disease and risk factors
Soreness in the larynx is a symptom that occurs with the development of many different pathologies. One of the key causes of pain in the oropharynx is the inflammatory process caused by pathogenic microorganisms - bacteria, viruses, fungi. Once in the oral cavity, the infection penetrates the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and tonsils, damaging and irritating it.
Under the influence of pathogenic microbes, blood vessels dilate and bioactive substances begin to be produced that affect nerve endings, resulting in a sore throat. Due to the progression of the infection, the functioning of the glands of the mucous membrane is disrupted, and the amount of saliva is reduced. As a result, dryness forms in the area of the pharynx and pharynx, which is accompanied by increased discomfort and intense pain. As a rule, such symptoms appear when:
- ARVI;
- laryngitis;
- sore throat;
- mononucleosis;
- diphtheria;
- pharyngitis;
- stomatitis.
Sprays
If the throat is treated using sprays with anesthetic substances, which are intended for adult patients, they are especially dangerous for children, since they often cause allergies. It is much more convenient to use medications for irrigation in the form of sprays and aerosols. But most of them are used only for the treatment of children over three years old, so you should carefully read the instructions for use.
It must be remembered that such remedies for sore throat in children can provoke reflex spasms of the larynx. If they are used in small children, then the medicine is sprayed not directly into the throat, but onto the inner surface of the cheeks. When the tongue and saliva move, the drug will still enter the pharynx.
The most famous and effective remedy for sore throat for children who should irrigate their sore throat is Miramistin. This is a colorless liquid with no aroma or taste, so the treatment is easily tolerated. "Miramistin" has an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, the medicine eliminates the cause of the disease, with which the pain goes away.
The medication can be used for newborns, since it is completely harmless even if it penetrates the stomach. Treatment of the throat is carried out using a special sprayer, into which 2-3 milliliters of solution are taken and carefully poured into the cheek.
As a rule, for pain in the throat, young patients are prescribed the following aerosols:
- "Tantum Verde".
- "Hexoral".
- "Inhalipt."
- "Kameton."
- "Stopangin."
- "Teraflu-lar."
If a 2 year old child has a sore throat, how to treat it? Children under three years old - one injection of Tantum Verde, every three hours during the day. The medicine has a complex effect. It not only eliminates pain, but also eliminates germs. At the same time, it practically does not give negative manifestations, so children's doctors allow it to be used from six to twelve months, irrigating it on the mucous membranes of the cheeks. They do this every three hours. Children from six years old are prescribed four injections, children from three to six years old are prescribed two irrigations. The medicine is good at eliminating pharyngitis in the acute phase.
Hexoral is a powerful drug that has antimicrobial and antifungal effects. This spray is recommended for various throat diseases and dental diseases. Hexoral can be used from the age of three, but this should be done very carefully, spraying no more than twice a day, one irrigation at a time.
"Inhalipt" is a popular medicine for treating sore throat in children. It has a less pronounced effect and, if poisoned, can provoke allergies. Its structure includes sulfonamides, as well as thymol, eucalyptus oil and peppermint. According to the instructions for use, it is known that the use of this drug is prohibited for children under four years of age. For young, older patients, it is prescribed no more than four times a day, no longer than five days in a row.
"Cameton" is a drug similar in effectiveness and properties to "Inhalipt". Good for eliminating viral diseases. It is allowed to use the product from the age of five. Dosing – four times a day, 2-3 pumps at a time.
“Stopangin” is a fairly strong spray that contains essential oils, levomenthol, and hexetidine. The medication is not recommended for use by children under eight years of age. Stopangin is prohibited for atrophic rhinitis and allergic manifestations. The duration of therapy is designed for five days, two irrigations three times a day.
"Teraflu-lar" is an analgesic medication that is intended for adolescents and children at least four to five years old. Treatment lasts no longer than five days, but if you experience severe pain, you can use it often - up to six times a day, 2-3 irrigations.
Causes of sore throat in children
There are many factors that can trigger the development of a sore throat in a child, from physiological to pathological.
The most common cause of sore throat is a viral infection. As a rule, painful sensations in the throat and pharynx area occur due to the fact that pathogenic bacteria and viruses infect the mucous membranes. Other irritants (dust, aeroallergenic) can also quickly provoke inflammation.
