Do mouth allergies even exist? The pathological immune response of the body complicates the life of many people. Allergies can be triggered by a variety of factors. This condition is characterized by a feeling of discomfort, external changes, pain. Allergies in the oral cavity cause particular inconvenience, but, in addition, they can be a serious threat to life.
What can be an allergic reaction in the mouth
We are talking about the increased sensitivity of the body to various substances against the background of changes in the reactivity of the immune system. Allergy in the mouth has a variety of clinical forms. This disease can proceed in different ways, which means that there may also be several treatment options.
Conventionally, any allergic reactions, the manifestations of which are found in the oral cavity, are divided into two categories. The first includes dangerous, life-threatening reactions of the immediate type, the second - delayed development allergies.
The most dangerous types of allergies
Anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema are complex reactions of the body,requiring immediate medical attention. Anyone who doubts whether there can be an allergy in the mouth should first of all understand what consequences anaphylaxis or angioedema can lead to. And although this degree of reaction occurs quite rarely, its manifestations are mainly localized in the face and oral cavity.
Quincke's edema develops in a few minutes, and the disease manifests itself immediately after the provoking allergen enters the body. Exotic foods, medicines used for internal and external treatment are capable of provoking life-threatening edema. Quincke's edema can be recognized not only by rapid progression, but also by external symptoms. Allergy in the mouth involves the accumulation of exudative fluid in the connective tissue of the lips, the mucous membrane of the tongue, and the larynx. The puffiness itself is elastic, but the tissues in the edema zone become very tense, swell and become immobile. The reaction can be observed within a few hours or days, but then disappears without a trace without any intervention.
Delayed immune response
This type of allergy is developing at a slower pace. What do the symptoms of an allergy in the mouth look like? (see photo above)? As a rule, it is manifested by contact stomatitis and toxic-allergic drug lesions of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity of a focal and general nature.
Anything can be the cause of this type of allergic reaction. Most often occurs due to wearinguncomfortable and unsuitable prostheses, the use of medical dressings and applications. For example, chemicals, medicines, cosmetics, synthetic or organic materials of prostheses (plastic, metal, amalgam) are capable of provoking stomatitis. Similar symptoms in the oral cavity can occur with syphilis, mycotic, parasitic lesions, and other infectious diseases.
Delayed-type allergy is externally manifested by catarrhal-hemorrhagic or vesicular-erosive changes in the mucosa. A severe form of pathology is considered necrotic ulcerative stomatitis, exudative erythema, chronic recurrent aphthous stomatitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, etc.
Pathology on the lips
Reactions localized in the oral cavity include cheilitis. Often this disease does not occur on its own, but is only part of an allergic symptom complex. With cheilitis, which has arisen due to exposure to a provoking factor, swelling of the lips appears on the outside or inside, ulcers, a blistering rash, and peeling may appear. The skin on the lips with allergies itches and cracks, which is accompanied by unpleasant painful sensations. Patients experience discomfort when eating, talking, smiling. Allergic cheilitis is often diagnosed in smokers and lovers of invasive cosmetic procedures.
Internal lesions of the oral cavity
Allergy in the oral cavity on the tongue is manifested by inflammation of the soft tissues, which is called glossitis. If the pathology is caused by an allergic factor,the surface of the tongue will be dry and smooth, and teeth marks will be visible on it.
Rarely enough, the immune response leads to damage to the gums, but in severe pathology, inflammatory processes also affect this part of the oral cavity. Due to an allergic reaction, gingivitis develops. Inflammation does not affect the integrity of the dental ligaments and periodontal joints. The pathological process takes place directly in the gum. Usually gingivitis is a consequence of the activity of pathogenic microflora that accumulates in the gum pocket along with plaque, but in some cases gum inflammation can be of an allergic nature. It is necessary to treat the disease with local and systemic drugs.
