Stomatitis in children is a fairly common phenomenon. The disease does not always proceed in a severe form, but it is already quite unpleasant in itself. Especially for infants, as it creates almost constant pain during wakefulness.
Food is not a pleasure
When characteristic ulcers appear in the child’s mouth, each parent is interested in getting rid of them as soon as possible. In addition to the fact that the baby refuses food, since it hurts to chew any, even sweet and soft food, he also experiences constant itching and burning of the mucous membrane that causes stomatitis. In children, treatment is quite problematic, since the baby cannot be explained the causes of the pain, and it cannot be so quickly eliminated by emergency methods as with external wounds and ulcers, which are sufficient to treat with ointments, powders or sprays. The process of rinsing up to a certain age for children is also incomprehensible. Therefore, it is necessary to treat ulcers almost with a forcefully wrapped bandage and a finger moistened with medicine. Rarely does a procedure do without a loud crying baby.
In addition, the inability to eat normally causes additional difficulties. Especially babies. The demand for food, the pain of eating it and, as a result, malnutrition - all this aggravates stomatitis in infants, whose treatment is particularly difficult. In addition to pain in the oral cavity, their lymph nodes can become inflamed and enlarge, which will additionally create problems in eating. In addition, often with stomatitis there is an increase in temperature, general malaise, lethargy and lethargy.
Stomatitis is mainly a childhood disease, and most often affects babies from a year to five years, until they have immunity. Breasts are protected by antibodies obtained from breast milk, therefore they suffer from this disease less often. But since their mucous membrane is still thin and can be injured by any object with sharp edges in their mouth, even their own fingers with uncircumcised nails, infrequently babies are also susceptible to disease.
Types and distinctive features of stomatitis
There are several causes of the disease. Depending on them, treatment is prescribed, the administration of certain drugs is prescribed. It is important to know exactly what type of stomatitis the child fell ill in order not to aggravate the illness with the use of the wrong drugs. Young children are all pulled into the mouth due to itchy gums during tooth growth. Therefore, parents consider the appearance of wounds in the baby's mouth as a result of infection through various unwashed items. This is only partially true. So, for this reason, stomatitis can occur in a one-year-old child, the treatment of which is complicated due to the intensive growth of teeth at this age and the opening of the gums, where pathogens can easily get. In total, there are several types of disease. As well as the reasons for its occurrence. The following varieties of stomatitis are known:
- bacterial;
- aphthous;
- allergic;
- herpes
- fungal.
Depending on the type, the ulcers themselves and the drugs for their treatment differ. As a rule, during the period of the disease, the mucous membrane of the oral cavity itself is inflamed and covered with blisters and wounds. However, often, as in the case of herpes, you can observe stomatitis on the lip of a child. Treatment of external ulcers is more effective than internal, as they are easier to dry, and there are much less discomfort in the mouth. And from that, the child suffers the disease calmer.
And such a type of stomatitis as allergic, which is not always manifested by the appearance of wounds and blisters in the mouth, can be characterized by severe redness of the gums and tongue. If it is not determined in a timely manner and treatment is not started, it can develop into fungal or bacterial. And their hallmarks are painful sores in the mouth. Each type of stomatitis has its own characteristics and a specific treatment method.
Treatment of fungal stomatitis
Often they suffer from infants, since the causative agent of the disease is a fungus of the genus Candida transmitted during the process of feeding mother's milk. Sometimes this type of stomatitis is also called candidal by the name of the carrier spore. During the feeding period, an environment conducive to the development of infection appears, and if it has somehow entered the body, it develops very quickly. Fungal stomatitis in children, treatment and the course of the disease are somewhat different from most types of this disease not by characteristic wounds in the mouth, but by a pronounced white coating on the gums and tongue. Therefore, along with candida and fungal, it is also called thrush.
But the disease process begins with a sensation of dryness, itching and a slight burning sensation in the mouth that the baby experiences. Parents can suspect something is wrong, focusing on feeding the child. Children under the age of one year more often than usual are applied to the chest, trying to get rid of itching, and those who are older, on the contrary, refuse to eat, especially hard and bitter. In infants, the color of the plaque on the mucous membrane gives more whiteness, while in babies three to five years old it is mostly yellowish, in rare cases - grayish. Having noticed these signs of stomatitis on the gum of a child, treatment should be started immediately until plaque has covered the entire oral cavity, as well as the outer corners of the lips. It is eliminated in two stages. The first is disinfection, the second is anesthesia.
The reproduction of fungal spores on the mucosa can be prevented by an alkaline environment in the oral cavity, which can be created at home. For this, baking soda, boric acid or blue (methylene blue) are suitable. Each drug has its own formula for preparing a rinse. And the number of plaque treatments depends on its density. One is enough to rinse your mouth two to three times a day, the other - five to six. The course of treatment is ten days. Even with obvious signs of amelioration of the disease, the use of solutions should not be interrupted until the plaque disappears completely. The doctor may prescribe other drugs suitable for treatment that give both a disinfectant and analgesic effect. It’s not worth buying them at the pharmacy yourself.
