"Stoma" means "mouth" in Greek. That is, all medical terms in which this Greek word is present are associated with the human oral cavity. In particular, stomatitis is a group of diseases characterized by inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes in the mouth. There are different types of stomatitis, depending on the causes that caused it. Most species have similar symptoms, so many people who are faced with this disease and self-medicate do not even suspect that their actions do not have any therapeutic effect, but only drive the disease into the body. In this article we will try to figure out how to find out what type of stomatitis is taking place, how to get rid of it and what preventive measures exist so that this disease never appears at all.
How stomatitis develops
The human oral cavity is lined with a mucous membrane, so named because it constantlycovered with mucus secreted by epithelial cells. In a he althy state, it is pink in color, without edema, infiltrates and ulcers. For various reasons, foci of inflammation may appear on the mucosa. This is stomatitis. The types and treatment of the disease are already well known. But the mechanism of development of stomatitis is still being studied. The main version of scientists is that inflammatory processes in the mouth in humans are the response of the immune system to unfamiliar particles (cells, molecules). When they are detected, lymphocytes begin to be intensively produced. They pounce on unidentified substances to deal with them. The result of the active actions of the defenders of the body are ulcers of the mucous membrane, that is, stomatitis. It can be both an independent disease and a sign of another disease. That is why it is so important to know what types of stomatitis are, what causes them, what are the characteristics and consequences of each of them.
Reasons
Stomatitis can occur for dozens of different reasons, each of which leads to the penetration of foreign substances into the body. In medicine they are called irritants. They can be:
- smoking;
- pathogenic microorganisms (viruses, fungi, bacteria);
- medicines;
- overabundance or lack of vitamins;
- hormonal disruptions in the body (age-related, during pregnancy, from taking birth control pills).
- sodium lauryl sulfate (found in dentifrice and oral care products, helps produce rich foam).
Some types of stomatitis are caused by injuries of the oral cavity of a different nature:
- mechanical (cuts, bites, impact);
- thermal (most often from too hot food);
- chemical (poisonous substances entering the mouth);
- rubbing dentures.
There are types of stomatitis, in which inflammatory foci on the gums, mucous membranes, tongue, larynx act as one of the symptoms of diseases of internal organs - the thyroid gland, gastrointestinal tract, blood, heart and blood vessels, nervous system, connective tissues. Stomatitis can occur in HIV-infected people who have cancerous tumors on the face, nose, throat, mouth, neck, in patients whose condition is accompanied by dehydration, with anemia, with poor nutrition.
And finally, a common cause of stomatitis is improper hygiene of the teeth and oral cavity, and both its deficiency and excess are harmful, when people brush their teeth many times a day or rinse their mouth with drugs that reduce saliva.
Types of stomatitis in children
Based on the above reasons, we can say that stomatitis in adults and babies can have the same etiology (for example, viral, microbial, drug), or different. In particular, children do not have inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth from smoking or from improperly made dentures. But due to the fact that babies pull everything into their mouths - pens, toys, various objects, inflammatory processes in the oral cavity occur most often. The following types are diagnosedstomatitis in children:
- traumatic;
- infectious;
- allergic;
- aphthous;
- angular;
- vesicular;
- Candidiasis;
- catarrhal;
- pellagrozny (with vitamin PP deficiency);
- scorbutic (for vitamin C deficiency);
- herpetic.
Classification of types of stomatitis in adults
In people over 18, inflammation in the mouth is mainly due to insufficient immunity. For example, almost half of humanity smokes, and only 1 out of 100 smokers develop stomatitis. Another common cause of the development of the disease in adults is their labor activity associated with hazardous industries.
According to medical statistics, people over the age of 18 are most often diagnosed with the following types of stomatitis:
- traumatic;
- aphthous;
- infectious;
- Vincent (ulcer-necrotic, trench);
- gangrenous;
- from intoxication with s alts of heavy metals (bismuth, lead, mercury);
- scorbutic (similar to scorbutic);
- diffuse erythematous;
- beam;
- nicotine;
- medication;
- professional.
But such types of stomatitis as candidal, herpetic, angular, are rare in adults.
Candidiasis stomatitis
From the name you can guess what causes the Candida fungus. In the people this disease is moreknown as thrush because its main symptom is a white coating on the mucous membranes in the mouth, on the tongue, and sometimes on the gums and larynx.
Candidiasis, and with it infectious, are the most common types of stomatitis in children. The photo shows what the oral cavity of babies looks like when the mucous membranes are affected by the Candida fungus. In addition to white plaque, symptoms of candidal stomatitis are:
- hyperemia of mucous membranes;
- pain when chewing and even when talking;
- in children - capriciousness, refusal to eat, anxiety;
- in adults - a change in taste, bleeding of affected areas when plaque is removed;
- dryness and burning in the mouth.
