In this article, we will look at why inflammation of the salivary gland occurs in a child.
Everyone in the body has three pairs of major salivary glands, namely the parotid, sublingual, submandibular, and many others, grouped on the tongue, lips, palate and inside of the cheeks. At first glance, it seems to many that the salivary glands play a secondary role for he alth, and their diseases are not dangerous at all, so you should not even pay attention to them. But this is a delusion, since the normal functioning of this system ensures the he alth of the oral cavity.
Salivary glands play an important role in digestion, mineral and protein metabolism, and speaking. Thus, any problem with these glands can be insidious.source of hazardous he alth effects. Next, let's talk about inflammation of the salivary glands in children, find out what symptoms accompany this disease, and also find out what factors influence its development. In addition, we will find out how the diagnosis and treatment of pathology is currently carried out.
Salivary glands in children
The production of saliva occurs in babies immediately after their birth. In newborns, as a rule, about 6 milliliters of saliva per hour are secreted, and production can even increase directly with active sucking. As children grow, their total saliva production increases.
Features
In newborns, the salivary glands have some features, which largely determines the presence of a predisposition to the development of diseases:
- Low secretory capacity.
- In babies in different age periods, the production of either thick and viscous saliva or liquid is noted. Such processes can replace each other several times.
Any ailments of the salivary glands in children are represented by pathological processes, whether it be mumps or sialadenitis, systemic diseases, tumors or injuries.
So, let's move on to the main reasons that provoke the occurrence of this disease in children.
Causes of inflammation in children
Doctors identify four main causes of inflammation of the salivary glands in children:
- Presence of a viral infection or bacteria. Airborneway the causative agent of the disease penetrates into the child's body, which leads to a significant increase in the size of the glands, and in addition, to painful inflammation. An example is mumps, a disease often diagnosed in young children.
- Due to obstruction of the salivary duct. Something similar occurs when it is injured or damaged, as well as in the case of the development of such an ailment as sialolithiasis.
- Due to poor oral hygiene. Irregular visits to the dentist, along with poor-quality teeth cleaning, can lead to the fact that the salivary ducts in a child become a kind of “gateway” for various infections.
- Consequences of complications. Sialoadenitis can form after a surgical intervention or against the background of diseases such as pneumonia, typhoid, encephalitis, or due to all kinds of poisoning.
Primary inflammation of the salivary glands in children is usually caused by infections, and secondary by fungi or bacteria. The ways of infection penetration are very different: through the salivary ducts, lymph or through the blood.
Now let's talk about the symptoms of inflammation of the salivary glands in a child and find out how the described disease manifests itself.
Symptoms of the disease
Regardless of which particular salivary gland in a child becomes inflamed, sialadenitis can be characterized by the following symptoms:
- Severely dry mouth due to reduced saliva production.
- The occurrence of pain of a shooting nature, which can be felt directly in the area of infection. At the same time, pain can radiate to the ears or mouth.
- The appearance of discomfort and pain when opening the mouth, and, in addition, while chewing food and swallowing food. Symptoms of inflammation of the salivary glands in children should not go unnoticed.
- The occurrence of hyperemia of the area of the affected salivary gland along with reddening of the skin.
- Occurrence of bad breath or unusual foreign taste along with suppuration in the localization of the glands.
- Feeling of a hard lump on palpation.
- Feeling of pressure in the area of inflammation, which indicates the accumulation of purulent masses.
- Appearance of weakness, fever and fever up to thirty-nine degrees.
What causes inflammation of the salivary glands in children?
Complications of the disease
The most serious inflammation of the parotid gland is considered along with mumps, also called mumps. The danger lies in the fact that during the course of the disease, additional glands, for example, the pancreas, may be affected. Given that this disease is contagious, it is necessary to exclude contact with an infected child and take him to the doctor as soon as possible for the necessary examination and treatment. In the event that this is not done, complications of varying severity may appear, for example:
- The appearance of multiple abscesses in the area of inflammation and next to it.