A pathological process against the background of an allergic reaction of the body can develop in the soft and hard palate. This phenomenon is called contact palatinitis. It occurs, as a rule, after recent dental procedures, as a reaction to filling material containing silver amalgam, metal, acrylic or plastic prostheses. Moreover, a noticeable allergy in the mouth does not become immediately, but after a few days. Palatinitis is manifested by swelling, hyperemia of the upper palate, hemorrhage, punctate erosions.
What causes an allergic reaction in the mouth?
In an adult, stomatitis, gingivitis, palatinitis, cheilitis and other manifestations develop, as a rule, not due to a food allergic reaction. Usually pathology is caused by other factors:
- individual intolerance to fillingmaterials, crowns and prostheses;
- use of various mouthwashes, toothpastes;
- use of sulfa and antibacterial drugs;
- playing musical wind instruments;
- presence of carious foci;
- bleeding gums, inflammation.
Before making a diagnosis, it is necessary to differentiate a number of diseases with allergies in the mouth. In the photo, the symptoms may not differ, but some diseases have other specific symptoms. Rashes in the mouth can appear with Lyme disease, lupus erythematosus, bronchial asthma, functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine diseases.
Features of allergies in children
Unlike adults, stomatitis in children is a common reaction of the body to food. Ulcers can also occur due to contact with plant pollen, taking medications. Allergies in the mouth of a child often occur after playing with pets, as children often put unwashed hands in their mouths. It should also be taken into account that in children, as in adults, filling material can cause allergies.
The course of allergic stomatitis in children is associated with a number of features. Due to an immature and deficient immune system, the disease usually manifests itself in a more severe form. Often a child is brought to the doctor already with an advanced form of stomatitis, because parents underestimate the danger of small sores in the mouth, and some do not assume that they can be a symptom.allergic reaction.
In children, an allergy in the oral cavity often occurs with a complication due to the addition of a secondary infection. The mucous membrane of a child is thin and sensitive, bleeding cracks quickly appear on it - ways for pathogens to enter. The difficulty lies in the treatment of allergies to the oral mucosa, since it is quite difficult to choose effective and at the same time safe drugs for a child.
Symptoms of contact stomatitis
As already noted, allergic stomatitis is the most common form of damage to the oral mucosa. What does an allergy look like in the mouth? Outwardly, such stomatitis is not much different from aphthous: painful reddish sores form on the surface of the mucosa. Patients experience severe burning, itching, pain when touching the wound with the tongue, eating. However, the general condition usually does not suffer.
During the examination, the dentist notices hyperemia and swelling of the mucosa, on the lateral surface of the tongue and cheeks, the imprints of the teeth are visually visible. With allergic stomatitis, the tongue may become inflamed in patients, sometimes the papillae are hypertrophied. In parallel with stomatitis, catarrhal gingivitis often occurs.
Before making a diagnosis, the doctor makes a differential diagnosis with diseases that may be accompanied by similar symptoms:
- chronic gastrointestinal diseases;
- avitaminosis (with a deficiency of vitamins B and C);
- endocrine pathologies;
- sugardiabetes;
- oral candidiasis.
In what form can it leak
Signs of an allergy in the mouth depend on the type of stomatitis. The disease can occur in different forms, for example:
- catarrhal - the inflammatory process affects only the surface of the mucous membrane;
- catarrhagic-hemorrhagic - in addition to superficial inflammation, there are small foci of hemorrhage;
- bullous - accompanied by swelling on the mucous surfaces and the formation of bubbles;
- erosive - erosions form in place of opening bubbles;
- ulcerative necrotic - the most severe type of stomatitis, in which the tissues of the affected areas die off.
Allergic stomatitis can progress very quickly or develop within a few days. There may be no manifestations of allergies in the oral cavity at all during the first few days. If during this time it is possible to eliminate the allergen, a pathological reaction may not occur.
Additional features
Sometimes an allergic reaction in the mouth manifests itself in a special way. Instead of stomatitis and its typical manifestations, dry mouth may develop. An allergy of the catarrhal or catarrhal-hemorrhagic form is also manifested by uncomfortable sensations and a feeling of pain while eating, a dulling of the taste reaction.