Babies can become infected with Candida from sick children through unwashed toys, from a sick mother while feeding. Very often, candidal stomatitis is observed in premature newborns. Adults acquire this disease as a concomitant with diabetes mellitus, problems with the digestive tract, dysbacteriosis, HIV infection, Sjögren's syndrome, pregnancy, antibiotics, and lack of hygiene. In general, the Candida fungus is constantly present in the mouth, but it begins to manifest itself pathogenically with a decrease in immunity.
Treatment of candidal stomatitis is based on the strictest oral hygiene, and for infants - additionally on careful processing of the mother's nipples, toys, nipples. In addition to hygiene, the treatment of the disease in children includes the treatment of the oral cavity with antiseptics and antimycotic drugs, and in adults, takingantibiotics and mouthwash with antiseptic solutions.
Infectious (viral) types of stomatitis in children, photo, treatment
This group includes not only thrush, but any inflammation in the oral cavity caused by the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the mucous membranes. In particular, viral stomatitis is brought to us by viruses, and not necessarily parasitic in the mouth. They can affect any other organ, and viral stomatitis manifests itself as a complication of the underlying disease. The most common in this group is herpetic stomatitis. It is caused by the herpes virus. Children in 100% of cases get it from adults (when kissing, licking a nipple, a spoon before putting it in a child's mouth, and so on). On Earth, 9 out of 10 people are carriers of herpes, so it is easy to imagine how often children become infected with it from adults.
Visual symptoms of herpes infection can be not only in the mouth, but also on the face. External signs of the disease, in addition to herpetic, also have angular (formation of seizure) and vesicular types of stomatitis in children. The photo shows what kind of rashes form in the oral-nasal region when infected with herpes. Other symptoms of the disease:
- deterioration of well-being;
- temperature;
- hyperemia and soreness of the mucous membranes in the mouth;
- the appearance on the mucous membranes, as well as on the gums, less often on the tongue of fluid-filled bubbles that burst with the formation of small erosions.
An important feature of herpes is that once it penetrates the human body, itnothing comes out of there, but, let's say there, he lives quietly, not showing himself in any way. In these cases, they talk about the chronic course of the disease, which makes itself felt every time with stress, beriberi, infections, injuries, hypothermia. Treatment of the acute form of herpetic stomatitis is carried out according to the symptoms and includes taking anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, treating the oral cavity with antiseptics, drinking plenty of water, removing toxins. In the chronic form of the disease, the main method of treatment is prevention. It consists in hardening the body, eating vitamin-containing foods, the correct daily routine.
Angular stomatitis is caused by allergic reactions to certain foods and antibiotics that cause an imbalance in the microflora in the mouth. The treatment is carried out locally (the seizures are treated with antiseptics and keratoplasty). If an allergic cause of the jam is established, it is important to eliminate unacceptable foods from the diet, and then restore the microflora in the oral cavity.
Vesicular stomatitis
There are non-dangerous and quite contagious types of stomatitis in children. Treatment in these cases should be accompanied by isolation of the sick child. Allergic stomatitis can be attributed to non-contagious, and vesicular stomatitis to the most pathogenic. This disease is caused by Picornaviridae viruses, which are able to persist in the environment for a long time. Children are more likely to suffer from vesicular stomatitis, although it also occurs in adults who do not observe hygiene. Characteristic symptoms:
-rash on arms, legs, mouth, sometimes genitals and buttocks;
- temperature;
- nausea, sometimes with vomiting;
- irritability, fatigue;
- loss of appetite;
- itching of rashes (characteristic of the disease in adults);
- blisters and painful sores.
Treatment is carried out by the following methods:
- taking painkillers and antivirals;
- antiseptic treatment of rashes in the mouth;
- treatment of external rashes with brilliant green;
- vitamin therapy.
There are other types of stomatitis caused by viruses. The photo shows what influenza stomatitis looks like, which, by the nature of the course, can manifest itself as catarrhal, aphthous, ulcerative or ulcerative necrosis stomatitis. Foci of inflammation in this complication of influenza appear on the palate, gums, inner surfaces of the cheeks, less often on the tongue, and not only at the stage of the acute form of the disease, but also during the recovery period and even after it. Treatment methods for influenza stomatitis depend on the form in which it manifested itself. So, catarrhal requires local therapy, and aphthous, along with the treatment of foci of inflammation and general therapy. With chickenpox in children, blisters may appear not only on the skin, but also on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity.
