The nose during breathing has an important protective function. The villi located on the mucosa retain the dust in the air, while cleaning it. At the same time, the mucus secreted by the glands moisturizes it and disinfects it with the help of a special substance called lysozyme. Nasal breathing is a normal physiological act, and its violation causes various pathological changes in the body. Inhaled air is not cleaned, moistened or warmed up, and the patient's condition only worsens. The inflammatory process covering the mucous membrane of the nose and throat is called rhinopharyngitis. In children, this disease usually proceeds in an acute form, often requiring prolonged and careful treatment. We will tell you more about this in our article.
Causes of rhinopharyngitis in children
The inflammatory process, covering the nasal cavity and throat, occurs as a result of pathogens entering the mucosa. As a rule, they are viruses, less often - foreign objects and allergens. In some cases, inflammation develops only in the nasopharynx or in isolation in the throat. In the first case, the doctor diagnoses rhinitis, and in the second, pharyngitis. In particular, each of the diseases can spread along the ascending (from the throat to the nose) or descending (vice versa) paths. With the latter scenario, the trachea, bronchi and lungs also suffer.
So, most often rhinopharyngitis in children is of a viral nature and is caused by:
- adenovirus;
- influenza virus;
- causative agent of measles;
- rhinovirus;
- enterovirus.
In rare cases, the causative agent of the disease is bacteria:
- diphtheria bacillus;
- mycoplasma;
- chlamydia
- streptococci;
- staphylococci;
- gonococci.
Rhinopharyngitis is transmitted by airborne droplets and can be diagnosed at any time of the year. The susceptibility to the disease is high, especially for premature and small babies, as well as children with weakened immunity. Often rhinopharyngitis develops against a background of hypothermia. The course of this disease can be acute or chronic. In some cases, allergic rhinopharyngitis can be diagnosed. The causative agents of this form of the disease are allergens.
Symptoms of acute rhinopharyngitis
The onset of the disease is considered the appearance of a sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing. Acute rhinopharyngitis in children in all clinical cases without exception is accompanied by a runny nose, which is explained by the structural features of the nasopharynx. As for age, in children under the age of 3 years, and especially in infants, the disease is much more difficult than in schoolchildren and adults.
As a result of the accumulation of mucus in a child who is breastfed, there are difficulties with sucking. After two sips, he is forced to drop his chest to breathe air through his mouth. This causes him increased anxiety and leads to sleep disturbance.
As a rule, with rhinopharyngitis in children, the following symptoms of the disease appear:
- nasal congestion;
- difficulty in nasal breathing;
- runny nose;
- sneezing
- sore throat;
- pain when swallowing;
- headache;
- body aches;
- night cough caused by mucus flowing down the back wall;
- temperature increase (from slight to high).
Another symptom of rhinopharyngitis and tracheitis in children, the treatment of which requires special attention, is a dry paroxysmal cough. Complications of rhinopharyngitis in young children can be bronchitis and pneumonia. But false croup is considered especially dangerous, arising as a result of inflammation of the vocal cords and requiring emergency first aid.
In the absence of complications, the disease lasts no more than seven days and ends in recovery.
How is chronic rhinopharyngitis manifested?
With insufficient treatment of the acute form, the disease proceeds to the next stage. Chronic rhinopharyngitis is characterized by a long course. With this form, symptoms may persist, but other signs may appear. Other chronic processes in the body (tonsillitis, caries, etc.) contribute to the development of the disease. The treatment of this form is given increased attention.
There are three types of chronic rhinopharyngitis:
- Atrophic. Characteristic signs of this form of the disease are a hoarse voice, sore throat and pallor of the mucosa upon examination.
- Hypertrophic. The following symptoms will help diagnose chronic rhinopharyngitis in this form: pain and sensation of a foreign object in the throat; copious discharge from the nose, including with pus; the appearance of a gag reflex with expectoration of mucus; enlargement and friability of the tonsils.
- Catarrhal. This form of the disease has much in common with the previous one. Only a doctor can correctly diagnose catarrhal rhinopharyngitis in children. Treatment is prescribed in accordance with the symptoms.
With an increase in the lymph nodes in the back of the pharynx and along the side walls, the doctor can diagnose “chronic granulosa rhinopharyngitis”. One of its signs is severe swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.
Allergic rhinopharyngitis
The causes of this form of the disease are various allergens:
- food;
- household;
- vegetable;
- animal origin.
