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Doctors distinguish between two types of tonsillitis: acute, which is known to many under the name “tonsillitis”, and chronic. The latter develops without proper treatment of the acute form.
Acute tonsillitis in children is quite common, especially children from one to three years old are especially susceptible to this disease. 2/3 of children with tonsillitis fall into this age group. Over the years, fewer and fewer children suffer from this disease. Between the ages of 7 and 18, tonsillitis occurs in about 3% of children.
Symptoms of tonsillitis in children
Symptoms of tonsillitis in children appear already on the first or second day after infection. Usually this disease is characterized by:
- high body temperature (up to 40 ° C is possible);
- severe sore throat, aggravated by swallowing;
- enlargement and redness of the tonsils (they may have plaque);
- enlargement of the submandibular lymph nodes;
- sometimes disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Often these symptoms of tonsillitis in children are combined with headaches, loss of appetite, lethargy and weakness.
Treatment of tonsillitis in children
Before proceeding with the treatment of tonsillitis, you need to figure out what caused it. These are usually either viruses or bacteria.
– Treatment of tonsillitis in children depends on the pathogen. Viral tonsillitis goes away without treatment – only symptomatic therapy is required to alleviate the child’s condition. But in the case when the disease is caused by bacteria, for example, beta-hemolytic streptococcus, the use of an antibiotic is necessary. This bacterium is capable of causing serious complications in the heart, kidneys and joints,” says otorhinolaryngologist Elina Mashinets.
The main snag is that it is almost impossible to determine “by eye” whether a disease is caused by a virus or a bacterium. To do this, you need to resort to laboratory diagnostic methods, for example, to take a swab from the throat. If the cause of the disease is a virus, you can forget about antibiotics, and instead drink more and rest. With a strong temperature, you should give the child an antipyretic, and with severe pain in the throat – lozenges with an analgesic effect.
Since it is painful for a child to swallow with tonsillitis, and it is necessary to eat, doctors advise giving children non-hot soft food. Dishes should not be spicy or sour, it is better to give preference to chicken broth, jelly, etc.
But the main thing is to drink more, an abundance of fluid is the key to treating tonsillitis. On the day, doctors advise drinking up to two liters of compotes or cranberry juice.
What antibiotics can be used for tonsillitis
If the tests confirm that tonsillitis is bacterial and caused by streptococci, you should definitely contact an otolaryngologist for a prescription for antibiotics. They treat only this kind of tonsillitis. The choice of antibiotic is up to the doctor and depends on many factors.
Some drugs are allowed only from a certain age, for example, from three, six or 15 years. The child may have an allergic reaction to others.
As antibiotics, the doctor can prescribe the following drugs:
- Geksaliz (lozenges for resorption);
- Grammidin with anesthetic (lozenges for resorption);
- Hexaspray (aerosol);
- Ampioks (capsules);
- Amoxiclav (powder for preparation of suspension);
- Cefalexin (capsules);
- Ceftriaxone (powder for solution for injection).
If the treatment of tonsillitis in children involves taking an antibiotic, it is important to give the drug as prescribed by the doctor, strictly observing the duration of the course, even if the child gets better much earlier.
“In addition to antibiotics, in the treatment of tonsillitis in children, local antiseptics are used: rinses, sprays and lozenges for the throat, which have an analgesic effect,” says otorhinolaryngologist Elina Mashinets.
With local treatment, many doctors advise using:
- Hexetidine;
- Chlorhexidine;
- Ketoprofen;
- Benzydamine hydrochloride.
Folk remedies
– Of the folk methods of treatment, gargling with decoctions of sage and chamomile should be noted. Of course, provided that the age of the child allows rinsing. Also, to relieve inflammation, it is useful to keep honey in the mouth until completely dissolved, but only if the child is not allergic, says otorhinolaryngologist Elina Mashinets.
But it is important to keep in mind that if tonsillitis is of bacterial origin, it cannot be cured with decoctions alone. Running streptococcal tonsillitis can lead to serious complications: abscesses, purulent lymphadenitis, rheumatic heart disease and other ailments. So folk remedies are good only if the otolaryngologist has approved their use in your particular case.
Prevention at home
The main measure for the prevention of tonsillitis in children is thorough hand washing. You should teach your child to do this as early as possible. In general, the recommendations for prevention are quite general: do not get cold, harden (without fanaticism), walk in the fresh air and eat a balanced diet. All this strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of contracting tonsillitis.
It’s easier than ever to pick up this disease from another child, so it’s better to avoid contact with those who have SARS and tonsillitis.