The appearance of pain in the throat in most cases indicates the development of an inflammatory reaction of a viral or bacterial origin. When a child has a sore throat, treatment should be started immediately to avoid serious complications.
Sore throat in children is accompanied by a change in their usual behavior. The child stops playing, tries to go to bed, is naughty, cries, refuses to eat, or may complain of other symptoms. This clinical picture indicates a developing intoxication syndrome, the severity of which depends on the cause of the disease. In this case, it is recommended to specifically pay attention to the further development of the disease and the addition of the following symptoms.
If your child has severe sore throat and symptoms such as seizures, loss of consciousness, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, swallowing, swelling of the tongue, skin rashes, or febrile fever, an ambulance should be called.
The most common reasons when a child has a sore throat include:
- SARS, flu;
- chicken pox;
- angina;
- measles;
- teething;
- diphtheria;
- rubella.
Some differences between viral and bacterial infections
| Signs | Viral infection | Bacterial infection |
| Prevalence | Lead in children | Are inferior in the number of cases |
| Incubation period | 3-6 days | 2 weeks or more |
| Development, symptoms | Rapid onset with rhinorrhea, lacrimation, sore throat, body aches. | A rapid rise in temperature up to 38 degrees, the child may complain of severe sore throat and malaise. |
| Complications | Rarely | Often |
| Antibacterial treatment | Not effective | Effective with the correct choice of medication in accordance with the type of pathogenic pathogen |
| Skin integument | Often red | Pale |
| Causative agents | Adenoviruses, parainfluenza, various strains of influenza. | Streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae |
A sore throat in a child appears against the background of a decrease in immune defense during an exacerbation of chronic infectious pathology (tonsillitis, sinusitis), with vitamin deficiency, after severe hypothermia, wet feet, contact with a person suffering from an infectious disease, as well as during infection through household items.
Angina
The tonsils are the first to meet the infection, which is why the child often has a sore throat and tonsillitis. Clinically, the disease is characterized by symptoms of intoxication and local signs of damage to the tonsils. Symptoms include:
- severe sore throat, which is worse when swallowing, talking, crying.
- difficulty swallowing due to enlarged swollen tonsils;
- severe malaise;
- febrile hyperthermia;
- enlarged regional lymph nodes, which, when palpated, feel indurated and painful.
In young children, against the background of a rise in temperature above 38.5 degrees, vomiting, convulsions and impaired consciousness may appear.
| Tonsillitis form | Symptoms | Picture with pharyngoscopy |
| Catarrhal | Subfebrile hyperthermia, malaise and sore throat in a child. | The tonsils are hyperemic, edematous, enlarged. |
| Follicular | Febrile hyperthermia, pain in the throat | On the tonsils, purulent grains are visualized against the background of edematous tissue. When the abscesses are opened, the discharge spreads over the surface of the tonsils, forming a film. |
| Lacunar | Temperature above 38 degrees, severe pain, pronounced signs of intoxication | Purulent discharge accumulates in the lacunae, a membranous plaque is found on the surface of the tonsils. |
| Necrotic | Hectic fever, severe pain syndrome that prevents talking and chewing. | Necrotic masses occupy not only the tissue of the tonsils, but also the palatine arches, uvula, and sometimes the larynx. |
| Ulcerative film | Fever reaches 39 degrees, severe pain is noted. | Ulcerative defects form on the surface of the tonsils and are covered with a film. |
Chicken pox
Sore throat in children can be specific. The causative agent of chickenpox is a virus of the herpesvirus family. It mainly affects children, but the development of the disease occurs at an older age, forming strong immunity for many years. Children become infected through the air from a particle of saliva through communication or sneezing.
After the end of the incubation period (6-20 days), symptoms appear:
- headache;
- chills;
- aching joints, muscles;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea, vomiting);
- fever;
- rashes in the form of bullous dermatitis in children appear among the first signs;
- sore throat in children.
The rash appears in the form of single elements that arise without any pattern. First, spots are noted, then papules and vesicles filled with light liquid. The disease is characterized by dripping, therefore, on one part of the body, you can see the crusts formed after the opening of the vesicle, on the other - spots.
Brushing the rash increases the risk of infection and scarring. With suppuration of loose elements, the condition deteriorates sharply.
The rash can be localized on the oral mucosa, provoking the appearance of erosions, after which the child complains of a sore throat. Among the possible complications, it is worth highlighting:
- abscesses, phlegmon, sepsis;
- keratitis;
- encephalitis;
- cardiac damage (myocarditis);
- renal dysfunction (nephritis);
- arthritis;
- hepatitis.
Note that complications occur in 5% of cases when the doctor's recommendations are not followed, usually against the background of secondary infection.
Measles
The manifestations of measles are represented by catarrhal symptoms and exanthema. Viral infection occurs by air, after which it takes 10-20 days before the first symptoms appear. The virus enters the body through the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract and spreads through the bloodstream. The most sensitive to the virus are the skin, conjunctiva, oral mucosa and respiratory tract.
In rare cases, there is a brain damage in the form of measles encephalitis. With necrotization of the respiratory tract mucosa, the risk of secondary bacterial infection increases. With long-term preservation of the virus, the development of autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, lupus) is possible.
The catarrhal period is characterized by a fever reaching 39 degrees. The child is worried about insomnia, headache, severe malaise and chills. The child's next complaint is dry cough, rhinorrhea with discharge of mucopurulent masses, conjunctivitis with a purulent component and photophobia.
