Treatment of catarrhal sore throat in children

Catarrhal (erythematous) tonsillitis is an infectious-allergic lesion of the tissues of the pharyngeal ring, characterized by hyperemia, swelling and discomfort in the throat. A relatively mild form of ENT disease occurs in children aged 3 years and older, which is due to the final formation of lymphadenoid formations, i.e. palatine and pharyngeal tonsils.

Delayed treatment of catarrhal sore throat in children can cause abscesses in the pharyngeal mucosa. If drug therapy is not started within the first 3-4 days after infection, a mild form of pathology will turn into lacunar or follicular sore throat. The contagious disease is seasonal, therefore it most often occurs in the autumn-spring period. The main provoking factors for the development of tonsillitis are: vitamin deficiency, hypothermia, unbalanced nutrition, chronic diseases and inappropriate medication.

Etiopathogenesis

The causative agents of erythematous tonsillitis are most often bacteria - saprophytes, streptococci, staphylococci, etc. Conditionally pathogenic microorganisms are permanent inhabitants of the oropharynx, however, a sharp decrease in the body's resistance becomes an impulse for their reproduction. Sometimes the pathology is of a viral nature and occurs in parallel with ARVI caused by reoviruses, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, etc.

As a rule, catarrhal angina in children occurs due to a decrease in general immunity, which may be due to the following factors:

• stress and overwork;
• chronic diseases;
• carious teeth;
• hypovitaminosis;
• hypothermia;
• irrational intake of antibiotics.

Due to the reduced reactivity of the child's body, inflammatory processes in the throat mucosa in young children develop 3 times faster than in adults.

After the penetration of infectious agents into the lymphadenoid tissues, severe inflammation is observed, which is aboutcaused by general intoxication and allergic reactions. When the immune response is formed, the protective cells rush to the foci of inflammation to destroy the pathogenic flora. But due to the similarity of the protein structures of bacteria and cells of the body, antibodies mistakenly begin to attack the tissues of their own body.

With untimely drug therapy, purulent processes occur in the affected organs. Within 4 days after infection, erythematous tonsillitis turns into a lacunar or follicular form of ENT disease.

Common Symptoms

The incubation period for the development of pathogenic agents is 1-4 days. In about 90% of cases, streptococci are provocateurs of pathological changes in the glandular tissues of the tonsils. With erythematous tonsillitis, only the superficial layers of the ciliated epithelium are affected, but in the absence of appropriate treatment, the symptoms of the disease become more pronounced:

• sore throat;
• dryness of the mucous membrane;
• viscous mucus in the oropharynx;
• temperature increase;
• discomfort when swallowing;
• decreased appetite;
• headache;
• enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes.

A key sign of the development of the disease is subfebrile fever, which can persist for 6-7 days. If antibacterial treatment is not prescribed in time, the above symptoms will intensify, which will lead to a deterioration in the child's well-being.

Local manifestations

When a child develops general symptoms of intoxication, it is advisable to examine the oral cavity for hyperemia, inflammation in the tonsils and purulent plaque on the back of the throat.

At the initial stage of development of ENT disease, pathological processes cover only the area of ​​lymphadenoid formations and palatine arches. Seek help from a specialist if the following local manifestations of tonsillitis are found:

• hyperemia of the tonsils;
• inflammation of the soft palate;
• an increase in regional lymph nodes;
• swelling of the throat;
• the appearance of a white plaque on the palatine arches.

In the absence of proper therapy, foci of inflammation quickly form on the surface of the entire lymphadenoid ring. Due to the reduced resistance of the child's body, abscesses in the lacunae and follicles of the tonsils may appear within a couple of days after infection.

Diagnostics

How is catarrhal sore throat in children treated - what are the symptoms and treatment of the child? An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a qualified specialist after receiving the results of an express test for the presence of bacterial flora in a smear from the pharynx. Clinical manifestations of pathology are similar to the symptoms of many ENT diseases, the treatment of which has fundamental differences. Misdiagnosis can cause serious systemic complications such as rheumatic heart disease, pyelonephritis, renal failure, etc.

To make sure that the diagnosis is correct, the pediatrician conducts a physical examination, after which he examines the results of the bacterial analysis and is determined with the type of pathogen. When making a diagnosis, it is very important to distinguish erythematous sore throat from:

• pharyngitis;
• scarlet fever;
• oral candidiasis;
• tularemia;
• diphtheria;
• flu;
• mononucleosis;
• measles;
• listeriosis.

Important! Streptococcal infection gives the most severe systemic complications, so antibiotics must be used to eliminate it.

