Young children are prone to colds due to weak immunity. ARVI often provokes a sore throat in a child. It should be noted that the correct name for this disease is acute tonsillitis, or inflammation of the tonsils. The main cause of the disease is an infection that has entered the body. Doctor Komarovsky suggests not to start treating tonsillitis with antibiotics, but first to figure out whether it is an acute form of the disease or a chronic one.
What is tonsillitis?
This is an inflammatory process in the palatine tonsils. It proceeds in an acute form, in the people it is often called a sore throat, or a chronic form. Both species have both similarities and differences. Therefore, their treatment is not the same. Angina always begins with a sharp rise in temperature, the child complains of a sharp sore throat. On examination, there is swelling of the tonsils and a white coating on them. Doctor Komarovsky, tonsillitis in children recommends starting treatment immediately after the appearance of its first symptoms. And for this he advises parents to be attentive to the complaints of the child.
NotTreatment of acute tonsillitis, started or not completed on time, turns into a chronic form, which has similar symptoms, but the disease proceeds calmly and measuredly. A neglected disease sometimes gives serious complications. It is noted that children under the age of three cannot have a sore throat, since the final formation of the tonsils will be completed only by this period. And also the probability of getting sick after fifteen years is sharply reduced, adult individuals rarely get angina.
Causes of acute tonsillitis
The following pathogens are capable of causing illness:
- viruses – Coxsackie, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes;
- bacteria - staphylococci, streptococci and pneumococci;
- mushrooms, mycoplasmas and chlamydia.
Sometimes in children there is a nonanginal form, which develops against the background of sinusitis, SARS, caries, stomatitis. Frequent incidence, according to Dr. Komarovsky, tonsillitis in children is associated with the anatomical features of the structure of the pharyngeal apparatus. They have deep and narrow recesses of the tonsils, many slit-like passages, adhesions - all this makes it difficult to empty the lacunae. In addition, children with nasal breathing disorders, chronic inflammatory processes and weakened immune systems often suffer from tonsillitis.
Symptoms of sore throat
The main signs of acute tonsillitis are:
- a sharp rise in body temperature to 40 degrees;
- inflamed tonsils with white or yellowish coating;
- pain when swallowing;
- ear pain;
- enlarged lymph nodes;
- bad breath;
- general malaise and weakness,
- headache;
- body aches.
Often, with a sore throat, a child has a runny nose and cough. In such cases, doctor Komarovsky warns parents, there may not be tonsillitis. It's just that the baby has a viral disease, and it is not necessary to immediately treat him with antibiotics until the final diagnosis is established.
Treatment of sore throats in children
Before starting therapy, the physician must identify the form of the disease. If the diagnosis is "acute tonsillitis" of bacterial origin, then antibiotics are indicated. Rinsing, sucking tablets and sprays will only relieve symptoms when swallowed, but they are not able to cure the disease. Most often, Penicillin and local remedies are prescribed for therapy to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. According to Dr. Komarovsky, the treatment of tonsillitis with strong antibiotics makes sense only in a serious condition of a small patient, when the clinic is pronounced, it is difficult for a child to open his mouth, eat, and drink. Vitamin complexes, intravenous glucose solution, plentiful drinking and sparing nutrition are prescribed as strengthening drugs. During periods of high body temperature and fever, bed rest is indicated. Improvement in the patient's condition occurs two to three days after the start of taking antibacterial agents.
How to distinguish a sore throat from SARS?
In addition to the fact that a sore throat begins with a sharp rise in temperature, the child has a severe sore throat. Therefore, if you give the babyapple, he will refuse to eat it because of severe pain. Komarovsky treatment of acute tonsillitis suggests starting not immediately, but after 2-3 days, since during this time the immune system fights the disease, and you will have time to observe the development of symptoms.
With an acute viral infection in a child, in addition to a red throat, a runny nose and cough immediately appear, caused by a sore throat. Therefore, you can not treat the child with antibiotics. In both cases, before the arrival of the doctor, it is necessary to give the baby a warm drink.
Causes of chronic tonsillitis
This ailment is characterized by a prolonged inflammatory process in the palatine tonsils. In the normal state, the tonsils perform a protective function and trap pathogenic microorganisms on their surface, which the body subsequently destroys. As Komarovsky notes, chronic tonsillitis in a child is a consequence of a decrease in immunity, when viruses, bacteria or fungi accumulate in large numbers on the tonsils and begin to multiply rapidly. It is impossible to stop this process in a natural way, a chronic pathology arises. Affected tonsils begin to multiply pathogenic microorganisms and infect the body. As a result, they provoke rheumatism, infectious myocarditis, pathologies of the kidneys and other organs.
Symptoms of chronic tonsillitis
The most striking signs of the disease are sore throat when swallowing and a number of the following symptoms:
- Increase and thickening of the palatine arches. They can maintain this state even in a state of remission, when the throat does not hurt.
- Appearance of adhesions between tonsils and palatine arches.
- Clear probing on palpation of regional lymph nodes.
- Intoxication of the body, expressing headache, fatigue.
- The appearance of white plaque and purulent plugs on the tonsils.
- The recovery period after viral and bacterial infections is getting longer.
- Persistent bad breath.
- There is shortness of breath and heart rhythm disturbances.
