Herpes stomatitis in the child: symptoms and treatment
The child began to eat badly and constantly is capricious, and on a mucous mouth at it there was an eruption? Most likely, it is herpes stomatitis. This is a serious disease that provokes inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. From our article you will learn why there is and how herpes stomatitis looks like. Photos of children, treatment of pathology and measures for its prevention will also be presented below.
Features of the pathological process
Herpes stomatitis is a common disease characterized by the development of the inflammatory process on the oral mucosa. There are two of its forms: acute and chronic recurrent. Each of them has certain features of the flow.
Increased temperature, abnormal gastrointestinal function, general malaise - these symptoms are accompanied by acute herpes stomatitis. Children this form of the disease affects only when the primary infection with the virus. Therefore, the average age of patients is 1-3 years. In some cases, it is detected in children of a younger age, especially those who are breast-feeding.
After initial infection, the virus usually goes into a latent form. The subsequent activation is observed only when favorable conditions appear. One of them is a decrease in immunity. Therefore, the treatment should be started immediately after the appearance of the first signs of ailment. The lack of timely therapy can affect the work of the whole body.
The main causes of herpes stomatitis
Herpes simplex virus acts as the causative agent of the disease. Getting into the body of a child, it begins to actively multiply inside the cells of the epithelium and lymph nodes. In the transition to a latent form, the virus remains in the body forever, remaining in the nerve ganglia. But for the onset of a relapse of the disease, a steady decrease in the immune status is required. Most often this happens under the influence of the following factors:
- ARD, ARVI;
- frequent stress;
- supercooling;
- vitamin deficiency;
- overwork;
- hormonal failure;
- reception of antibiotics;
- use of medicines that suppress immunity.
Herpes stomatitis in a child is most often manifested in the winter season.
Who is at risk of
Herpes stomatitis belongs to the category of infectious diseases. People of all ages and social classes are subject to it. However, more often than others, newborn babies fall ill from six months. Why?
The whole point is that before this age the baby's organism struggles with illnesses due to the immunity received from the mother. Gradually, its effect fades. Maternal antibodies disappear with age, and the child's own immunity is still too weak to resist the attacks of viral agents. The risk of developing the pathological process increases several times, when the newborn begins to cut teeth.
The main ways of infection
Given the prevalence and high contagiousness of the disease, it can be infected almost everywhere: in the playground, in public transport or in the hospital. In this case, the virus is transmitted in the following ways:
- contact-household;
- airborne;
- is hematogenous.
Infection with the virus can occur even in the mother's womb, during the passage of the fetus through the birth canal. Fortunately, this happens very rarely.
First symptoms of
The incubation period of the disease can vary from one day to a full week. At the same time, children complain of headaches, lack of appetite, and loss of energy. They become excessively capricious and refuse to eat. Such a symptomatology is typical for many diseases, so it is very difficult to recognize herpes stomatitis in a child at the initial stage.
After a few days, the temperature may jump up sharply. In especially severe cases, vomiting is unceasing. The mucosa of the oral cavity strongly swells, a white coating appears on the surface of the tongue. In this case, it is very painful for a child to swallow. A few days later, the mouth cavity is covered with small pimples. They are filled with a colorless secret. Gradually, this fluid begins to grow turbid, and the bubbles themselves burst. As a result, multiple erosions are formed, which heals very long.
Herpes stomatitis in children, the symptoms of which we describe, are often accompanied by a burning sensation in the mouth, in the area of the lesion, so that a child can refuse to eat. Some lose sleep and are constantly crying. As the pathological process develops, lymph nodes increase in size. The rash spreads to the skin in the area of the lips and nose. Sometimes it is found even on the reproductive organs.
Diagnostic methods
As already mentioned, it is difficult to recognize herpes stomatitis in a child at the initial stage of development, since there is no characteristic symptomatology at this time. Many parents start to sound the alarm only when the temperature of the baby jumps to 39 degrees.
Diagnosis of the disease consists of several stages:
- Initially, the pediatrician examines a small patient, listens to complaints.
- Then he goes on to study the anamnesis. This may require the help of a mom or dad, because without them to make a complete picture of the pathological process is not possible. Parents should tell when the first rashes appeared, whether herpes stomatitis was seen in the child before, who of the family members suffers from the disease. Usually this information is enough to make a final diagnosis.
- Sometimes for a deeper study of the ailment the pediatrician assigns a series of tests( serological / cytological examination).According to their results, you can find out which type of herpes virus caused malaise. However, such a detailed examination takes time, and it is necessary to fight the disease immediately.