The entry of these irritants through the oral cavity leads to swelling and redness of the throat. As a result of these processes, the tissues compress the mucous membrane in the pharynx area, the throat becomes painful and there is a feeling of dryness.
As medical practice shows, in 65 percent of all cases of throat diseases in children, the cause is a viral infection. In other cases, it is caused by bacteria.
Children may also have a sore throat without fever.
In this case, bed rest and drinking plenty of warm drinks will help. You should use medications for treatment only after consultation with a specialist.
First aid for a child from the first days of illness
At the first signs of a throat disease in a child, it is necessary to begin treatment so as not to cause complications.
With throat diseases, the child usually refuses to eat, since food leads to irritation of the throat mucosa. Therefore, it is important to follow a gentle diet, avoid spicy, sour, salty and spicy foods. It is also prohibited to eat excessively hot or cold food.
It is recommended to eat fruit and potato puree or pureed soup. Porridges prepared with milk or water also help reduce the manifestations of the inflammatory process. Warm milk, yoghurts and kefir also help remove painful toxins from the body. Any liquids during this period increase the body's defenses.
High body temperature very often accompanies throat diseases. This leads to increased breathing. Drinks containing vitamin C will help restore the body faster and help lower the temperature. To do this, you can use cranberry or blackcurrant fruit drinks, herbal tinctures, compotes, raspberry tea, warm water with honey and lemon.
Warm drinking helps improve blood circulation in the inflamed tissues of the throat, relieves swelling and dryness, which can cause a cough in the baby.
Acidic drinks, such as berry juice, can seriously irritate the throat. Therefore, you need to add honey or sugar to them, and limit the amount of lemon to a small amount.
Relieves painful sensations in the throat:
- Chamomile tea with sugar or honey, consumed warm.
- Tea from linden flowers. In addition to alleviating painful sensations, linden has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. It is also a very effective antipyretic and diaphoretic.
- A decoction of raspberry and currant leaves contains vitamin C and helps reduce high fever. In case of bronchial asthma, such a decoction will have to be abandoned due to the increased content of salicylates.
- A decoction of rose hips saturates the body with vitamin C, increases the body's defenses and copes well with sore throats.
- If a sore throat is accompanied by a severe cough, then decoctions based on St. John's wort, coltsfoot and thyme will help relieve its symptoms.
- Peppermint tea also relieves pain and relaxes throat muscles.
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Measures to be taken in case of throat diseases in a child aged one year and older:
- Consultation with a pediatrician
- Introducing warm drinks in large quantities into the child’s diet (tea, jelly, milk)
- At elevated temperatures, warm the throat by wrapping a scarf around the neck area
- Gargling with a solution of baking soda or infusion of herbs (sage, chamomile) once every 2 hours
- Feeding the baby warm pureed food
- Inhalations and special compresses
What symptoms require increased attention?
If your sore throat is accompanied by additional symptoms, such as high fever and severe cough, you should consult a doctor!
A rapid increase in body temperature that cannot be brought down. This symptom may be a sign of a serious illness.
It is important to immediately seek help from a specialist if the following symptoms appear:
- severe sore throat in a child even when swallowing soft food, saliva and drink
- hoarseness in voice, cough
- rapid increase in temperature (38 degrees or higher), while medications to lower the temperature do not work
- rashes on the skin, mucous membranes of the mouth and throat
- pain when opening mouth
- inflammation of the lymph nodes
These symptoms may be a sign of a more serious condition. Therefore, the parent should promptly respond to all of the above symptoms and see a doctor.
Timely therapy will help to quickly cure the baby and avoid complications. Sometimes the patient requires surgery and intensive treatment. Proper treatment and elimination of symptoms will help prevent complications and consequences of the disease.
Rinse solutions
Gargling is an effective sore throat remedy for children. The drugs are prescribed from four to five years of age. It must be remembered that gargling every day with cool water when not sick is an excellent hardening procedure for a weak throat.
If pain occurs, doctors advise using rinses as often as possible to eliminate pathogenic bacteria from the mucous membrane. This must be done at least three to four times a day, and preferably every two to three hours. After the procedure, you cannot eat or drink for sixty minutes, then the analgesic effect will be longer.
If a child has a sore throat, folk remedies are used for gargling (calendula, chamomile, sage, eucalyptus).