Most of the symptoms of the chronic form of the disease becomes noticeable only with an exacerbation of the disease, so it is easy to confuse it with a sore throat. Most often, exacerbation is caused by viruses, and the first thing that happens is a runny nose and cough. After this, the activation and reproduction of bacteria that are constantly present in the body in the chronic form of the disease occurs, causing inflammation of the tonsils.
Treatment of chronic tonsillitis according to Komarovsky
Millions of people live with this disease, in itself it is not terrible. During the period of remission, the palatine tonsils are enlarged in size, but at the same time they have the same color as the entire oral mucosa, do not interfere with swallowing and breathing. This condition does not require medical intervention. But in case of exacerbation, most often against the background of viral infections, the disease requires medical treatment, and this requires a doctor's consultation. Exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis sometimes does not require bacterial treatment, the following procedures are simply performed:
- soda rinsesolution;
- constant warm drinking of plain water or with the addition of lemon, honey, raspberries;
- use of topical antibacterial sprays and aerosols;
- washing the tonsils.
But Komarovsky does not recommend using Lugol for the treatment of chronic tonsillitis in a child. Its use is not only not beneficial, but also harmful. From the surface of the tonsils, iodine is absorbed into the bloodstream and can disrupt the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Surgical treatment
When all conservative methods of treating a chronic form of pathology have been tried, and the tonsils have become a breeding ground for bacteria, many parents believe that they should be removed. Until recently, this procedure was widely practiced. Now such operations are done much less frequently. The removal of the tonsils adversely affects the immunity of the child, especially before the age of five. After the operation, inflammatory processes are again possible in the remnants of the lymphoid tissue. Sometimes the removal of the tonsils leads to a metabolic failure. However, in some cases, surgical intervention is not enough. According to the well-known pediatrician Komarovsky, surgical treatment of tonsillitis in children is justified only for the following indications:
- there were serious consequences;
- frequent relapses of angina - more than five times a year;
- snoring while sleeping;
- there was a strong increase in the glands that interfere with breathing and eating;
- Permanent conservative treatment does not bring relief.
In many he alth care facilities, sparing surgical procedures are performed. Sometimes the tonsils are partially removed or they are exposed to ultra-high or, conversely, ultra-low temperatures. The need for surgical intervention is decided by the doctor together with the child's parents.
Treatment of chronic disease with ice cream
Frequent enlargement of the tonsils and inflammation in them with the formation of purulent plugs in chronic tonsillitis Komarovsky suggests treating with ice cream. In the absence of an exacerbation, it is better to start this in the summer, three times a day, take a teaspoon of ice cream from the freezer. Putting it in your mouth, you need to count to ten and only then swallow it. Continue the procedure for three days.
Then increase the dose of ice cream to two spoons. And then every three days increase the intake of sweet medicine by one teaspoon. Ice cream can be replaced by sucking on ice cubes from fruit juice or yogurt, immediately taken out of the refrigerator. A short exposure to cold on the palatine tonsils helps to activate the immune system, and the disease gradually begins to recede.
Dr. Komarovsky's advice on the treatment of tonsillitis
Children's doctor often advises parents and gives the following advice in the treatment of angina:
- Is it possible to do without antibiotics? If there is severe pain in the throat during swallowing, fever appears, lymph nodes increase, the tonsils swell, redden and plaque forms, then the child probably hastonsillitis caused by streptococci. Treatment is with antibiotics. But parents often mistake this disease for viral pharyngitis and often treat it on their own, without calling a doctor. Wrong therapy leads to serious complications. The final diagnosis is made only after the test.
- When analysis is not needed? With a whole complex of symptoms of SARS - cough, severe runny nose, hoarseness, fever - analysis for streptococcus is not carried out. Also, the examination is not done for children under the age of three, they do not have tonsillitis. The viral disease disappears after a few days, the condition returns to normal.
If you have a sore throat in the absence of a runny nose, you should definitely seek medical help. Sprays and folk remedies in this case will not help, you need an antibacterial agent.
Prevention measures
In order for a child to get sick with sore throats less often and have fewer relapses, parents need to strengthen his immunity. Komarovsky associates the treatment of chronic tonsillitis with the production of saliva and believes that it is the best medicine. To do this, he recommends:
- Perform a complete oral hygiene.
- Comply with the drinking regime - the child must constantly drink warm drinks.
- Establish a microclimate in the apartment - carry out frequent ventilation, humidify the air, remove all things that accumulate dust.
- Permanent walks in the fresh air.
- Don't be afraid to treat your child to ice cream and cold drinks fromrefrigerator.
- Do not use household chemicals containing chlorine.
- Every day, even during illness, the child should take water treatments before bedtime.
If you follow all these recommendations, this will give a result: the baby will strengthen local immunity, saliva will stop drying out, and this will greatly alleviate his condition.
Conclusion
According to Komarovsky, tonsillitis in children can be avoided. To do this, he recommends: allowing the child to drink juice and water from the refrigerator, eat ice cream. These cold foods harden the tonsils, the baby stops suffering from their inflammation. Children who eat warm food all the time are much more likely to get colds and, as a result, chronic tonsillitis. During the period of mass epidemics of SARS and influenza, babies, if possible, should be protected from visiting crowded places and public transport. But be sure to do daily walks in the fresh air.