How to treat herpes stomatitis in a child
In the absence of complications, therapy of the disease is performed on an outpatient basis. Staying in a hospital is mandatory only for patients under three years of age. Among the general recommendations include bed rest, a light diet and a plentiful drink. Before the final recovery, a small patient should use personal hygiene products and utensils.
How to treat herpes stomatitis in a child, only a doctor decides. The choice of a specific therapy scheme depends on the severity of the ailment and the nature of the clinical picture. Usually, children are prescribed the following remedies:
- antipyretic drugs( Ibuprofen, Paracetamol);
- decongestants( Fenkarol, Diazolin);
- immunocorrectors( "Immunal", "Tactivin", "Lizotzim");
- antiviral( "Acyclovir", "Zovirax").
Small physiotherapy procedures are also shown to small patients. For example, ultraviolet irradiation promotes the acceleration of the regeneration process. 
Additional oral care
Orthopedic areas of the mouth should be treated several times a day with antiseptic drugs. In addition, pediatricians recommend:
- Rinses. Treatment of herpes stomatitis in a child 2 years and younger can be complicated by the fact that he does not know how to rinse his mouth. Therefore, the affected areas of the mucosa irrigate, tilting the head of the crumbs over the basin. Older children can independently rinse their mouth with broths based on herbs, which are already sold in the pharmacy.
- Medication of the oral cavity. After rinsing, pimples and erosion are recommended to be treated with analgesic or wound healing preparations. Places of damage are important carefully, but neatly lubricate. For children over the age of four, it is permitted to use Stomatidin. The drug has an antimicrobial and analgesic effect.
- Gadgets. In the formation of herpetic crusts, pediatricians recommend doing appliques. Lotions with analgesic or herbal components help to remove discomfort, reduce inflammation. At the healing stage, you can use solutions of vitamins A and E, rose hips or sea buckthorn oil.
But the listed manipulations are recommended to be performed only after consulting a doctor!
Special food
Children's herpes stomatitis can not be cured only with medicines. Therapy of this disease necessarily requires strict diet. Correctly selected products contribute to a speedy recovery.
What is better to give up? From the diet it is necessary to exclude all those products that have an irritating effect on the oral mucosa. These include spicy and spicy dishes, sweets and pastries. The food should have a liquid or mushy consistency. Solids are best ground in a blender. The menu of the child can include meat and fish dishes, steamed. Vegetable broths cook without using spices. After eating, pediatricians recommend rinsing your mouth every time. To increase the disinfecting effect in water, a small amount of soda can be added.
In the early days of illness, the process of eating often causes discomfort, but it is not worth noting to give up food. It is also necessary to monitor the drinking regime. Small patients are allowed ordinary non-carbonated water, a variety of vegetable juices. They support the body with vitamins, speeding up the healing process.
Traditional medicine help
Many parents, despite the seriousness of the disease and the possible consequences, do not want to seek qualified help. They prefer to use the recipes of traditional medicine, endangering the health of the baby. In this case, they are often interested in what herbs are best for treating herpes stomatitis in children, how long does the positive effect after using one or another lotion.
Various applications, decoctions and vegetable oils really contribute to reducing inflammation and swelling of the mucosa. However, folk remedies can not be an alternative to antiviral drugs. So, before starting therapy, you should consult a doctor.
For example, all known chamomile is characterized by anti-inflammatory action. Therefore, for the treatment of herpes stomatitis, a decoction based on it is often used. To make it, you need 4 tablespoons of dried flowers pour 1.5 liters of water and boil. Then the broth should be filtered and can be used for rinses.
The flesh of the leaves of aloe is also used in the treatment of herpes stomatitis. This plant has an anti-inflammatory effect and prevents the attachment of a bacterial infection. The flesh of the leaves is recommended to be applied to the affected areas in the form of applications for 15-20 minutes daily.
Prevention methods
Can herpes stomatitis be prevented in children? The photos of the small patients that are presented in this article suggest a negative answer. Specific measures to prevent this disease have not been developed.
To prevent the virus from entering the human body, doctors recommend that you follow basic rules of personal hygiene. From a small age, parents should tell their children about the importance of washing their hands after a walk and before eating.
And in order to prevent relapse of the disease, you need to lead a rational lifestyle. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the immunity of the child, to strengthen it. For this, it is recommended to eat and exercise properly.