Distinctive features

Erythematous tonsillitis differs from other forms of pathology not only in clinical manifestations, but also in the peculiarities of the course. At the initial stage of development of angina, severe intoxication is observed, which occurs due to an increase in the concentration of toxic substances in the blood. Often in the phase of acute inflammation, patients complain of sharp abdominal pain, diarrhea and flatulence.

In the absence of complications and moderate virulence of pathogens, the palatine tonsils remain "clean", ie. without pus, throughout the illness. As a rule, the temperature does not exceed subfebrile values, but it lasts for 5-7 days. Discomfort in the throat reaches its maximum on the third day after infection. With adequate treatment, the soreness disappears within 3-4 days, but a slight perspiration can bother the patient for at least another week.

Risks and complications

Even a mild form of sore throat can cause serious post-infectious complications. Lack of adequate therapy and premature rejection of antibiotics result in the development of local and systemic pathologies. In most cases, complications occur in children with low body reactivity. The most common local effects of catarrhal sore throat include:

• otitis media;
• retropharyngeal abscess;
• chronic tonsillitis;
• sinusitis;
• phlegmon of the throat.

Systemic complications occur after the transition of catarrhal tonsillitis to purulent inflammation. Pathological changes in tissues lead to the accumulation of toxic substances in the blood, which causes disruption of the work of individual organs and systems. In most cases, patients are diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, endocarditis, pyelonephritis, encephalitis, sepsis, etc.

Important! Systemic complications can appear within a few weeks after the elimination of the main symptoms of tonsillitis.

General recommendations

How should catarrhal sore throat be treated? ENT disease is accompanied by poisoning of the body with metabolites of pathogens, which creates a great burden on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.To reduce the likelihood of systemic complications, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Observe bed rest during the period of exacerbation of inflammatory processes;
2. Eliminate solid foods from the diet, which can injure the hyperemic tissue of the throat;
3. Provide the patient with a plentiful drink in the form of fortified warm drinks (fruit drink, fruit juice, tea, compote);
4. With a strong increase in regional lymph nodes, make applications (compresses) on the neck;
5. Gargle with baking soda and saline to reduce pathogens and mucosal swelling.

Difficulty breathing with angina is a manifestation of severe inflammation of the pharynx. Untimely elimination of puffiness can lead to a critical narrowing of the throat and even suffocation. To exclude the likelihood of such complications, treatment should be started when the first signs of tonsillitis are detected.

Treatment principles

Therapy of catarrhal sore throat is practically no different from the principles of treatment of purulent forms of pathology. The cause of the disease, i.e. bacteria or viruses are eliminated with etiotropic drugs, and the symptoms are palliative. The conservative treatment regimen for angina includes medicines of the following groups:

1. Antibiotics - destroy pathogenic bacteria, which prevents the occurrence of severe systemic complications;
2. Antiviral agents - inhibit the development of viruses that provoke catarrhal processes in the throat;
3. Local anesthetics - reduce the sensitivity of pain receptors, which contributes to the elimination of pain syndrome;
4. Anti-inflammatory drugs - inhibit the synthesis of inflammatory mediators, which leads to a decrease in edema in hyperemic tissues;
5. Antipyretics - normalize the process of perspiration and restore normal heat exchange with the environment;
6. Immunostimulants - stimulate the synthesis of interferon, which helps to increase nonspecific immunity.

Symptomatic medicines are available in the form of rinses, aerosols, lozenges, syrups, rectal suppositories, etc. To prevent the occurrence of bronchospasm, it is undesirable to use aerosols to treat children under the age of 4 years.

Features of antibiotic therapy

How is catarrhal sore throat in children treated? Bacterial inflammation is treated with antimicrobial drugs. They contain components that destroy the cell walls of pathogens or inhibit the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which prevents their further reproduction. To eliminate the causative agents of catarrhal inflammation, antibiotics of several groups are used:

Important! An overdose of antibiotics leads to angioedema (angioedema).

When choosing antimicrobial drugs, the doctor takes into account the resistance of the pathogen to a particular antibiotic, the patient's age, the tendency to allergic reactions, side effects, etc. Self-selection of antibiotics often becomes the cause of the transition of catarrhal inflammation to purulent sore throat.

Symptomatic treatment

Complex therapy allows you to quickly eliminate both the cause of the disease and its symptoms. To alleviate the course of tonsillitis, it is necessary to use symptomatic drugs. For these purposes, the following types of medicines are used:

No matter how easy the disease may seem, treatment should be carried out only under the supervision of a specialist. Timely destruction of pathogenic flora prevents deep tissue damage and recurrence of inflammation.