In addition, the following medications are also used:
- "Chlorophyllipt", "Iodinol" or "Rotokan" in concentrations indicated in the annotation.
- Baking soda solution.
- Furacilin solution.
What to do if your child has a sore throat? You can use pharmacological drugs, antiseptics, and also make decoctions and infusions from herbs and even vegetables. Rinsing helps quickly eliminate bacteria and maintain oral hygiene.
Local procedures
In order to know how to increase local immunity in the throat, you should pay attention to the condition of the child’s respiratory mucosa. They should be washed with pharmaceutical saline solutions or gargled with them.
For rinsing the nose, there are products whose operating principle is based on the influence of a hypertonic sodium chloride solution. Increased con infection from the respiratory tract and flushes it out. Sea salt solutions have a particularly good effect on the crypts of the tonsils, washing away purulent plugs.
There are various ways to boost immunity in the throat. The method of hardening the throat by gargling with cold water is one of the most common. This is an effective way, although very simple, but it allows you to maintain your child’s health without additional costs. You can gargle with tinctures - chamomile, calendula, sea buckthorn and viburnum.
In addition, household methods of preventing throat diseases in children are also used. In particular, when he eats ice cream or a fruit smoothie, he hardens his body with a cold product.
Walking, even when it's cold, also has a stimulating effect on the tonsils. Of course, this is only possible after complete recovery.
Medicines for resorption
Such medications are also allowed to be used not from a very early age, but from three to five years of age - when the child understands that lollipops should be sucked and not chewed or swallowed like candy. Of course, there is no harm from this, but there will be no benefit either. And a child may even choke on small pills.
In addition, as with aerosols, it is necessary to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the annotation, which concerns the minimum permissible age of the baby, since many medications for resorption contain antiseptic and antibacterial substances. If a child has a severe sore throat, what can be done to treat it?
The most famous and effective medications in this group:
- "Faryngosept".
- "Lizobakt".
- "Strepsils".
- "Grammidin."
- "Septolete."
- "Strepfen."
- "Falimint."
Next, medications will be discussed in more detail.
"Faringosept"
Tablets that have bacteriostatic and analgesic effects. The drug has a pleasant chocolate taste and children like it more than other medications. Therefore, they are recommended even for the youngest children - from two to three years old.
But you can use them no more than three tablets per day and only after eating. After which you need to stop eating and drinking for two to three hours. The duration of therapy is three to four days.
The only limitation for the use of Faringosept tablets is considered to be individual intolerance to the components of the drug. In general, the drug is well tolerated. Sometimes, after their resorption, allergic reactions may occur, which, as a rule, manifest themselves as rashes on the skin and itching.
"Lizobakt"
A medicine that is produced in tablet form. The structure contains exclusively plant components. "Lizobakt" can be used by children from three years of age. The main active substance is lysozyme, which regulates the body's defenses and also has antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal effects.
According to the instructions for use, it is known that the drug enhances its effect when taking antimicrobial drugs. Children under seven years of age can dissolve one tablet three times a day, over seven years of age - four times a day. The duration of therapy is eight days.
The use of tablets is prohibited in cases of impaired absorption and digestion of certain carbohydrates, as well as individual intolerance to substances in medications. Before you start using the medicine, you must make sure there are no restrictions.
"Strepsils"
Recommended for use by children aged five years and older; no more than eight lozenges per day can be taken. Effectively softens the throat, eliminates pain and signs of a cold. The duration of treatment is three to four days.
Absolute prohibitions for using the medication are individual intolerance to any of the substances in the medication, congenital or acquired disorders of the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines, and a lack of isomaltase and sucrase enzymes. These drugs are used with extreme caution during pregnancy, lactation, and bronchial asthma.
The antibacterial drug is produced in the form of milky tablets for resorption with an antiseptic effect. Use 1 tablet after meals four times a day. For young patients from four to twelve years of age, the medicine is given no more than once or twice a day. The duration of treatment is seven days. "Grammidin" is the best remedy for sore throat for children.
Resorption of tablets is contraindicated in case of several physiological and pathological diseases of the body, which include:
- individual intolerance;
- lactation.
Before starting drug therapy, you need to make sure there are no restrictions.
