Stomatitis in children is a fairly common phenomenon. The disease is not always severe, but it is already quite unpleasant in itself. Especially for infants, as it creates almost constant pain during wakefulness.
Food is not fun
When characteristic sores appear in the child's mouth, each parent is interested in getting rid of them as soon as possible. In addition to the fact that the baby refuses food, since it hurts him to chew any, even sweet and soft food, he also experiences constant itching and burning of the mucosa, which causes stomatitis. In children, the treatment is rather problematic, since the infant cannot be explained the causes of pain, and emergency methods cannot relieve it as quickly as with external wounds and ulcers, which are sufficient to be treated with ointments, powders or sprays. The rinsing process up to a certainage is also incomprehensible to children. Therefore, it is necessary to treat ulcers with almost forcibly wrapped bandages and a finger dipped in medicine. Rarely is a procedure complete without a baby crying loudly.
Besides, the inability to eat properly brings additional difficulties. Especially breastfeeding. The demand for food, the pain of taking it and, as a result, malnutrition - all this aggravates stomatitis in infants, whose treatment is especially difficult. In addition to pain in the oral cavity, their lymph nodes may become inflamed and enlarged, which will additionally create problems in eating. In addition, fever, general malaise, lethargy and lethargy are often observed with stomatitis.
Stomatitis is mainly a childhood disease, and most often affects babies from one to five years old, until their immunity is strong. Infants, on the other hand, are protected by antibodies obtained from mother's milk, therefore they suffer from this disease less often. But since their mucosa is still thin and can be injured by any sharp-edged object in the mouth, even by their own fingers with uncircumcised nails, occasionally babies are also susceptible to disease.
Types and distinctive features of stomatitis
There are several causes of the disease. Depending on them, treatment is prescribed, the intake of certain drugs is prescribed. It is important to know exactly what type of stomatitis the child fell ill with, so as not to aggravate the disease with the use of the wrong medicines. Small children put everything in their mouth because of itchy gums inthe process of tooth growth. Therefore, parents consider the appearance of wounds in the baby's mouth as a result of infection through various unwashed objects. This is only partly true. So, for this reason, stomatitis may occur in a one-year-old child, the treatment of which is complicated due to the intensive growth of teeth at this age and the opening of the gums, where pathogens can easily enter. In total, there are several types of diseases. As well as the reasons for its occurrence. The following types of stomatitis are known:
- bacterial;
- aphthous;
- allergic;
- herpes;
- fungal.
Depending on the type, the sores themselves and the preparations for their treatment differ. As a rule, during the period of illness, the mucous membrane of the oral cavity itself is inflamed and covered with blisters and wounds. However, often, as in the case of herpes, one can observe stomatitis on the lip of a child. The treatment of external ulcers is more effective than internal ones, since they are easier to dry, and there is much less discomfort in the mouth. And because of that, the child tolerates the disease more calmly.
And this type of stomatitis, like allergic, which is not always manifested by the appearance of wounds and blisters in the mouth, can be characterized by severe reddening of the gums and tongue. If it is not identified in a timely manner and treatment is not started, it can develop into a fungal or bacterial infection. And their distinguishing features are painful wounds in the mouth. Each type of stomatitis has its own characteristics and a specific method of treatment.
Treatment of fungal stomatitis
Often they suffer from babies, as the causative agent of the disease is a fungus of the genus Candida transmitted in the process of feeding mother's milk. Sometimes this type of stomatitis is also called candidal by the name of the carrier spores. During the feeding period, an environment conducive to the development of infection occurs, and if it has already somehow entered the body, it develops very quickly. Fungal stomatitis in children, the treatment and course of the disease are somewhat different from most types of this disease, not with characteristic sores in the mouth, but with a pronounced white coating on the gums and tongue. Therefore, along with candidal and fungal, it is also called thrush.