- Significant rise in body temperature along with debilitating fever.
- Rupture of ulcers in the oral cavity.
- Occurrence of blood poisoning or abscess.
- Formation of fistulas that will bring pus to the surface.
- Phlegmon of the floor of the mouth along with meningitis and lesions of the nervous system.
- Development of salivary gland necrosis and orchitis.
We will not provide photos of the inflamed salivary gland in children for aesthetic reasons.
Diagnosis of disease
Diagnosis is carried out by a pediatrician or dentist, who, when examining a child, discovers enlarged salivary glands. Given the complaints of a small patient about the soreness of the region of the glands and pressure in this area, as well as the results of a medical examination, an appropriate diagnosis is made. If an abscess is suspected, a CT scan or ultrasound is performed.
Treatment of inflammation of the salivary gland in a child
Sialadenitis can often turn into a chronic form that is resistant to most medical drugs, in this regard, the treatment of a child should be trusted by a professional doctor. In the event that the inflammation is noticed by the parents on time, conventional conservative therapy will be enough for the baby to recover after a couple of weeks.
Therapy of uncomplicated forms of sialadenitis is carried out at home or within the hospital, tofor example, a doctor may prescribe special UHF physiotherapy. At home, you can perform therapeutic compresses.
In the first days of treatment of inflammation of the salivary glands, children are shown bed rest. Since, against the background of the disease, they need a vitamin-enriched and balanced diet, the food will have to be chopped, otherwise, in the usual form, pain will interfere with swallowing it normally and the meal will cause discomfort not only to the child, but also to parents.
The occurrence of inflammation in the child's body always goes hand in hand with intoxication, in connection with this, it is recommended to take a large amount of liquid. It can be juices along with nectars, decoctions of medicinal herbs and so on.
In order to regularly produce saliva from the affected glands, pediatricians advise children to hold a slice of lemon or some other citrus fruit in their mouth for a while. In addition, products in the form of sauerkraut and sour berries, such as cranberries or currants, are salivary. With saliva, as a rule, decay products of bacteria are removed, which significantly speeds up regeneration.
Treatment of inflammation of the salivary glands in children should be comprehensive and timely.
Taking painkillers
In order to save the child from pain, the pediatrician can prescribe painkillers, such as Novocain, and in addition, anti-inflammatory drugs, in this case Ibuprofen will help. In case of a strong increase in body temperature, antipyretics are additionally prescribed. Besidesa weekly therapeutic course of injections of the Tactivin solution, which serves as an immunomodulator, is prescribed.
In case of suspected abscess formation, strong antibiotic therapy is carried out. In the event that improvement does not occur within a few days, the patient is cut through the gland and drained.
Prophylaxis
Any disease, as you know, is much easier to prevent than to subsequently cure. In this regard, parents need to take care of the prevention of diseases of the salivary glands in children. To do this, it will be enough to follow just a few simple, but very important rules:
- Support breastfeeding from birth. Thanks to mother's milk, babies receive everything they need for full growth and reliable protection against various pathogenic bacteria.
- Performing hardening along with proper and nutritious nutrition and other activities to maintain and develop the immune system. All this is a reliable protection against this disease.
- Tooth brushing should be carried out from the appearance of the very first incisor. In addition, stomatitis, inflammatory gum disease and other oral diseases should be treated in a timely manner.
- It is equally important that the child attends regular preventive examinations, especially after certain infectious pathologies. At the same time, it is important to examine not only the condition of the gums and teeth, but also the properties and composition of saliva.
Conclusion
Parents, and at the same time dentists, should be wary of multiple forms of caries along with constant dry mouth in a child. It should be noted that timely diagnosis of pathologies will make it possible to cure the disease faster and easier and improve prognosis.
We looked at the symptoms and treatment of inflammation of the salivary glands in children.