"Septolete"
A drug with analgesic and deodorizing effects, which are due to the presence of levomenthol and essential oils in its structure. The frequency of use of lozenges per day depends on age. Young patients from four to ten years old can dissolve 4 tablets per day, from ten to twelve years old - six pieces, from twelve years old - eight tablets over four days.
According to the instructions for use, it is known that the absolute restrictions under which the use of lozenges is excluded include:
- lactase deficiency;
- glucose-galactose malabsorption.
The lozenges are well tolerated. Sometimes when using them, nausea and vomiting may occur.
Folk remedies for sore throat for children
A one-year-old baby cannot undergo most procedures, which causes mothers even more problems with laryngeal treatment. Traditional healers advise giving children of this age warm milk with honey or soda, which helps alleviate pain and alleviate the condition.
At the same time, you can resort to therapy with other traditional medicines. If the child is more than six months old, then he needs to be given one teaspoon of chamomile infusion, brewed like tea, three times a day.
If a child is one year old and has a sore throat, what should he do? Mother's milk is also considered an excellent antiseptic.
For a one-year-old baby with pain in the throat, you can put a vodka compress on the neck or chest. To do this, vodka is diluted with water in equal proportions. After this, take cotton wool and soak it in the solution. Apply to the affected area and cover with a soft cloth and cellophane. Then fix it with a warm scarf.
The compress can be made using a slightly different method. Take 1 tablespoon of vodka, as well as vegetable oil and honey, add 1/2 tbsp. l. mustard. Add a little flour for thickness. Mix all the ingredients and spread the resulting mixture on a thick cloth. The compress is applied to the bronchi area, closer to the neck. To secure it, the baby is dressed and wrapped in a warm scarf. What quick folk remedies are prescribed for children with a sore throat?
If the child does not have a fever, then you can warm the throat with mustard plasters. To avoid burning children's delicate skin, they are placed over a towel. The procedure lasts from five to ten minutes.
Folk remedies
For many other diagnoses that are accompanied by sore throat and sore throat, folk remedies may well act as independent or auxiliary methods of therapy.
The main method of home treatment is rinsing. It’s good if the child already knows how to do this. Usually, such a skill does not appear by itself; it must be taught. This can be done if the child is already 2 years old. At this age, the baby is quite capable of understanding what exactly they want from him.
If he cannot overcome his fear, do not insist or force him to rinse. You can always use pharmaceutical antiseptics, which are convenient for irrigating the throat, and lozenges.
There are general rules for preparing solutions for gargling. It is better to brew and infuse them in a thermos, and give them to the child warm. The proportions for all the herbs that we will talk about are approximately the same - 1 tablespoon of raw material per 250 ml of water. Be sure to filter and strain solutions and infusions. What to use for them is up to the parents to decide, because they know for sure whether their daughter or son is allergic to any plant.
Opinions
Many reviews about the use of various pharmacological drugs for the throat confirm the high effectiveness of such treatment. With the help of such medicines it is possible to cope with pain, as well as a cough or sore throat.
Reviews of the lollipops confirm that they are effective for sore throats in children, for which these drugs are prescribed. The positive effect occurs quickly for almost everyone.
According to feedback, the use of aerosols helps to target pathogenic microflora, which makes it possible to eliminate unpleasant sensations in a short time, especially if combined treatment is used. After applying the active ingredients to the mucous membrane of the larynx, viruses and bacteria, including their metabolic products, will be eliminated.
When choosing a drug for therapy, you should pay attention to the presence of contraindications to a particular drug, their negative manifestations, and personal intolerance to certain substances. Only a medical specialist can prescribe a drug that is suitable for a specific ailment, assessing the likely benefits, possible side effects and medicinal properties of each of them.
When folk methods are not enough
Alternative medicine usually works well to cope with the problem of sore throat in children. However, there are conditions that require urgent and exclusively drug treatment under the supervision of a physician. First of all, it is a sore throat. Since it is most often caused by staphylococcus, treatment should be based on antibiotics; without them, it is almost impossible to stop the proliferation of bacteria.
Therefore, if a child has a red throat, loose enlarged tonsils, or plaque, pustules, necrotic areas have already appeared, along with a high fever and severe headache, you should immediately call a doctor. If this happened on a weekend, call an ambulance. Sore throat does not forgive delay.
Dr. Komarovsky will tell us about all aspects of such a disease as sore throat.
