No child has ever grown up without a runny nose. This symptom accompanies many diseases: viral, bacterial, allergic. Only a doctor can determine the cause of thick mucus in the nose. If you have a runny nose, you should contact an otolaryngologist or pediatrician. If this is not done on time, then acute adenoiditis may develop in a child. Today's article will tell you about this disease, as well as tell you how to treat it.
Acute adenoiditis in a child
Adenoiditis is an inflammation of the lymphoid tissue located in the throat. The nasopharyngeal tonsil normally does not cause inconvenience to a person. Some people don't even know it exists. Lymphoid tissue is a barrier to infection. It is with it that viruses, bacteria and allergens first of all face. The tonsil, located in the nasopharynx, prevents the infection from getting deeper, taking the brunt of it. Frequentdiseases provoke the growth of lymphoid tissue, resulting in acute adenoiditis. In a child aged 2 to 10 years, this pathology is much more common than in older children or newborn babies.
The acute course of the disease requires timely and correct treatment. Otherwise, adenoiditis can become chronic. Such an ailment is much more difficult to cure. It is important to notice the signs of the disease in time and show the child to the otorhinolaryngologist. Consider how acute adenoiditis manifests itself in a child.
Symptoms of the disease
The nature of the symptoms of the disease in each patient may be different. The more often the body has to deal with infections, the higher the likelihood of a severe pathology. Acute adenoiditis in children may have the following symptoms:
- an increase in body temperature (appears due to the body's struggle with pathogenic microorganisms and due to the release of toxins);
- purulent, mucous and thick nasal discharge;
- feeling of a lump in the larynx, a foreign body (occurs due to the accumulation of thick mucus and its flow down the back of the throat);
- swelling and congestion of the nasal passages;
- twang and snoring (during sleep, breathing is heavy and shallow, mostly through the mouth);
- hearing loss due to stuffy ears (pain in the ears may occur when complicated by otitis media);
- debilitating unproductive morning cough (appears due to irritation of the larynx with thick mucus);
- sore throat, tickle(the infection can switch to the pharyngeal tonsils, then we are talking about a complication of tonsillitis);
- adenoid face (appears with a long-term illness, the child's mouth is open and the oval of the face is extended).
Patients with acute adenoiditis may have several symptoms. Often there are cases when parents go to the doctor with a complaint of a long-term squelching nose, poor sleep, and a violation of normal breathing. But still, he makes him show the baby to Laura, the temperature, which has risen quite suddenly.
What does the doctor see?
Before treating acute adenoiditis in a child, it is necessary to establish the stage of the disease. To do this, the doctor asks the patient about the disturbing signs and performs an independent examination. Inflamed tonsils can be examined through the nose or mouth. There are several forms of acute illness:
- tonsils cover only the upper part of the nasal septum;
- adenoids have grown on 2/3 of the vomer;
- lymphoid tissue covers almost the entire bony septum.
Note that the higher the stage of the disease, the more pronounced its symptoms. It is quite simple to treat mild forms, but few people seek medical help at that moment. Many mothers and fathers try to eliminate a runny nose on their own. As a result, the healed child feels worse, and the hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal tonsils becomes more pronounced.
Conservative or surgical treatment?
Each parent faced with the described problem, the question arises of how to treat acute adenoiditis in a child. 4-year-old children often undergo surgery. The procedure is called adenotomy. Why at this age?
As statistics show, children start attending preschool institutions from 2-3 years old. During this period, a small organism has to deal with a large number of viruses and bacteria. Before the baby had time to recover from the previous illness, the snot flowed again. All this provokes the growth of lymphoid tissue. By the age of four, in many children, the nasopharyngeal tonsils reach such a size that the children cannot breathe normally. They are forced to receive oxygen by breathing through the mouth, which negatively affects the work of all organs and systems. At this point, the doctor informs that it is necessary to remove the overgrown tissue. It is worth noting that this does not always lead to the complete elimination of the problem, because the body loses its protective barrier. Now pathogens can easily descend into the lower respiratory tract. In addition, in many children, the nasopharyngeal tonsils grow again after some time. Doctors consider surgery a last resort. In front of her, doctors are trying to cure the disease with conservative methods.
Rinse the nose and relieve swelling
What to do if there is an acute purulent adenoiditis in a child? Treatment should begin with cleansing the inflamed tonsils. Lymphoid tissue secretes a thick secret, in whichbacteria multiply rapidly. For productive treatment, they must be eliminated. With the help of simple manipulations, wash off pathogenic microorganisms from the nasopharyngeal tonsils. Now in the pharmacy you can buy a lot of drugs and devices for this: "Dolphin", "Rinostop", "Aquamaris" and so on. You can use saline or make your own saline concentrate. It is not recommended to rinse the nose of a child with otitis media.
The second step in the treatment of adenoiditis is the removal of edema. You can use vasoconstrictor drops or sprays: Otrivin, Nazivin, Vibrocil. It is necessary to introduce them into the nose of the child in a dose strictly prescribed by the instructions and not more than 3-5 days. Often parents are faced with the fact that such funds do not help. In such cases, doctors prescribe corticosteroid formulations: Avamys, Nasonex, and others. All of them are designed to relieve swelling, reduce inflammation and make breathing easier for the child. A specialist can prescribe the medicine "Rinofluimucil" to a small patient. This spray helps loosen thick mucus and help it get out quickly.
Use of antibiotics
Do I need antimicrobial agents for acute adenoiditis? In most cases, such drugs are necessary. Pathology is accompanied by the formation of a purulent secret, in which bacteria colonies grow rapidly. Medicines that eliminate them are prescribed in the form of nasal drops and sprays, as well as drugs for oral administration. In acute adenoiditis, preference is given to the penicillin series. If athere is no high temperature, and the disease appeared a long time ago, then macrolides are prescribed.
Antimicrobials and antiseptics can be injected into the nose. Isofra and Protorgol are very popular. The first drug fights bacteria, and the second has an antiseptic effect. Older children are assigned "Polydex". This medicine contains phenylephrine. This component facilitates breathing, relieving swelling, itching. If adenoiditis is complicated by otitis, then antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs are injected into the ears. Doctors prescribe Otipax, Otinum, Dioxidin, Otofu.
Immunomodulators and restoratives
You already have some idea of what is the treatment of acute adenoiditis in children. The most commonly used drugs in otorhinolaryngology are announced for you. Also, doctors recommend that young patients with hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal tonsils take vitamin complexes aimed at increasing immunity. Appropriate drugs may also be prescribed, for example, Likopid, Interferon. The nasal spray "Irs-19" is in great demand. It increases the body's resistance, promotes rapid recovery.
Acute adenoiditis in children: Komarovsky advises
Yevgeny Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician in many countries, recommends following the regimen during the treatment of adenoiditis. The doctor says that surrounding the child with normal comfortable conditions is a 50% recovery. Hypertrophy and inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tonsilinvolves constant moisturizing of the nasal passages. The air in the room where the patient is located should be sufficiently humid and cool. The pediatrician says that it is imperative to walk with a sick baby for at least 2-3 hours a day (except when the baby has a fever). Komarovsky advises to drink more. In the absence of appetite, do not force the child to eat by force. Provide the patient with peace and positive emotions. The pediatrician advises the use of antipyretic drugs only in cases where the body temperature rises to 38.5 degrees.
Summarize
You became aware of what constitutes acute adenoiditis in children. Symptoms and treatment of pathology are presented to your attention. All medicines should be prescribed to the child only by a specialist. Don't think you can fix the problem on your own. Believe me, acute adenoiditis is much easier to cure than to eliminate the chronic stage of the disease. All the best!