What to do if a child has a white coating on the tonsils?

A white bloom in the throat, especially on the tonsils, always looks frightening, and therefore the fears of parents who find it in their child are fully justified, because this can be a sign of rather serious pathologies. You will learn from this article about what white plaque on the tonsils can tell about the baby's condition and how to act if it appears.

What does this mean?

A white coating on the tonsils and tongue of an infant may not speak of anything pathological and scary. For babies who are on a dairy diet, feed exclusively on breast milk or a mixture with a small proportion of complementary foods, a small white coating is normal. If there are no other symptoms of ill health, the child is cheerful, cheerful, eats well and sleeps, there is nothing to worry about.

It is much worse if such a light bloom on the tonsils appears in a child over a year old who already eats not only dairy products. Plaque itself is not dangerous, it is always a symptom of the disease, so you need to carefully assess the condition of the little one and understand what really bothers him.

Any plaque, including white, is a clear evidence of the enhanced work of local immunity.

The nose and oropharynx are the gateways for all kinds of viruses and bacteria, as well as fungi. Naturally, they are the first to react to the penetration of a foreign microorganism. The nose - the production of abundant mucus, whose task is to bind viruses, immobilize them, the larynx and pharynx - reddening of the mucous membranes, violent inflammation, which is designed to create unfavorable conditions for microbes and viruses for reproduction.

Tonsils (palatine, pharyngeal), which consist of lymphoid tissue, are an important link in the work of immunity, just like the spleen, which consists of lymphoid tissue. Understanding this, it is easy to imagine that they take a considerable blow when they become infected with something. White plaque on the tonsils is an accumulation of immune cells-lymphocytes, "dead in battle", discolored dead epithelial cells and "defeated" particles of viruses or other pathogens. By the location, nature of the plaque, its density and shade, it is possible with a high degree of probability to assume what kind of disease happened in the child. True, for this, other symptoms should be assessed - temperature, runny nose or its absence, the presence of inflammatory processes in the throat and other signs.

Causes

Most often, children are affected by viral infections. They are also leaders in the number of a wide variety of symptoms, including a white coating on the tonsils. White dots, which gradually grow in volume and become like spots, can appear with some types of sore throat. In this case, there is a pronounced swelling of the palatine tonsil. Whitish bubbles are often a sign of stomatitis; they move rather quickly to other parts of the oropharynx - to the tongue, to the inner surface of the cheeks, gums, pharyngeal ring.

White bloom practically without temperature causes fungi... Fungal infection is considered a very dangerous condition, since it tends to spread rather quickly and sometimes affects the internal organs.

Below is a far from complete list of the most likely causes of the defeat of the tonsils with white bloom:

Stomatitis. The mechanism of the onset of the disease is not yet very clear to medicine, in any case, there is no single answer to the question of why lymphocytes suddenly begin to attack peaceful and related mucous membranes of the oral cavity. There is an assumption that viruses or microbes cause such a reaction, but quite often laboratory tests show neither one nor the other. A white or slightly yellowish coating on the tonsils (tonsils) is usually found at a very advanced stage of stomatitis. High temperature with stomatitis usually does not happen, if it is, it keeps at subfebrile values - 37.0-37.50.

Cysts on the tonsils. These benign neoplasms usually appear on the tonsils due to impaired drainage functions of the lymphoid tissue. Cysts are single and multiple. It's easy to see them. The child complains of perspiration, a feeling of something foreign in the throat when swallowing, his voice may become nasal, nasal breathing may be disturbed. White plaque is localized exclusively in the area of cyst formation, it does not spread further. There may be no temperature at all.

Pharyngomycosis... This disease is caused by fungi that affect the throat. At first, ordinary pharyngitis can be suspected and this illusion is quite dangerous. With pharyngomycosis, fungal colonies multiply rapidly and, in the absence of specific antifungal treatment, can affect internal organs. White plaque appears both in the throat and on the tonsils, it has a focal character. If the cause of the disease are fungi such as "Candida", then the plaque will be milky white. If it is mold, then a little yellowish. The process can proceed without temperature.
Angina. All types of this disease are characterized by changes in the tonsils. They become edematous, inflamed, with some forms of angina, white plaques and abscesses appear on the bright red, contrasting tonsil. With bacterial sore throat Simonovsky - Paut - Vincent, the plaque on the tonsil looks like a stretched thin film of a dirty white serous color. Almost always, the disease is characterized by an acute course, high fever, severe sore throat. Any form of sore throat, if improperly treated, can give such a visual symptom as the appearance of abscesses, pimples, white spots, plugs on the tonsils.

Diphtheria. The affected tonsils and throat with this dangerous infectious disease swell greatly, which is fraught with the occurrence of respiratory failure in children. White bloom looks like a film, when removed, bleeding wounds appear. Not so long ago, diphtheria was considered deadly. Now all children in certain age categories receive a compulsory diphtheria vaccine (DPT). Therefore, the likelihood of getting sick with it is not as great as it seems. But to exclude the danger is not worth it at all.

Adenoids. Most often, this diagnosis is made in children aged 2 to 7 years. The child's nasal breathing is disturbed, sometimes completely. It is associated with hyperplasia of the pharyngeal tonsil. Only children's ENT is able to see the plaque and bumps on the pharyngeal tonsil, since its anatomical location is such that it is not possible to look into the nasopharyngeal vault without a special mirror. Plaque with adenitis appears when the disease worsens, proceeds against the background of a concomitant cold or viral illness.