But the process of the disease begins with a feeling of dryness, itching and a slight burning sensation in the mouth that the baby experiences. Parents may suspect something is wrong, focusing on feeding the child. Children under the age of one year more often than usual apply to the chest, trying to get rid of the itching, and those that are older, on the contrary, refuse to eat, especially hard and bitter. In infants, the color of plaque on the mucosa is more white, while in babies of three to five years it is mostly yellowish, in rare cases grayish. Having noticed these signs of stomatitis on the gums of a child, treatment should be started immediately, until the plaque has covered the entire oral cavity, as well as the outer corners of the lips. It is eliminated in two stages. The first is disinfection, the second is anesthesia.
The reproduction of fungal spores on the mucosa can be prevented by an alkaline environment in the oral cavity, which can be created at home. For this, baking soda, boric acid or blue is suitable.(methylene blue). Each preparation has its own formulation for the preparation of a rinse solution. And the number of plaque treatments depends on its density. It is enough for some to rinse their mouth two or three times a day, for others five or six. The course of treatment is ten days. Even with clear signs of relief from the disease, the use of solutions should not be interrupted until the plaque has completely disappeared. The doctor may prescribe other drugs suitable for treatment that give both a disinfectant and an analgesic effect. You should not buy them yourself at the pharmacy.
Almost SARS
In people with reduced immunity, not only in children, but also in adults, herpetic stomatitis - another type of disease - is not uncommon. It all starts with the appearance of herpes on the lips or in the nose, the bacteria of which easily enter the oral cavity and form small bubbles filled with liquid on the mucosa. The next stage of the disease is the appearance of ulcers at the site of burst bubbles. In addition, in children, ailment may be accompanied by fever, chills and dizziness that do not respond to antipyretic drugs. In many ways, the symptoms are similar to those observed with SARS. This indicates an already advanced form of ulcerative stomatitis in children. Treatment at home, especially a severe form of the disease, is difficult. Medical intervention needed.
In total, three stages of herpetic stomatitis are recognized: mild, moderate and severe. The lymph nodes are enlarged, the temperature is kept at the level of 38-39 degrees. Bubbles in the mouthresembling a rash, cover not only the gums, but also the perioral areas of the face, especially in severe forms of the disease. Nausea and vomiting are possible. The symptoms are similar to those of an acute respiratory infection, and even the treatment methods are similar, since they are based on the use of antiviral drugs. However, it is necessary to start with the disinfection of wounds and sores that corrode the mucous membrane by rinsing the mouth for one minute with infusion of chamomile or calendula. If children do not understand how to properly perform the procedure, they can simply hold the liquid in their mouth and then spit it out. Under no circumstances should you swallow it. Also, a mother or other adult with a bandage swab moistened in the prepared solution can wipe the oral cavity where there are ulcers. Further, stomatitis on the gums of a child, whose treatment begins with disinfection, is enhanced by the use of therapeutic agents: ointments, gels, sprays. They relieve pain and accelerate wound healing at the same time.
Single aphthaes
Unlike herpes, which begins with the appearance of bubbles similar to dense satiety, aphthous stomatitis is characterized by the appearance of one, less often two or three reddish aphthae on the gums and inner sides of the child's cheeks. It is very important to distinguish between these types of diseases, since different drugs must be used to treat them. And be sure to visit a pediatric dentist, who will determine the type of ailment, as well as prescribe the most effective medications. It is important to remember that the methods of treating stomatitis in a child of 5 years old differ from those used for babies of one or two years. Childrenolder people consciously perceive the meaning and features of procedures. They can rinse their mouths on their own, are more patient with ointments and gels. However, the drugs may be the same, since both of these groups of children belong to the same age category, unlike infants.