Almost SARS
In people with reduced immunity, not only in children but also in adults, herpetic stomatitis is another type of disease - not uncommon. It all starts with the appearance of herpes on the lips or in the nose, the bacteria of which easily enter the oral cavity and form small vesicles on the mucosa. The next stage of the disease is the appearance of ulcers in the place of bursting vesicles. In addition, in children the ailment may be accompanied by an increase in temperature, chills and dizziness, which do not respond to antipyretic drugs. In many ways, the symptoms are similar to those observed with acute respiratory viral infections. This suggests an already neglected form of ulcerative stomatitis in children. Treatment at home, especially a severe form of the disease, is difficult. Doctors need intervention.
In total, three stages of herpetic stomatitis are recognized: mild, moderate and severe. Lymph nodes increase, the temperature is kept at 38-39 degrees. Bubbles in the mouth, resembling a rash, cover not only the gums, but also the near- mouth parts of the face, especially in severe cases of the disease. Nausea and vomiting are possible. Symptoms are similar to acute respiratory infections, and even treatment methods are similar, since the basis is the use of antiviral drugs. However, it is necessary to begin with the disinfection of wounds and ulcers corroding the mucous membrane by rinsing the mouth for one minute with infusion of chamomile or calendula. If the children do not understand how to carry out the procedure correctly, they can simply hold the liquid in their mouth and then spit it out. In no case should you swallow it. Also, a mother or other adult who is wetted with a bandage swab in the prepared solution can wipe his mouth where there are ulcers. Further, stomatitis on the gums of a child, the treatment of which begins with disinfection, is enhanced by the use of therapeutic agents: ointments, gels, sprays. They anesthetize and accelerate the healing of wounds at the same time.
Single aft
Unlike herpes simplex, which begins with the appearance of vesicles similar to a dense fullness, aphthous stomatitis is characterized by the appearance of one, less often two or three reddish aphthae on the gums and inner sides of the child's cheeks. It is very important to distinguish between these types of diseases, since different drugs must be used for their treatment. And it is necessary to visit a pediatric dentist who will determine the type of ailment, as well as prescribe the most effective medications. It is important to remember that the methods of treating stomatitis in a 5-year-old child differ from those used for babies of one to two years. Older children consciously perceive the value and features of the procedures. They can rinse their mouth on their own, are more patient with ointments and gels. However, the drugs can be the same, since both of these groups of children belong to the same age category, unlike infants.
Aphthae are rounded, deep wounds not whitish, but bright red. They are quite deep, but their bottom is not torn, as with a cold sore, but even and smooth. With the development of the disease, they may become covered with a cloudy film. Aphthae are disinfected with a solution of blue or baking soda by spot application of a cotton swab soaked in a drug. It is important to prevent accumulation of liquid under the film, since its ingress after breaking the film into the oral cavity and then into the intestine can complicate the course of the disease by fever, drowsiness, and refusal to eat. Effective treatment of stomatitis in children, along with cauterization of aphthae 5-6 times a day, gives the use of antiseptic and antimicrobial pharmacy drugs, as well as dieting. Bitter, sour, spicy, as well as allergenic foods are excluded from the diet. Even products such as honey, strawberries and chocolate should be excluded, as they help deepen aphthae.
Not contagious - allergic
A special type of stomatitis is allergic. Its difference from the rest is that the causes, symptoms, and treatment are not like in other varieties of this disease. Most often, it occurs as a reaction to medications, as well as food products that cause rashes and redness of the skin. This is a kind of common allergy, it only manifests itself not in itchy eyes or profuse runny nose, as in most people prone to this phenomenon, but in swelling of the soft tissues of the mouth: tongue, gums, palate, inside of the cheeks and lips. Sometimes their swelling makes swallowing food and even breathing so difficult that it leads to hospitalization. The disease, although not contagious, like other types of ailment, but quite dangerous. Having found swelling in the oral cavity, you should make sure that this is nothing more than allergic stomatitis in a child. Treatment of ailments largely depends on its pathogens.
To begin with, they need to be established, since in children, especially small ones, it is not so easy to identify what exactly an allergic reaction has occurred to. Having determined a drug or product, it should be completely eliminated from use, and not only during the period of the disease, but also in the future, since relapse can occur at any time. And even worse - the disease can go into the chronic stage. Quite often, in children with mechanical damage to the oral mucosa, wounds can form, which can even aggravate the disease. In this case, the allergic species develops into another form of the disease, for example, bacterial stomatitis in children. Treatment will be complicated by the fact that it will be necessary to apply a whole range of methods. Salvation from complications - timely detection of the disease.
From scratch to stomatitis
The most common type of stomatitis is bacterial. It can affect children of all ages. Any mechanical or thermal damage to the mucosa can lead to the appearance of a wound or sore in the oral cavity. A bite, a scratch of the gum or tongue, a burn of the palate - a small injury is enough for the disease to develop, especially if the baby neglects the rules of personal hygiene. If any kind of stomatitis occurs on a child’s lip, treatment is inevitable, but bacterial is both the most common and the most easily eliminated, because there are many effective pharmacy drugs to deal with it. There is a cure for any disease. But treating the baby is not easy, since it is not immediately after birth that it is possible to establish what reaction this or that medication can cause.
