Many parents are faced with the need to study such a question as ozena - symptoms, treatment. Photos of this disease do not convey the entire complexity of the situation, which boils down to the fact that the child’s nose turns into a source of unpleasant odor.
Moreover, various complications are possible, which have a significant negative impact on well-being.
The essence of the disease
In the framework of the topic: "Ozena - symptoms, treatment, diagnosis," it is worth initially giving a definition of this disease. Under such a diagnosis as ozena (fetid runny nose), it is worthwhile to understand a process that is atrophic in nature, which affects the mucous membranes, cartilage and bone tissue of the nose. In this condition, a viscous secretion is released, which quickly dries in the crust. Subsequently, it exudes an unpleasant odor.
Such processes in most cases are the result of exposure to the body of inflammatory and infectious diseases. In this case, the unpleasant odor from the nose is effectively eliminated only after determining the root cause of the problem.
Reasons for the appearance
Many specialists in the field of otolaryngology identify several key reasons for the appearance of a fetid runny nose in a child.
The following factors can be attributed to this group:
- damage to the trigeminal nerve and autonomic nerve trunks;
- injuries of the bones of the facial skeleton and nose;
- damage to the pterygopalatine node.
- the development of such infectious diseases as chickenpox, measles, rubella, diphtheria and scarlet fever;
- chronic infectious foci (sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis);
In some cases, poor nutrition can also cause ozenas.
Signs of illness
In a disease such as ozena, symptoms, treatment and diagnosis deserve special attention, since such atrophic processes cause a lot of discomfort for both the child and his parents.
And if we study the manifestations of the lake, then we can distinguish three key stages of the development of this disease: the initial, the height stage and the final.
In most cases, the initial stage develops at the age of 7 years and proceeds quite slowly, without manifestation of noticeable symptoms. Only after some time, parents can pay attention to the fact that the child has discharge from the nasal cavity. Initially, they can be viscous, but after that they still take a purulent form, becoming a source of unpleasant odor.
With a problem such as ozena, symptoms, treatment and preventive measures imply a timely response to the manifestations of the disease. The obvious symptoms include headaches that are unusual for children, sleep disturbance, increased fatigue, weakness, and decreased appetite.
It is worth noting that eliminating the lake at the initial stage is quite difficult. Over time, the smell exuded by the resulting crusts in the nose becomes noticeable to everyone around, but the child himself gradually loses sensitivity to it. This is due to the fact that the functioning of the olfactory receptors is disrupted. Another reason for the loss of sensitivity to odor can be hyposmia.
An expression of complete symptomatology is characteristic of the height stage. A large number of crusts are formed in the nasal cavity, which are difficult to remove. Moreover, it becomes difficult for a child suffering from a lake to breathe through his nose. In this case, a viscous liquid is constantly released. In addition to these manifestations, symptoms of the height stage include increased fatigue and lethargy, as well as pain in the forehead and nose, as well as a reduced degree of taste sensitivity. Parents should also consider the fact that nosebleeds are possible with the lake, and frequent.
Continuing the topic: “Ozena - symptoms, treatment in children,” it is worth noting that the doctor, when examining a child with a stinking runny nose, often captures the characteristic signs of an underdeveloped nose pyramid, dilated nasal passages and nostrils, as well as an unnatural thickening of the lips.
As for the final stage of the lake, it is irrelevant for an early age. This form of the disease is fixed in those who have already reached 40 years of age. In this condition, the crusts in the nose and the smell also disappear, but at the same time, atrophic chronic rhinitis remains.
Complications
Speaking about complications, it is worth mentioning ozone pharyngitis, laryngitis, laryngotracheitis, chronic sinusitis, which includes frontal sinusitis, sphenoiditis and sinusitis. Complications manifested by inflammatory processes in the eyeball region are not excluded: keratitis, dacryocestitis, conjunctivitis, blepharitis. Ear infections are also possible, which include otitis media and eustachiitis of the ear.