Afta are round-shaped deep wounds not whitish, but bright red. They are quite deep, but their bottom is not torn, as with herpes lesions, but even and smooth. With the development of the disease, they can become covered with a cloudy film. Aphthae are disinfected with a solution of blue or baking soda by spot application of a cotton swab soaked in the drug. It is important to prevent fluid from accumulating under the film, since its entry after the film breaks into the oral cavity, and then into the intestines, can complicate the course of the disease with fever, drowsiness, and refusal to eat. Effective treatment of stomatitis in children, along with cauterization of aft 5-6 times a day, gives the use of antiseptic and antimicrobial pharmaceutical preparations, as well as diet. Bitter, sour, spicy, as well as allergenic foods are excluded from the diet. Even foods such as honey, strawberries and chocolate should be avoided as they deepen aft.
Not contagious - allergic
A special kind of stomatitis is allergic. Its difference from the rest is that the causes, symptoms, and treatment are not like other varieties of this disease. Most often, it occurs as a reaction to medications, as well as foods that cause a rash and redness of the skin. This is hiskind of common allergy, only it manifests itself not with itching of the eyes or a profuse runny nose, as in most people prone to this phenomenon, but with swelling of the soft tissues of the mouth: tongue, gums, palate, inside of the cheeks and lips. Sometimes their swelling makes swallowing food and even breathing so difficult that it leads to hospitalization. The disease, although not contagious, like other types of illness, is quite dangerous. Having found swelling in the oral cavity, you should make sure that this is nothing more than allergic stomatitis in a child. The treatment of an ailment largely depends on its pathogens.
First of all, they need to be established, since in children, especially small ones, it is not so easy to identify what exactly an allergic reaction has occurred to. Having determined the drug or product, it should be completely excluded from use, and not only during the period of the disease, but also in the future, since a relapse can occur at any time. And even worse - the disease can go into a chronic stage. Quite often, in babies, in the presence of mechanical damage to the oral mucosa, wounds can form, which can aggravate the disease even more. In this case, the allergic species develops into another type of disease, for example, bacterial stomatitis in children. Treatment will be complicated by the fact that it will be necessary to apply a whole range of methods. Salvation from complications - timely detection of the disease.
From a scratch to stomatitis
The most common type of stomatitis is bacterial. It can affect children of all ages. To the appearance of a wound orsores in the oral cavity can cause any mechanical or thermal damage to the mucosa. A bite, a scratch on the gums or tongue, a burn of the palate - a small injury is enough for the disease to develop, especially if the baby neglects the rules of personal hygiene. If any kind of stomatitis occurs on the lip of a child, treatment is inevitable, but bacterial is both the most common and the most easily eliminated, because there are many effective pharmaceutical preparations to combat it. For every disease there is a cure. But it is not easy to treat a child, since it is not possible to establish immediately after birth what kind of reaction this or that medication can cause in him.
With bacterial stomatitis, you can use any antiseptic to rinse your mouth. It can be blue, and potassium permanganate, and chamomile decoction, and soda solution, and even strong tea, not to mention ready-made pharmaceutical preparations. After disinfection of the mucosal wound affected by ulcers, it can be treated with ointments, suspensions, sprays, as well as various oils (from rose hips or sea buckthorn), juices (kalanchoe or aloe). Many drugs are prepared at home, and they are no less effective than those produced in pharmaceutical factories. Therefore, we can say about bacterial stomatitis in children: its treatment is quite simple.
Pharmacy shelf
Knowing how folk remedies for getting rid of sores of stomatitis quickly and painlessly cope with the disease, doctors often prescribe them. In addition, the main preparations for disinfection - soda and potassium permanganate -there are in almost every home and are able to provide the earliest assistance in identifying an ailment. However, many parents trust pharmaceuticals. In the pharmacy you can find medicines for the treatment and healing of wounds resulting from all known types of pathogens. For the treatment of stomatitis in children, drugs are selected depending on the age of the child. Of course, it is also necessary to take into account the type of disease itself. Only in the section of antiseptics - a dozen effective drugs, among which the most popular:
- "Gexoral".
- "Miramistin".