The child constantly has a sore throat due to severe hyperemia and granularity of the posterior pharyngeal wall. For hyperthermia, a wave-like flow is characteristic. On the 4th day, specific spots appear on the mucous membrane of the cheeks, which are a hallmark of measles. Irregular red spots are visualized on the soft palate, which, after fusion, are not detected.
A rash on the skin begins from the head, gradually descending to the extremities. It is represented by bright spots, papules, which merge and fade over time.
Among the complications, it is worth highlighting:
- bacterial pneumonia;
- laryngitis;
- stomatitis;
- bronchitis.
False croup leads to a decrease in the lumen of the larynx, which threatens asphyxiation.
Meningitis, encephalitis, and polyneuritis occur only in adults.
Diphtheria
A representative of bacterial diseases is diphtheria, which is characterized by a fibrinous type of inflammatory reaction at the site of penetration of pathogenic pathogens into the body.In most cases, the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and larynx is affected.
Depending on the localization of the pathological focus, damage to the nose, external reproductive organs, eyes, skin is distinguished, but now we will take a closer look at diphtheria of the oropharynx and larynx.
Children can get diphtheria after infection and activation of Leffler's bacillus. Symptomatically, a child's sore throat, febrile hyperthermia, headache, severe malaise, decreased appetite, increased heart rate and pale skin are recorded.
2 days after the onset of the first symptoms, fibrinous plaque appears on the surface of the tonsils, and the tissue of the tonsils becomes dense with a pearlescent shade.
Do not try to remove plaque from the tonsils yourself, this will lead to the appearance of an open wound surface and bleeding.
The inflammatory reaction is accompanied by an increase in regional lymph nodes. When probed, they become somewhat painful. With a localized form of the disease, a quick recovery usually occurs, the temperature returns to normal after 3 days, and the plaque disappears after a week.
In the case of a common form, plaque is localized not only on the tonsils, but on the surrounding mucous membrane. In this case, the syndrome of intoxication and lymphadenopathy are much more pronounced.
The subtoxic and toxic form is manifested by intense pain in the throat, swelling of the neck, plaque affecting the tonsils, palatine arches and uvula. Among the complications, it is worth highlighting a decrease in blood pressure, cyanosis of the lips, dyspeptic disorders, impaired consciousness, the appearance of hallucinations, infectious-toxic shock, toxic damage to the kidneys and the nervous system (polyradiculoneuropathy).
Separately, it should be said about diphtheria croup, in which the following stages are distinguished:
- dysphonic, characterized by the appearance of a rough cough, reminiscent of a dog barking, and voice hoarseness;
- stenotic - manifested by noisy breathing, shortness of breath, lack of voice (aphonia), soundless cough due to stenosis of the vocal cords;
- asphyxia is a life-threatening stage when shortness of breath increases, respiratory failure worsens, which leads to severe hypoxia and multiple organ failure.
Rubella
The child's body is susceptible to the development of rubella due to viral infection from a sick person. In the case of congenital rubella, pathogens are excreted with mucus from the nasal cavity or urine. Infection of a newborn occurs transplacentally from a sick pregnant woman.
The virus multiplies in the lymph nodes, spreads through the bloodstream, settling in the lymph nodes and skin, thereby provoking the production of antibodies. After illness, a stable immunity is formed.
The first signs appear 10-20 days after infection, starting with subfebrile fever, malaise, headache, dry cough, sore throat and rhinitis. Among the manifestations of conjunctivitis, lacrimation, irritation of the conjunctiva and photophobia should be noted.
Throat diseases in children caused by the rubella virus are manifested by lymphadenitis of the occipital and mid-cervical localization, which lasts up to 20 days.
The rash is preceded by itching, the rash is localized everywhere, except for the palmar and plantar areas. The loose elements are small, red, in the form of rounded spots that do not rise above the skin. In children, the rash does not drain.
With rashes, fever is absent, sometimes there is soreness in the joints, dyspeptic symptoms and a slight increase in the liver and spleen.
After 4 days, there is no trace of the rash. Children carry the disease much easier than adults. 
Complications are extremely rare, but you need to know about them:
- pneumonia;
- tonsillitis;
- otitis;
- arthritis;
- thrombocytopenia.
If rubella proceeds during pregnancy, there is a high risk of congenital anomalies in the fetus and intrauterine death.
Teething
The first teeth appear at 4-6 months, starting with the incisors and molars. By the age of three, there are usually approximately 20 teeth that persist until the age of 7. Gradually, milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth.
In children, especially infants, teething may be accompanied by the appearance of clinical symptoms such as:
- sore gums, throat;
- swollen gums;
- increased salivation;
- capriciousness;
- sleep disturbance;
- itching of the gums, which causes the child to try to drag a toy into his mouth.
Note that in a minority of cases, the process of teething is accompanied by:
- subfebrile hyperthermia, which is associated with a short decrease in immune defense and lasts no longer than 3 days;
- vomiting, diarrhea (watery stool for 2 days is an absolutely normal manifestation in this period);
- rhinorrhea, the appearance of which is due to the intense production of mucus in the nasopharynx, as a protective reaction with a decrease in immunity;
- cough.
In moments of illness, you should not strengthen the child's immunity by starting to harden him. Drinking plenty of fluids, vitamin therapy, walks in the fresh air and good nutrition are considered the most applicable. As for hardening, it is really effective, provided the correct approach to the procedures is carried out, since the child needs to harden the throat wisely, preventing the development of the disease.
