A reddened throat is a problem that parents of young children often face. To recognize the onset of a sore throat or other disease, it is important to know what a healthy throat looks like in a child.
Red throat in young children is not uncommon.
Signs of a healthy throat
The indicators of the norm in the case of the throat are easy to determine by the following signs:
- uniform pink color of the tonsils, without plaque and red veins;
- soft pale pink palate with no signs of hyperemia;
- the color of the walls of the throat is the same shade as the tonsils;
- absence of plaque, spots, rash, puffiness, hypertrophied follicles;
- pale pink or slightly reddish color of the tongue without plaque on the papillae.
Cause for concern
Even knowing what throat a healthy child should have, based on the results of his examination, it is not always possible to know with absolute certainty whether the baby is sick or not. The fact is that redness is not always a sign of a serious illness, and the absence of redness is not always a proof of health.
Note. The neck of a baby can hurt, redden, swell and become covered with plaque for various reasons: from an allergic reaction to respiratory viruses and bacterial inflammations.
Since not many parents are able to distinguish the pharyngeal tonsil from the palatine, it is recommended to entrust the examination of the child and determine the presence of the disease to a qualified specialist. He not only knows very well what throat a healthy child should have, but also easily recognizes even the slightest pathology.
Signs of inflammation
The main sign that the larynx is inflamed is redness. To see it, parents need to look at the baby's throat. To do this is often problematic - the baby will be scared, and he will inevitably begin to get angry and resist. The result is a serious risk of throat injury.
The child's throat should be examined with the utmost care.
How to inspect
To keep everything going well, it is recommended that you follow these tips:
- Taking the baby in the arms, try to calm him down.
- Before the procedure, it is important to make sure that there is enough light in the room.
- The larynx is best viewed with a small flashlight (such as a pen) and a small spoon without sharp edges.
- After the baby opens his mouth, you should gently and gently hold your tongue with a spoon. The child will inhale, the tongue will drop as a result, and you can calmly examine the larynx.
- If the baby is spinning strongly during examination, you can hold it.
Important! The examination of the baby should be carried out in daylight. In this case, he should fall on the larynx if the manipulation is performed without using a flashlight.
Redness degree
The degree of redness of the larynx and palate, as well as the presence of additional symptoms in the child, help determine what kind of disease the baby has. To make an accurate diagnosis, it is not enough to know what the throat looks like in a healthy child and to notice any deviations.
The parent's task is to make sure that their baby has problems with the larynx. The diagnosis and administration of therapy should be entrusted to the attending physician. In many cases, examining the throat will not be enough and additional tests will be required.
A red throat may indicate a variety of diseases.
Tonsillitis
Most often, inflammation of the tonsils in children occurs against the background of sore throat or tonsillitis during an exacerbation. Sometimes the problem is caused by excessive hypothermia, autoimmune disorders, allergies, negative external factors (for example, poor ecology) and a number of other reasons. When the tonsils are enlarged and reddened, this means that the child's body is actively fighting the pathogen that has struck it.
Important! When the symptoms of the disease disappear, many parents are confident that their baby is completely healthy. In fact, pathogens can continue their activity in the lacunae of the tonsils.
Diseases that cause sore throat
Most parents know very well how to understand that a child has a red throat. To determine exactly what caused the inflammation, it is worth using the help of a specialist in the field of medicine. Most often, the larynx in children becomes inflamed and reddens with the following diseases.
Angina
Angina is catarrhal, follicular and lacunar.
The catarrhal type of the disease mainly affects the palatine tonsils. At the same time, the lymph nodes acquire increased soreness. Catarrhal sore throat usually lasts a couple of days, after which it either passes or goes into another form - follicular. This disease is characterized by damage to the follicular apparatus of the tonsils. With her, the baby feels a severe sore throat, the temperature can rise to +40 degrees. On the tonsils with the naked eye, suppuration is visible in the form of formations of white-yellow color.
Angina is a problem that most children face.
With lacunar angina, not only the tonsils become inflamed, but also the lymph nodes.
Pharyngitis
Pharyngitis in children is one of the manifestations of acute respiratory infection, which occurs with inflammation of the mucous membrane and lymphoid structures of the posterior pharyngeal wall. The disease among babies is very widespread, so the definition of this disease is not difficult for parents. Pharyngitis often develops in parallel with bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis, rhinitis.
Adenoids
Adenoids are another diagnosis often made in young children. This disease proceeds, accompanied by inflammation inside the nasopharynx and hypertrophy of the adenoid tissue. In fact, we are talking about the proliferation of tissue of the pharyngeal tonsil. Often, only surgery can get rid of adenoids.
Chronic tonsillitis
Chronic tonsillitis means an infectious-allergic disease, the course of which is accompanied by the development of persistent inflammation of the tonsils. Most often, the palatine tonsil suffers.
The lymphoid tissue of the tonsils is inherently the first barrier to the entry of microorganisms into the respiratory tract. In chronic tonsillitis, the tonsils themselves become a source of infection and the cause of the penetration of pathogens into tissues and organs.
Diagnostics
Finding out what a red throat looks like in a small child is very informative, but completely insufficient for making an accurate diagnosis. The normal diagnostic process involves a series of tests.
Blood test
If you suspect a sore throat or other disease accompanied by inflammation, a general blood test is prescribed. It allows you to determine the degree of aggressiveness and development of the pathogen. The analysis will also help to understand how the child's body will react to this or that antibiotic.
Infection smear
A swab from the throat of a sick baby for infection is another way to diagnose sore throat. The essence of testing is that a specialist takes a swab from the child's throat and sends it to the laboratory for research. For microorganisms taken from a smear, a favorable environment is created in which they multiply and form colonies. This allows you to determine the type of microorganism responsible for the disease and the most appropriate antibiotic for treatment. The only drawback of this method of diagnosis is that it differs in the duration of the diagnosis. Determining the disease through blood sampling is much faster.
Instrumental examination
Instrumental examination for sore throat consists of pharyngoscopy. This is a simple procedure that does not involve the use of expensive equipment or preliminary preparation of a small patient. It is a visual examination of the throat mucosa.
X-ray
X-rays are a great way to diagnose laryngitis, pharyngitis, and some other inflammatory throat conditions. Often it is she who is appointed if it is impossible to carry out laryngoscopy for some reason. The technical capabilities of the X-ray allow the study to be carried out in lateral and direct projections.
Disease prevention
Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Throat problems in young children are no exception. In this regard, measures to strengthen the throat are incredibly important. They will help avoid infectious, viral and colds. As preventive measures, it will be useful:
- enrich the child's diet with foods rich in vitamins;
- walk with the baby daily;
- start hardening the crumbs;
- prevent your child from drinking cold drinks;
- massage the throat.
Timely prevention will get rid of the disease
The health of the child is the main concern of any parent. Redness in a baby's throat should not drive moms and dads into panic, but it can make them immediately contact a pediatrician.