When studying a disease such as ozena, symptoms, treatment and its possible complications, do not forget about the long-term consequences of this disease: meningitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, trigeminal neuralgia and craniocephalic syndrome.
It is important to know that due to swallowing pus secreted in the nasal cavity, a child may experience complications concerning the gastrointestinal tract. We are talking about problems such as gastritis, constipation, flatulence and dyspepsia.
Atypical manifestations
In those patients who have a congenital curvature of the nasal septum, one-sided ozena may occur. In this condition, a narrowing of one half of the nose and expansion of the other is observed. The development algorithm of a one-sided ozen does not differ from the classical version.
Sometimes crusts appear in limited areas of the nasal cavity, without affecting it all. In this case, the formations are most often fixed in the middle nasal passages. Often this kind of ozena can lead to atrophy of the back of the middle nasal passages. In some cases, a crust does not form in the lake, but viscous secretions are still present.
Diagnostics
One of the conditions for the successful treatment of fetid cold is a competent and timely reaction to the manifestations of a disease such as ozena. Symptoms of this disease are most pronounced at the height of the stage, so that parents can quickly identify the essence of the problem. But if in the initial stage there were suggestions regarding the development of the lake, then you need to contact the otolaryngologist and conduct endoscopic studies.
Rhinoscopy allows you to determine the degree of expansion of the nasal passages, choanas and concha. It is possible to identify the arthrophic process that is a consequence of the ozone with the help of microscopy of the nasal mucosa.
Ozena: treatment
There are several techniques that focus on the ineffective neutralization of the fetid cold. The most common are surgical and medical techniques.
The traditional methods include deodorization, eliminating the accumulation of crusts and dry nose. In order to achieve a similar effect, washing with a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide, saline and potassium permanganate is used.
It is possible to carry out tamponade according to Gonshtein. We are talking about the use of a swab soaked in a solution of glycerol and placed in the nasal cavity. In this position, the swab is left for 1-2 hours. Its subsequent extraction allows you to remove crusts from the nasal cavity, which are a source of unpleasant odor.
Attention also deserves the treatment in which chlorophyllocarotin paste is used. It looks as follows: a candle from this paste is placed in each sinus, as a result of which after 10-15 minutes an unpleasant odor disappears. This effect persists for a day.
As for surgical treatment, it may involve transplanting autografts, implanting acrylic sticks and inserting an implant under the mucous membrane of the septum and nasal wall.
Ozena: symptoms, antibiotic treatment
When the child has identified the symptoms of ozena, treatment is possible both in the hospital and on an outpatient basis. In this case, antibiotics are often used. The most effective among them is considered to be Streptomycin. It can be administered intramuscularly and in the form of inhalation or ointments. In some cases, Metacycline is used.
With ozen, the use of Lugol's solution and chlorophyllocarotene paste can be indicated.
The use of preparations of iron, nicotinic acid, Proserinum, aloe juice, vitreous body and Pyrogenalum is popular.
As for physiotherapeutic methods, UHF can be attributed to them in the region of cervical sympathetic nodes or endozonal electrophoresis of potassium iodide.
Folk techniques
With a problem like ozena, home treatment should not be ignored. The use of folk methods can significantly help with a fetid cold. Here are some recipes that you should pay attention to:
- Grind the seaweed to a powder state and in small quantities inhale it in the nose three times a day. This procedure will prevent the appearance of crusts.
- Mix equal parts of peppermint, wormwood and sage. Then put 5 tablespoons of the obtained herbal mixture in a liter of boiling water. They need to be insisted for 2 hours in a thermos. With this infusion, you can rinse your mouth, and also take it every day (3 cups per day).
- Every day, instill a nose with a few drops of milk thistle oil, rosehip and sea buckthorn, alternating them. The procedure must be repeated 4 times during the day.
Obviously, the theme "ozena - symptoms, treatment" is relevant for many people and with an integrated approach to the recovery process, there is every chance to overcome the negative consequences of this disease.