Diagnostics

Even very caring and worried parents do not look into the child's throat every day, and therefore you need to be attentive to the baby's behavior and his complaints. Plaque - clearly not the first sign of the onset of the disease. If the baby coughs, he has a sore throat, there is pain when swallowing, it hurts to chew, his nose does not breathe, it is imperative to measure the temperature and examine the throat.

To do this, use a small flashlight and a spoon with a flat handle. You need to put the child by the window. Do not press hard with a spoon on the tongue, especially on its root - this provokes reflex vomiting. It is enough to lightly press the tip of the tongue against the lower teeth.

Evaluate the color of the oropharynx; in a healthy child, it is pink and solid.

It is difficult to assess the condition of the tonsils by eye, since there is no uniform size - in some children they are larger due to innate characteristics of the body, in others - less. But the inflammation on the tonsils and the accompanying white plaque is not difficult to see. Normally, there should be no films, ulcers and plaques on the tonsils. Be sure to assess whether the plaque spreads in the form of small dots or films to the adjacent tongue, cheeks, throat.

Examine and assess the degree of enlargement of the lymph nodes under the jaw, in the back of the head, as well as undress the child and carefully examine the skin for rashes, incomprehensible formations, pimples that appeared suddenly. After that, parents should definitely call a doctor.

You do not need to take your child to the clinic, some of the diseases that appear with a white bloom are very infectious.

A doctor who will carefully listen to everything that the parents saw during an independent examination will have to find out not only what ailment "happened" to the child, but also what specific pathogen is to blame for this. This is important for the choice of treatment tactics. Therefore, the baby must take swabs from the throat and tonsils. This allows you to establish with great accuracy whether bacteria or fungi have settled in the oropharynx, and provide the necessary assistance. In addition, blood, urine and feces are always tested.

Treatment

If bacteria are causing the disease, the child may need antibiotics. Most often, treatment begins with antimicrobial agents of the penicillin group ("Ampicillin", "Augmentin"). If after three days there are no changes in the child's condition, the doctor may change the drug to a drug from another antimicrobial group, for example, a macrolide or a cephalosporin antibiotic. Treatment should be course, at least 5 days. If the baby feels better, and the plaque begins to disappear, before the end of the course of taking the drug, then the treatment cannot be interrupted.

If the doctor determines that the plaque is the cause of a viral infection, he may advise antiviral agents. Although their effectiveness has not been clinically proven to date. The most effective will be the treatment associated with the local treatment of the tonsils. To do this, use Vinilin balm, Miramistin antiseptic, and rinsing with furacilin solution.

Fungal diseases in children are treated in a complex way - using local treatment and antifungal drugs inside. The drug is chosen depending on the type of fungus that is found in the tests. It is possible to completely cure a fungal infection and minimize it only as a result of early treatment, quick diagnosis and a rather long course of medication - from 14 days. Then, after a short break, the course is usually repeated.

If the matter is in an enlarged pharyngeal tonsil, then the doctor will definitely set the stage and degree of adenitis. The first degree does not need surgical intervention, grade 2 adenoids are a very individual situation. If breathing is not completely disturbed, then the doctor will definitely take the opportunity and advise you to treat them at home. With grade 3 adenoids, they are usually removed. But since this is an important immune organ, any chance to preserve them is important for both the doctor and the child. An overgrown tonsil can be cut with a laser. This is the most gentle type of intervention.

Regardless of the reason that caused the appearance of white plaque, the child can be assigned restorative and therapeutic physiotherapy at the stage of recovery. This is heating, inhalation for non-bacterial and non-fungal diseases. The method of therapy for enlarged and inflamed tonsils has also proven effective. ultrasound.

The fact is that ultrasound has a surprisingly powerful effect on lymphoid tissue. It helps her to recover, saturates with oxygen, helps to become more susceptible to drugs. Before and after exposure to the sensor, the tonsils are washed first with an antiseptic, and then with a solution prescribed by a doctor with a certain drug.

This method is not suitable for children with an acute infectious disease, but after recovery, it will help to rehabilitate faster and restore the ability of the tonsils to maintain local immunity.

Useful Tips

Problems with the tonsils and other organs of the respiratory system will be significantly lessif the child breathes sufficiently humidified air. It is desirable that it be at least 50% in the apartment, but also not higher than 70%. Such conditions will be created by a special device for household use - an air humidifier.
Treatment of tonsils should not be carried out independently, without the advice of a doctor. Traditional methods can harm the child.

So, with white bloom, steam inhalation and warming compresses cannot be applied to the throat, since for bacteria and fungi, heat and moisture from steam is the optimal environment for more rapid reproduction.

If white plaque is found on the tonsils, you cannot try to remove it yourself with the help of available tools. This can injure the child, cause bleeding, infection with additional germs, and, in the case of fungal plaque, lead to more rapid colonization, which can cause serious complications such as fungal sepsis.
Immediately after the child's temperature drops, you can start walking in the fresh air. It is very important for the respiratory system and for the recovery of lympmoid tissue after infection that the child leads an active lifestyle. In addition, walks help the immune system recover and strengthen faster.