Herpetic or herpes sore throat (herpangina, vesicular pharyngitis) is an acute infectious disease accompanied by sore throat, a sudden increase in body temperature, inflammation of the pharyngeal masses (pharyngitis), a violation of the swallowing act (dysphagia), and the appearance of a vesicle on the back of their throat subsequent ulceration.
How can this ailment manifest itself?
Sometimes the disease is manifested by local symptoms - abdominal pain, general malaise, possible nausea and vomiting. If it happens that a herpetic sore throat appears in a child under the age of one year, then it is almost impossible to avoid complications.
But in most cases, the disease develops in children of preschool, less often primary school age. However, this does not at all preclude the possibility of infection with an adult infection , especially if his immunity is lowered. Next, we will consider how to treat herpes sore throat?
How is the disease transmitted?
The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets, rarely by the fecal-oral route, due to contact with a sick person or during the recovery phase of a patient who continues to secrete the virus for 3-4 weeks. That is, the main elements of the external environment involved in the transmission of the causative agent of the infection are the hands, saliva of the patient, household items. Only a person can be a carrier of herpetic sore throat, since in animals there have never been cases of infection with this disease. In order for parents to be able to cope with herpes sore throat in infants (how to treat the disease, we will consider below), they need to be informationally prepared in this matter, that is, to meet the disease fully equipped.
Causes of herpetic sore throat in children
For the first time in children, the clinical picture of herpetic sore throat was described in 1920 by the American pediatrician Zagorsky, who came to the conclusion about the infectious nature of this disease, as well as by Geibner, Armstrong and other doctors who established the etiological relationship of the disease with the Coxsackie viruses of group A. Later it was found that as causative agents can also be Coxsackie viruses A 1-b, 8, 10, 16, 22 and B3.
Many are interested in how to treat herpes sore throat in adults and children. This disease is spreading everywhere, however, it can occur in the form of sporadic diseases, rarely epidemic outbreaks, while it can be combined with meningitis, myalgia, intestinal disorders, etc.
Provocative factors
The development of herpetic sore throat is facilitated by various provoking factors:
- general or local hypothermia;
- contact with a sick person;
- acute stressful situations;
- immunodeficiency;
- herpes simplex virus (extremely rare);
- intestinal infections;
- wet feet in the offseason;
- drinking a lot of ice cream and cold drinks.
What affects the severity of the disease?
The severity of the course of this infectious disease greatly depends on the general well-being and condition of the patient, as well as on the number of viruses present in the body and the immunity capable of holding these viruses.
After the child has had an illness, he develops stable immunity to the virus of this disease, but immunity does not develop to other types of the virus. How to treat herpes sore throat, we will describe below.
The clinical picture of herpetic sore throat in children
The incubation period of the disease can last from 2 to 7 days. Symptoms of herpetic sore throat parents can notice even with the naked eye. The disease in children begins acutely - suddenly the body temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, which is noted by the characteristic state of high fever, often having a two-wave nature. In this case, the disease is accompanied by a deterioration in appetite, the development of general malaise, headaches and even vomiting. In some cases, the occurrence of cramping abdominal pain (especially in the navel). Also, the child may complain of pain in the muscle tissue of the limbs. Seizures are very rare if it is an infant. How to treat herpes sore throat in such a crumb, not every parent knows.
As a rule, the elevated temperature persists for the first 2-4 days, and then begins to subside. It is characteristic of the disease that already on the first, less often on the second day, small (1-2 mm) papules appear on the mucous membrane of the soft and hard palate, tongue, palatine arches and tonsils, causing redness, which then quickly turn into superficial vesicles, filled with hemorrhagic or serous contents. The number of these bubbles, as a rule, ranges from 2-3 to 15-20 elements.
It is important to know how to treat herpes sore throat correctly. It is precisely because of the occurrence of bubbles in the oral cavity that the component of the pain of swallowing is joined. A few days after its inception, the vesicles burst, and a mucosal defect is exposed - surface erosion of different sizes of sites with a narrow strip of hyperemia (overflow of blood vessels) and a grayish-white bottom. Sometimes during the course of the disease, several erosions merge into one. Less painful erosion slowly epithelize within 2-3 weeks. It is also worth noting that a change in the state of the pharynx, as a rule, is accompanied by painful swallowing and often profuse salivation. These are the unpleasant symptoms of herpes sore throat in children. How to treat the disease will depend on how pronounced its manifestations are.