Aphthous stomatitis
The name is also associated with the Greek language, in which mouth ulcers sound something like "aphthae". The reasons for their appearance may be:
- mucosal injurymouth;
- diseases of some internal organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract;
- plaque;
- caries;
- gum disease;
- beriberi;
-heredity.
There are two types of aphthous stomatitis - acute, which occurs when an infection enters the body, and chronic, which manifests itself when a person experiences stress, fatigue, and immunity decreases. However, during periods of remission, this is perhaps the only type of stomatitis that does not hurt. In other cases, inflammation of the mucosa always causes pain of varying intensity.
The main symptom of aphthous stomatitis is a small reddish swelling on the mucosa, painful when pressed with the tongue. A day later, less often after two, an ulcer appears in this place, whitish in the center. Around it, the mucous membrane is inflamed and very painful. Without taking action, aphthae can grow in size and cause quite tangible suffering to a person.
Treatment of this disease is carried out in a complex:
- the use of external antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs (rinses, applications);
- a diet that excludes acute, s alty, sour ulcers;
- according to indications, taking antipyretic drugs, painkillers, antiallergic drugs;
- strengthening immunity.
Traditional medicine advises rinsing with decoctions of calendula, chamomile, a solution of baking soda and lubricating aphthae with sea buckthorn or rosehip oil.
Traumatic stomatitis
Of course, it is important to know how to determine the type of stomatitis. But in the case of traumatic parents, it is even more important to find out the reason why it developed. In babies, mouth injuries most often occur when sucking fingers with uncircumcised (and, in addition, dirty) nails, sharp-edged objects, bruised lips or cheeks. There are cases when, in very small children, hypertrophic foci in the mouth appear from too long sucking on pacifiers of an uncomfortable shape or of poor quality. In older children, traumatic stomatitis can occur from malocclusion, when the teeth touch the inner surface of the cheeks when chewing or talking, from too hot food, from trying inedible objects and substances on the tooth.
The pathogenesis of traumatic stomatitis is as follows: a slight hyperemia (swelling, redness) appears in the oral cavity, then a rather painful erosion opens in this place. Its center may be red or have a whitish coating, the edges are usually surrounded by an inflamed infiltrate. Without treatment, erosion becomes an open gate for thousands of microorganisms that are always present in the human mouth. As a result, purulent ulcers appear, and in some cases tissue necrosis begins. In babies, the symptoms of the onset of traumatic stomatitis are refusal to eat, a tearful mood, then a high temperature appears, and in severe cases, signs of intoxication.
People over 18 rarely suck their fingers and pull inedible objects into their mouths, but they can also injure mucous membranes, for example, whenperforming medical manipulations by a dentist.
In addition, ulcers with inflamed infiltration of nearby tissues cause other types of stomatitis in adults. The photo shows what an ulcer looks like with radiation stomatitis.
In order not to make a mistake with the diagnosis, additional studies are carried out, excluding diseases such as syphilis, tuberculosis, Vincent's stomatitis, the presence of trophic ulcers.
Treatment of traumatic stomatitis begins with the elimination of the traumatic factor. Further therapy is performed in the following sequence:
1. Antiseptic treatment (rinsing with decoctions of herbs, Chlorhexidine, baking soda solution).
2. Applying one of the preparations to the erosion: "Iodinol", "Fukortsin", "Ingalipt".
3. Applications of medicines on inflamed areas to relieve pain.
4. If necessary, sanitation of teeth and taking medications that promote epithelization.
Professional stomatitis
Whatever type of stomatitis we consider, it can be diagnosed in people of any age. This also applies to thrush - a disease of infants, which the elderly often suffer from, and infectious stomatitis, and allergic, and aphthous, even leukemic (observed with leukemia) and medication. But there are such types of stomatitis in adults that are associated with the peculiarities of work. In children, if they happen, then in the rarest cases. We are talking about inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth in case of poisoning with harmful substances. This happens ifa person works where it is very dusty, where one has to deal with s alts of heavy metals or with radioactive substances. So, with mercury stomatitis, grayish pigmentation appears on the mucous membranes (usually on the gums), and after necrosis, not only tissues on the gums, but also on the tongue and buccal mucosa. With lead stomatitis, there is a strong hyperemia of the mucous membranes, gray spots appear on the gums. With bismuth stomatitis, pigmentation of the gums is also observed, only in this case it has a characteristic blue-black border. In addition to all these symptoms, patients have signs of intoxication - weakness, headache, disorder of the digestive tract. Nicotinic stomatitis can also be attributed to the disease of adults. Treatment consists in removing harmful substances from the body. At the same time, patients are given anesthesia, washing and treatment of mucous membranes with antiseptics, and for ulcers, drugs are prescribed to help restore epithelial tissue.