Their development is promoted by adverse environmental factors, polluted atmospheric air, a large concentration of people in an unventilated room, insufficient amount of vitamins coming from food. In fact, there are a lot of allergens that cause an adverse reaction of the body. These include house dust, animal hair, plant pollen, bird feathers, etc.
Allergic rhinopharyngitis in children usually has the same symptoms that are diagnosed in its acute form:
- swelling of the mucous membrane and a sudden nasal congestion resulting from this;
- labored breathing;
- copious discharge of mucus from the nose;
- burning in nose and eyes;
- redness and tearing of eyes and eyelids;
- sore throat;
- cough.
All of the above signs of the disease are amplified while lying down. Cough with rhinopharyngitis in children is most often dry. It intensifies upon contact with the allergen and, conversely, decreases when the interaction with it ceases. Most often, on this basis, it is possible to correctly diagnose the disease.
Allergic rhinopharyngitis is not acute and does not constitute a danger to the life of the child. But this does not mean that parents should not deal with his treatment. This form of the disease also has complications, the most dangerous of which is asthma.
Diagnosis of the disease
The diagnosis of rhinopharyngitis in children can only be made by a pediatrician or otolaryngologist based on the above symptoms and other research methods.
First, the doctor, making an anamnesis of the disease, takes into account whether the patient had contact with the carrier of a viral infection. Kindergarten children and schoolchildren are the first to be at risk.
Secondly, the pediatrician must carry out rhinoscopy and pharyngoscopy. The last procedure is aimed at examining the nasopharynx with a spatula. Rhinoscopy is usually performed by an otolaryngologist using a nasal dilator and a nasopharyngeal mirror.
If the above methods are not enough to make a final diagnosis, additional laboratory tests are prescribed:
- virological diagnostics - to determine the type of virus - the causative agent of the disease;
- bacteriological - analysis of nasal diphtheria, gonorrhea rhinitis in newborns;
- serological examination - determination of syphilitic congenital lesions of the nasopharynx in newborns, etc.
Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis. In a hospital, it is indicated only if the child is a newborn or premature with low body weight. If, as a result of the diagnosis, it is established that acute rhinopharyngitis in children is allergic in nature, an allergist consultation may additionally be required. He will confirm or deny the diagnosis.
Treatment of acute rhinopharyngitis in children
First of all, it should be noted that if the first symptoms of the disease are detected, you must visit a pediatrician or call a doctor at home if you are talking about a baby or there is a significant increase in temperature. No need to self-medicate, as this can lead to the development of a chronic form.
In the treatment of acute rhinopharyngitis in children, the following are prescribed:
- Antiviral drugs - their intake should be started as early as possible, literally in the first three for after the appearance of the first signs of the disease. Medicines are prescribed by the pediatrician in the dosage form and dosage appropriate for the child's age.
- Vasoconstrictor drops - they help restore breathing through the nose. Drugs are prescribed only in accordance with the instructions. Exceeding the dosage and duration of treatment with vasoconstrictor drops is strictly not recommended. One of the most effective drugs in this group is a 1% solution of Collargolum (Protargolum).
- Flushing the nasal passages - carried out using physiological or saline solutions. Infants are additionally sucked off with mucus by an aspirator.
- Gargling - apply solutions of furatsilina, sea salt, medicinal herbs. In the absence of temperature, babies who do not know how to gargle are prescribed inhalations with mineral water. For older children, absorbable tablets and lozenges are prescribed to eliminate perspiration and sore throat. Irrigating sprays should be used with extreme caution, since they cause spasm of the glottis in children under two years of age.
- Antipyretic drugs are prescribed when the temperature rises above 38.5 °. For this, medicines based on paracetamol or ibuprofen are used.
- Physiotherapeutic procedures - in addition to inhalations with mineral water, the pediatrician additionally prescribes such procedures as UHF of the ear and ultraviolet UV of the throat, which are highly effective.
Can you cure rhinopharyngitis in an allergic form?
A prerequisite is the exclusion or restriction of contact with the allergen. Otherwise, therapy may be ineffective. To treat rhinopharyngitis in a child, both acute and allergic, should be strictly prescribed by a doctor. The following tools are used for this:
- Nasal drops - they include components that block the action of the allergen on the mucous membrane. As a result, the swelling is relieved, breathing is facilitated, the runny nose stops. The most effective drugs in this group include Vibrocil, Allergodil.