What else is going on?
Infectious disease does not spread to the gums. If during the whole time a weakened child still has a certain number of affected elements, then this process is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and a weakening of the general condition of the body. How to treat herpes sore throat in children, you can check with your pediatrician in advance.
Regional lymph nodes enlarge and become painful when palpated. In some cases, there is a slight increase in lymph nodes and other areas. Sometimes during outbreaks of infection, changes in the throat are limited to hyperemia without the formation of superficial vesicles. There are no changes in the blood count in the clinical picture of the general analysis. Some patients have leukocytosis with an increase in ESR, which is quite natural for infectious pathologies.
Diagnosis of herpetic sore throat
An accurate diagnosis of herpetic tonsillitis is established on the basis of virological and serological studies. Pharyngeal swabs taken during the first 5 days of the course of the disease are used as material for virological research. A serological test to detect an increase in antibody titer is based on a study of serum collected in the early days of the disease and after 2-3 weeks. Of all the diagnostic methods in this case, the most informative is immunofluorescence analysis, which consists in determining the surface and intracellular antigens that are characteristic of certain pathogens.
During the differential diagnosis of herpetic sore throat, doctors are repelled by the age of the child, the seasonality characteristic of the disease, and the localization of the elements of the lesion in the oral cavity. For herpetic sore throat, rashes on the skin of the face are not characteristic, and gingivitis does not develop, and the mucous membrane does not bleed.
Treatment
The treatment of herpetic sore throat in children practically does not differ from the treatment of such complicated viral forms of tonsillitis and pharyngitis. It also has a symptomatic character, due to which the manifestations of the disease are weakened, and the healing process is accelerated. Manifestations of such a pathology can be seen in the photo. How to treat herpes sore throat in children with medication?
Drug therapy includes:
- antihistamines that help relieve swelling in the throat (Diazolin, Fenkarol, Claritin, Suprastin);
- antiseptics are used to prevent re-infection (Furacilin, Miramistin);
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to effectively reduce inflammation, due to which the pain is also significantly reduced ("Ibuprofen", "Nimesulide");
- at high temperatures, experts advise using antipyretic drugs (Nurofen, Nimesulide, Ibuprofen, Panadol).
We will understand in more detail, than to treat herpes sore throat in children:
- According to reviews, it is effective to rinse the sore throat with solutions of salt, furatsilina, potassium permanganate or decoctions of herbs (chamomile, sage, eucalyptus, oak bark, calendula).
- Only with the advanced form or serious complications of herpetic sore throat is an antibiotic prescribed.
- Painkillers (Hexoral, Inhalipt Aerosol).
- "Interferon" to improve the general state of immunity, as well as counteract the development of infection.
- Mandatory use of vitamin preparations in order to accelerate the healing process.
How to treat herpes sore throat in children using folk remedies?
What do grandmothers advise?
Folk remedies for the treatment of herpetic sore throat in children:
- infusion of rose hips, mint leaves, linden, caraway seeds, thyme, anise;
- hot tea with honey, lemon and raspberries;
- gargling with a warm solution with the following composition: mix 15 g of salt per glass of water with 10 g of soda and 5 drops of iodine;
- warm milk mixed with honey helps to relieve pain and prevent disease;
- a solution of aqueous propolis can be used to treat the throat.
Caring for a sick child
We figured out how to treat herpes sore throat in a child. Komarovsky confirms that therapy should be not only symptomatic, but also complex, because it will accelerate recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
Competent patient care is as follows:
- It is imperative for the child to ensure calm and bed rest.
- It should be isolated from others in order to avoid infection and the further spread of infection.
- It is very important to give a plentiful drink and make sure that it is not very hot.
- In no case should you warm your throat, because this will facilitate the growth of bacteria, which can slow the healing process.
- It is necessary to ventilate the room about twice a day, but not for long and so that the child does not freeze.
- It is necessary to observe a balanced diet, in which dishes should be mainly liquid, warm, and best of all vaporous. There should not be any salty dishes and soda in the diet.
Now you know by what means you can get rid of this unpleasant ailment. But such complex therapy requires a doctor’s permission, so parents should use this information for educational purposes only. Remember that self-medication of this infectious disease can lead to quite dangerous consequences, which can sometimes be very difficult to fix.
We examined in detail how to treat herpes sore throat. Take care of children!