You will not surprise experienced parents with a reddened children's throat - this happens to sons and daughters quite often. A completely different matter is a white coating in the throat.
How to react to a whitened tongue, tonsils, larynx, most parents have no idea. Nevertheless, a light bloom can be a symptom of rather dangerous ailments. What he can talk about, we will try to tell in this article.
What the plaque says
A healthy throat in a healthy child has an even pinkish pale color. There should be no swelling, rashes, abscesses and ulcers in the norm. Does not fit into the concept of the norm and pronounced plaque on the tongue, cheeks, tonsils, larynx.
It appears in 90% of cases due to an infectious disease and is a symptom of various predominantly bacterial, viral and fungal diseases.
The remaining 10% is a variant of the physiological norm, for example, in infants who eat only milk.
White bloom is an external manifestation of complex internal processes. As you know, the mucous membranes of the oropharynx are an important immune barrier, which is one of the first to meet pathogenic microbes, viruses and fungal pathogens.
Local immunity, which is assigned to the lymphoid tissue, of which the tonsils and adenoids are composed, immediately reacts to an invasion from the outside and begins to create absolutely unbearable conditions for the "aliens" for life.
Thus, white bloom is nothing more than a clear sign of the normal functioning of the child's immunity. It consists of dead cells of the mucous membrane, "killed in battle" individuals of a microbe or virus, as well as fragments of thickened or dried mucus.
In the vast majority of cases, white dots that gradually increase in size appear on the tonsils. White patches can appear in the mouth and then spread to the throat, as is sometimes the case with stomatitis.
White solid bloom is characteristic of fungal infection. White plaques can appear on the back of the larynx in both viral and bacterial throat diseases.
Much depends not only on the location of the formations of white color or white film, but also on the accompanying symptoms. We will consider the most common ailments in which a white coating may appear in the throat.
Angina
In this disease, the white plaque is not continuous, most often it is a whitish or yellow fragmentary plaque in the form of ulcers, plaques. These formations are especially noticeable against the background of bright reddened, swollen tonsils.
This symptom always occurs with a temperature, sometimes very high. A little later, abscesses may appear in place of the white spots. The place of dislocation of the plaque is the tonsils, sometimes the tongue is covered with a white dense layer.
You will learn how to recognize angina in the next video.
Diphtheria
Thanks to vaccination, this disease is now quite rare, but it has not completely disappeared. Plaque in the throat with this disease has a characteristic gray-white tint. The location is the tonsils and larynx.
The plaque will look like a film. The disease is accompanied by severe intoxication, high fever, and often - swelling of the neck. Plaque is difficult to remove, leaving bleeding ulcers.
Syphilis
This venereal disease can be congenital, or it can be acquired, and syphilis is not always obtained through sexual contact. A child can become infected through contact and everyday life from one of the relatives.
If we are talking about a syphilitic plaque in the throat, then it appears only in the later stages of the disease, is deployed on the back wall of the larynx, looks like a chancre or a small growth with outlined edges. Doesn't hurt and doesn't bother.
Leukoplakia
In this disease, the mucous membranes of the oropharynx are covered with a white coating due to keratinization of the epithelium due to atrophy. In children, the disease is very rare.
The true causes of the onset of the disease are still not clear to medicine. It is generally accepted that mucosal atrophy develops as a result of prolonged exposure that causes inflammation. Such exposure may be a chronic throat disease, often inhalation of tobacco smoke, chemical compounds that cause allergic changes in the laryngeal mucosa.
Candidiasis
With this ailment of the oropharyngeal membrane, a fairly common fungus of the genus Candida affects. The plaque can be quite dense and thick and cover the entire tongue, the inside of the cheeks, tonsils, and part of the pharynx.
At the same time, the temperature rises infrequently, and the thermometer does not rise to very high values - no higher than 37.5. The child does not complain of pain, difficulty in swallowing and breathing.
Many fungi that multiply in the mucous membrane do not bother at all.
Scarlet fever
With this disease, white plaque will be located in the larynx and look like white pimples or blisters. In this case, the general background of the oropharynx will be bright red, saturated. The tongue will be covered with pimples. The rash will also be observed on the body. The disease proceeds against a background of high temperature.
Pharyngitis
A white or grayish-white coating in the throat with this ailment will appear only under very specific circumstances. There are two of them - pharyngitis is atrophic or the disease is granular in nature. In the first case, the plaque will look like a varnish film, in the second - as separate formations in the form of whitish granules.
Violation of hygiene principles
If a child is not accustomed to brushing his teeth every day, rinsing his mouth, brushing his tongue, then the appearance of plaque, especially with caries, is a common thing. As a rule, this phenomenon does not pose a particular danger to life and health, but it is one of the main causes of bad breath.
Actions upon detection of plaque
If you find white bloom, be sure to call a doctor. Desirable, at home, as it can be a symptom of a disease that is quite contagious, and therefore sitting in line at the clinic is a selfish and unreasonable position.
Trying to diagnose yourself is likely to go nowhere. After all, an experienced doctor knows fifty shades of white that can characterize plaque in this or that disease. For mothers, however, a white bloom is just a white bloom, it is impossible to discern the nuances without knowledge, experience and practice.
Even a good doctor, in order to confirm his assumption about the true cause, will take samples of this plaque from the child for laboratory analysis. Usually, scrapings are taken from the tongue, cheeks, and the back of the larynx.
The smear gives an accurate idea of the pathogen that caused the unpleasant symptom. This will make it possible to correctly and accurately prescribe the necessary treatment.
Treatment
Before starting therapy, it is imperative to exclude the bacterial origin of plaque.
The fact is that viral infections that can give such a symptom do not need special treatment. It is enough to give the child more to drink, gargle with saline, and more often bury the same solution in the nose (ideally every 15-20 minutes).
When the temperature rises, you can give an antipyretic, for children, "Paracetamol" is best suited. With severe sore throat, you can irrigate it with antiseptics (Miramistin or furacilin solution).
From medicines, if you really want to buy something at the pharmacy, you can take vitamins and saline - for washing the nasopharynx. Antiviral agents, immunomodulators and immunostimulants have no proven effectiveness.
Antibiotics are contraindicated, since they increase the risk of a secondary infection, which, moreover, will be resistant to antibacterial drugs.
In case of bacterial infection (staphylococcal sore throat, for example), it is important to show the child to the doctor in time to prescribe antibiotics. Rinsing will not bring much benefit, but if you really want, you can use a furacilin solution. In rare cases, with a very severe course of infection, white plaque is removed mechanically. But you should not do this at home, usually such manipulation takes place in a hospital or clinic.
Fungal infections are treated with special antifungal agents, and you should prepare for the fact that the treatment will be not only local (in the throat or mouth), but also general - the doctor will prescribe a course of taking antifungal drugs in tablets.
Separately, it should be said about such means as Lugol's solution, propolis alcohol tinctures, etc.
The mucous membranes will be able to recover faster if they are sufficiently hydrated.
Alcohol solutions, which some advise to use in combination with rinsing water, can lead to only one result - additional drying, which means that the likelihood of complications will increase, and recovery will slow down significantly.
Lugol's solution is an iodine-based preparation. It is not recommended for children because of the easy absorption of iodine. The fact is that, getting on the mucous membranes, especially the damaged ones, iodine is quickly absorbed, accumulates in the body and causes an overdose in the child, which is quite dangerous in itself.
You should not do inhalation with a white bloom in the throat, because warming up only accelerates the rate of reproduction of microbes and fungal pathogens. Warm compresses on the throat are also contraindicated.