If you pay attention to the tongue of the patient, then with a catarrhal form of allergy, its surface shines, and with hemorrhagic it becomes moredark and dull due to hemorrhages in the structure of the mucous layer. If as a result of contact with the allergen in the mouth bubbles form on the mucous membrane, this means that the pathology is progressing and has turned into a bullous form. The main symptom of erosive stomatitis with fibrinous coating is the appearance of painful sores that resemble blisters, which after a while merge into one large erosive focus. Against the background of the development of the disease, the patient's general well-being may significantly worsen, weakness will occur, body temperature will rise and appetite will disappear.
The most dangerous form of allergic stomatitis is ulcerative necrotic. If you do not take any measures to treat the disease, the likelihood of its development is especially high. In the ulcerative-necrotic form, a strong reddening of the mucosal surface occurs, many ulcerative erosions and necrotic foci with a dense fibrous coating of a grayish-yellow hue form on it. The patient experiences severe unbearable pain during a conversation or eating, intense salivation is noted. This form of allergic stomatitis may be accompanied by an increase in body temperature to subfebrile values, swollen lymph nodes under the jaw and behind the ears, headache and dizziness.
How to treat oral allergies
Each of the forms of stomatitis has not only specific symptoms, but also a special treatment strategy. All types of this disease can lead to the development of serious disorders in the functioning of the nervous system. The patient becomes tenseirritable, emotionally unstable, insomnia occurs, carcinophobia appears (fear of getting cancer).
Depending on the cause of the allergy to the oral mucosa, a treatment plan is determined. First of all, with allergic stomatitis, it is necessary to eliminate the allergen, which provokes a pathological reaction of the body. In addition, it is important to create a he althy hypoallergenic diet and stop taking medications that cause unpleasant symptoms. Instead, you will have to take antihistamines and immunomodulators. An important role in the treatment of allergies in the mouth is played by the right choice of toothpaste and rinse.
To cure mouth ulcers, the patient is prescribed the following medicines:
- antiallergic drugs ("Loratadine", "Chloropyramine", "Suprastin" and others);
- vitamin-mineral complexes containing folic acid;
- local anesthetic sprays and gels for irrigation of the oral cavity (Gexoral, Lidocaine Asept, Instillagel, Kamistad);
- antiseptics for local treatment of affected areas of the mucosa ("Chlorhexidine", "Miramistin", "Furacilin").
Simultaneously with these drugs, other medicines may be prescribed to treat the underlying disease, against which an allergic reaction has developed. Sea buckthorn oil helps a lot - this natural remedy is used without any contraindications even for children.
When an allergy occurs in the mouthcavity, it is necessary to consult a dentist. If the cause of the pathological reaction was filling material, dental implants or braces, they cannot be eliminated or replaced.
Preparations for children, home remedies
If the doctor is convinced that the child really has an allergic reaction, he will also be prescribed antihistamines (according to age and the absence of contraindications), vitamins and local painkillers. For the treatment of allergies in children in the mouth is suitable:
- "Kalgel" with lidocaine and cetylpyridinium chloride in the composition.
- Dentol Baby is an analgesic with benzocaine.
- "Dentinoks" based on chamomile and lidocaine.
Also, children and adults are encouraged to use folk remedies. Aloe juice will help relieve inflammation and prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microflora - they treat the affected areas. For the same purpose, raw potato gruel is used, and cabbage juice diluted with water is rinsed in the mouth to eliminate itching. Another effective remedy is a solution with hydrogen peroxide, which is prepared as follows: take 1 tsp for one glass of boiled water. hydrogen peroxide. With allergic stomatitis, you can also make applications with propolis tincture, decoction of chamomile and oak bark.
Prevention
If you start treatment in a timely manner and prevent the development of complications, you can cope with allergies in a week. To prevent its occurrence, it is important to pay attention to hygiene and sanitation of the oral cavity, change orthodontic constructions, fillings,prostheses and approach their choice taking into account the individual characteristics of the body, give preference to hypoallergenic safe materials.