With bacterial stomatitis, any antiseptic can be used to rinse your mouth. This can be blue, and potassium permanganate, and a decoction of chamomile, and soda solution, and even strong tea, not to mention ready-made pharmaceutical preparations. After disinfection of the mucous membrane affected by ulcers, the wounds can be treated with ointments, suspensions, sprays, as well as various oils (from wild rose or sea buckthorn), juices (Kalanchoe or aloe). Many drugs are prepared at home, and they are no less effective than those produced in pharmaceutical plants. Therefore, we can say about bacterial stomatitis in children: its treatment is quite simple.
Pharmacy shelf
Knowing how folk remedies for getting rid of ulcers of stomatitis quickly and painlessly cope with the disease, doctors often prescribe them. In addition, the main drugs for disinfection - soda and potassium permanganate - are in almost every home and are able to provide emergency assistance in identifying an ailment. However, many parents trust in pharmaceuticals. In the pharmacy you can find medicines for the treatment and healing of wounds that have arisen as a result of all known types of pathogens. For the treatment of stomatitis in children, drugs are selected depending on the age of the child. Of course, the type of disease itself must also be taken into account. Only in the section of antiseptics - with a dozen effective drugs, among which the most popular:
- Hexoral.
- Miramistin.
- "Horacept".
- Chlorhexidine.
In the pharmacy you can buy oak bark, sage and chamomile flowers, decoctions of which also disinfect the oral cavity quite effectively before applying ointments and gels to the damaged areas of the mucous membrane to anesthetize and heal the wounds. There are also a lot of them to treat each type of stomatitis. So, with bactericidal in infants up to a year, the Kamistad gel will help. It is enough to apply it only three times a day. It is ideal for stomatitis in a month-old baby. Treatment of the baby with the indicated gel is the most effective method. But the Holisal gel must be used very carefully. For children older than a year, it will help to treat both wounds in the mouth and lowering the temperature. However, it can not be used with other antipyretic drugs. Any of the antiseptic drugs should not be used for more than six days. If the disease persists, it is necessary to change the treatment method.
Grandma's pantry
If the drugs used do not give the expected effect, this may indicate a relapse. In this case, the use of sprays, as well as analgesic gels and ointments, is prohibited, since their excess in the child's body can lead to heart failure. They can also complicate the work of the liver and kidneys. These serious consequences can lead to normal stomatitis in children. Treatment of the disease is best continued with the use of folk remedies. There are even more than factory ones. In addition, many ingredients for preparing medicines at home can only be purchased at the pharmacy. So there is no danger, as skeptics can count, they do not represent themselves, unless, of course, they are used correctly.
To rinse or treat a damaged oral ulcer, a decoction of calendula or chamomile is well suited. It is able in several days to alleviate even the most acute stomatitis in children. Treatment begins with a decoction. Infused for 40 minutes in 200 mg of boiled water, only 30 g of dried flowers can kill any microbes if you regularly treat the mucous membrane with the resulting product. Infants who do not know how to rinse their mouths on their own are treated with gums, the tongue, and the inside of their cheeks with a drug using a gauze swab. An infusion can be obtained by filling the flowers with boiling water in a thermos. Verbena, frankincense, oak bark, sage also copes with stomatitis bacteria.
After rinsing your mouth or rinsing and drying the sores, you can proceed to the next stage of treatment. This is a treatment with vegetable oils: sea buckthorn, linseed, olive. Even peach will do. They effectively kill germs, soften wounds, relieve itching and burning. In addition, they have excellent regenerative properties. Whether it’s allergic or ulcerative stomatitis in children, treatment with folk remedies gives an excellent result. They do not contain chemistry and are prepared exclusively from plant ingredients.
The best treatment is prevention
The main cause of stomatitis is low immunity. Therefore, along with treatment, it is important to strengthen the weak body of the child. But at the beginning of the disease, the first thing to do is change the diet: exclude foods and drinks that can cause burning of the affected areas of the mucosa for the duration of the disease. Acidic, spicy, bitter dishes aggravate irritation, fatty ones create a favorable environment for the rapid growth of bacteria, and hard ones can damage the wounds that have healed in the mouth again. It’s good to eat porridges, soups, boiled vegetables and fruits in a blender, which contain a lot of vitamin C. These include carrots, apples, peaches, pumpkin, bell peppers, and fresh cabbage. Useful boiled eggs, fish, chicken fillet. After each meal, rinse your mouth.
Hygiene is important. It is necessary to brush your teeth regularly, wash your hands, and not only before meals, but also every one and a half to two hours. Young children are all pulled in their mouths, so household items, rubber and plastic toys should also be frequently disinfected. And soft ones should be taken away for a while, since there are many times more microbes on them than on the others. Observance of all the listed preventive measures will protect the child better than drugs and will not lead to such lesions, as shown above, in the photo of stomatitis in the tongue. In children, treatment takes longer, unlike adults, whose immunity is strong enough and able to cope with the disease faster. This should be remembered and from a very early age to temper the weak body of the child.