- Antiallergic drugs of general action - the dosage and duration of treatment is determined by the doctor.
- The course of specific therapy - includes the introduction into the body of microdoses of an allergen to prevent the further development of the reaction. Treatment is carried out strictly under the supervision of an allergist.
- Sorbents - are prescribed during the period of exacerbation to quickly remove the allergen from the body of the child. One of the effective drugs of this group is Enterosgel. It is important to take care of eliminating the dysbiosis that often accompanies diseases of this form.
In the treatment of allergic rhinopharyngitis in children, according to reviews, homeopathic medicines are highly effective. A prerequisite is the maintenance of a favorable microclimate in the room. To do this, humidify the air, ventilate the room, ensure optimal temperature conditions (within 20 ° C above zero).
Antibiotics for rhinopharyngitis
If the disease has a bacterial origin, which is determined by a clinical blood test, drugs of the appropriate spectrum are prescribed by the pediatrician or otolaryngologist.
For the treatment of the inflammatory process in the pharynx, local antibiotics are used. But drugs of this form will be effective only if rhinopharyngitis proceeds without complications. Otherwise, broad-spectrum antibiotics may be needed. The dosage and duration of medication is determined by the doctor.
As a rule, an antibiotic for rhinopharyngitis in children is prescribed for 5-7 days. It is not recommended to reduce or increase the duration of administration.
Sometimes parents, not understanding how to treat acute rhinopharyngitis in children, without the advice of a pediatrician, independently purchase antibiotics for their baby in order to accelerate his recovery. Doing this is strictly prohibited. If rhinopharyngitis is of a viral nature, then antibiotic therapy in this case will be ineffective, and the child’s immunity will unreasonably suffer.
Treatment with traditional medicine
Many parents try not to use drugs, especially antibiotics, to eliminate the symptoms of the acute form of the disease. According to their reviews, in the treatment of rhinopharyngitis in children, traditional medicine is no less effective:
- Kalanchoe juice - used to eliminate the inflammatory process. Juice diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2 is used for instillation into the nasal passages (1 drop 3 times a day) and gargling.
- Beetroot juice - has a similar effect. It relieves inflammation and swelling of the mucosa. Before use, it should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2. Gauze swabs dipped in beetroot juice, which are inserted into the nasal passages, are highly effective.
- Calendula solution - for its preparation, a tablespoon of calendula juice is dissolved in 500 ml of warm boiled water. The resulting solution is used for washing the nose. The procedure is performed over the sink so that the fluid flows freely from the nose.
- Inhalations with potato broth - are highly effective when it is necessary to quickly stop the acute signs of rhinopharyngitis in children.
- Gargling with soda solution - help eliminate perspiration and sore throat.
- Decoctions of herbs - for their preparation, chamomile flowers, sage, coltsfoot, St. John's wort, etc. are used. Solutions are used to gargle in children over 5 years of age. If the child is not able to perform this procedure, you can perform steam inhalation over decoctions. But they can not be carried out at elevated temperatures.
Disease prevention
Treatment of rhinopharyngitis in children may not be necessary at all if preventive measures are taken in time. The disease is more characteristic of infants with low immunity, weak and lightweight. They are more prone to viral infections, rhinopharyngitis, allergic reactions from the body.
To increase immunity and prevention, the following measures are recommended:
- General hardening of the body - walks in the fresh air in any weather, clothes that do not allow overcooling and overheating. As a result of this, the general resistance of the body to colds is developed.
- Prevention of viral infections in the autumn-winter period - the use of oxolin ointment and interferon-based drugs is recommended.
- Breathing through the nose - it is very important to teach your child how to breathe air as early as possible. In this way, it is cleaned and warmed, not only dust and allergens are screened out, but also part of the viruses. In the presence of adenoids that impede normal breathing, the issue should be resolved with an otolaryngologist about conservative treatment or surgery.
- Timely treatment of helminthic invasions and dysbiosis.
- Limitation or complete exclusion of contact with the allergen. It is important to adhere to all recommendations of an allergist regarding nutrition and lifestyle of a sick child.
- The optimal microclimate in the room should be maintained in the room where the child is sleeping - air humidity at the level of 40-60% and temperature regime not higher than 22 ° . Daily ventilation of the premises is a prerequisite for a speedy recovery and prevention.