- "Oracept".
- "Chlorhexidine".
In the pharmacy you can buy oak bark, sage and chamomile flowers, decoctions of which also quite effectively disinfect the oral cavity before applying ointments and gels intended for pain relief and healing of wounds to damaged areas of the mucous membrane. There are also quite a lot of them for the treatment of each type of stomatitis. So, with bactericidal in infants up to a year old, Kamistad gel will help. It is enough to apply it only three times a day. It is ideal for detecting stomatitis in a one-month-old baby. Treating a baby with this gel is the most effective method. But the gel "Cholisal" must be used very carefully. For children older than a year, it will help to treat wounds in the mouth and reduce fever. However, it cannot be used with other antipyretic drugs. Any of the antiseptic preparations should not be used for more than six days. If the disease is notpasses, it is necessary to change the method of treatment.
Granny's pantry
If the medications used do not give the expected effect, this may indicate a relapse of the disease. In this case, the use of sprays, as well as anesthetic gels and ointments, is prohibited, since their excess in the child's body can lead to heart failure. They can also complicate the functioning of the liver and kidneys. Such serious consequences can be caused by seemingly ordinary stomatitis in children. It is better to continue the treatment of the disease with the use of folk remedies. There are even more of them than the factory ones. In addition, many ingredients for preparing medicines at home can only be purchased at a pharmacy. So, as skeptics may think, they do not pose any danger, unless, of course, they are used correctly.
For rinsing or treating a mouth damaged by ulcers, a decoction of calendula or chamomile is well suited. It is able to relieve even the most acute stomatitis in children in a few days. Treatment begins with a decoction. Infused for 40 minutes in 200 mg of boiled water, only 30 g of dried flowers can kill any microbes if the mucosa is regularly treated with the resulting remedy. Infants who do not know how to rinse their mouths on their own are treated with gums, tongue, and the inside of the cheeks with a medicinal product by wiping with a gauze swab. An infusion can be obtained by filling the flowers with boiling water in a thermos. Verbena, bergenia, oak bark, sage also do a great job with stomatitis bacteria.
Rinse your mouth or rinse andafter drying the sores, you can proceed to the next stage of treatment. This is a treatment with vegetable oils: sea buckthorn, linseed, olive. Even peach will do. They effectively kill microbes, soften wounds, relieve itching and burning. In addition, they have excellent regenerative properties. Whether it is allergic or ulcerative stomatitis in children, treatment with folk remedies gives an excellent result. They do not contain chemicals and are made exclusively from herbal ingredients.
The best treatment is prevention
The main cause of stomatitis is low immunity. Therefore, along with treatment, it is important to strengthen the weak body of the child. But at the beginning of the disease, the first thing to do is to change the diet: exclude foods and drinks that can cause burning of the affected areas of the mucosa for the duration of the disease. Sour, spicy, bitter foods exacerbate irritation, fatty foods create a beneficial environment for the rapid reproduction of bacteria, and hard foods can re-damage the wounds in the mouth that have healed. It is good at this time to eat cereals, soups, boiled vegetables and fruits mashed in a blender, which contain a lot of vitamin C. These include carrots, apples, peaches, pumpkins, sweet peppers, fresh cabbage. Useful boiled eggs, fish, chicken fillet. Rinse your mouth after every meal.
Hygiene is important. It is necessary to brush your teeth regularly, wash your hands, and not only before eating, but every one and a half to two hours. Small children put everything in their mouths, so household items, rubber and plastic toysshould also be disinfected frequently. And remove the soft ones away for a while, since there are many times more microbes on them than on the rest. Compliance with all of the above preventive measures will protect the child better than drugs and will not lead to such lesions, as shown above, in the photo of stomatitis on the tongue. In children, treatment takes longer, unlike adults, whose immunity is strong enough and able to quickly cope with the disease. This should be remembered and from a very early age to temper the weak body of the child.
