Parents have to deal with sore throat in a child very often. I played late in the yard, drank in cold water, or drank lemonade from the refrigerator when it was hot. As a result, the next day the child has enlarged tonsils. How to help your child and apply the most effective treatment methods? First of all, you need to understand what you are dealing with. This symptom can have different reasons, which we will consider today.
What are tonsils
Normally, tonsils are not visible. This is a small formation, in fact, only lymphoid tissue. They are located in the area of the root of the tongue. They become clearly visible if you open your mouth wide. Remember how the pediatrician examined you in childhood.
Enlarged tonsils in a child are immediately visible. They turn red. inflate in the form of balls. In the most severe cases, purulent plaque appears.
I must say that these paired organs perform a rather important function. These are formidable guards that protect the body from the penetration of bacteria and germs. Why are these problems most often found in children? The fact is that up to two years all the organs of the respiratory system are only formed. It is at this time that doctors most often observe enlarged tonsils in a child. Then these diseases most often “outgrow”.
Expanding age limits
In practice, the situation is even somewhat different. Pediatricians with similar problems are treated from 2-3 to about 10 years old. But even such a range can be considered very conditional. Enlarged tonsils in a child can be common even at an older age.
What is so terrible that they have increased? This usually leads to difficulty in swallowing and nasal breathing. In advanced cases, it causes a violation of articulation. Therefore, parents need to be able to analyze symptoms and take action in time.
What you need to pay attention to
Parents often say that they do not understand how to diagnose this condition. Looking into a child’s mouth, they simply don’t know what to look for. It is better to first study the submitted photos. Enlarged tonsils in a child can be seen immediately with the naked eye, you just need to be able to distinguish them from other tissues of the oral cavity.
If the child has enlarged tonsils, he will complain of headaches and discomfort when swallowing. Most likely he will refuse food, or will be content only with drinks. Often these symptoms are not given due attention. As a result, help is sought not in the early stages, but when the development of complications is already evident.
Causes
There are a lot of them, so every time you need to seek help from a specialist. You can not treat a child with what the doctor prescribed the last time. Just because today the symptoms are caused by other causes.
As can be seen in the photo, enlarged tonsils in a child change color. This means exactly one thing - there is an inflammatory process. If it is not stopped, the condition will progress.
But let's get back to the reasons. Most often, inflammation of the tonsils develops in children if the immune system does not cope. There are a number of factors that contribute to the development of pathology:
- The presence of inflammatory foci, that is, sources of infections that are located next to the glands. These include a running or untreated runny nose, sinusitis or caries. It is not in vain that dentists advise an examination at least once a year, and preferably every 6 months.
- Close contact with a sick person, that is, getting on the mucous membranes of streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci.
- Curvature of the nasal septum, which may be congenital or acquired.
- A sharp change in climatic conditions.
- Poor nutrition.
Remember that tonsil enlargement is not so scary in itself. But this is not the disease itself, but only its symptom. It can turn into a chronic form and lead to the development of severe complications. Therefore, if the tonsils of the child are greatly enlarged, then consult a doctor. Only a specialist will be able to understand what is happening in the child’s body and, if necessary, conduct additional diagnostics.
First symptoms
The clinical picture is usually quite bright. Therefore, it is not too difficult to suspect what the changes are associated with. If the tonsils in the child are greatly enlarged, you will see it yourself. Ask him to open his mouth and with a spoon, slightly press down the tongue so that it does not interfere with the examination. Two balls on both sides - this is the inflamed tonsils. Normally, they are simply not visible. Another thing is that in each case the picture will be very different. But let's take it in order.
- You can suspect inflammation of the tonsils, if you see that the child’s mouth is constantly parted and he breathes through it.
- The second significant moment is a dream. Does the baby begin to snore in his sleep, sometimes his breathing goes astray or stops for a while? So you need to examine his throat. Perhaps it is the enlarged glands that do not allow air to pass.
- The skin becomes pale. This is a sign that there is a shortage of oxygen at night.
Most often, such a clinical picture develops in advanced cases. In addition to the above, violations in the work of internal organs may also join. Therefore, if a child shows or says that he has a sore throat, but there are no signs of acute respiratory viral infections, then it is necessary to pay close attention to this.
Chronic inflammation
If this is an isolated case, then usually even the most caring parents are in no hurry to sound the alarm. There are quite a few effective topical drugs that can improve the condition and relieve symptoms. But what to do if less than a week has passed, and the child has a red throat and enlarged tonsils? This is already an alarming trend, because without proper treatment it leads to the development of a chronic disease.
If the glands are large and unpleasant sensations in the throat return time after time, then the body is constantly exposed to attacks of viruses or germs. That is, his immune forces are exhausted, he does not have time to recover from one disease, as he already begins to fight the next. Tonsils just do not have time to bounce back.
Of course, you need to understand with your doctor why your child’s tonsils are enlarged. If there is a focus of chronic infection and inflammation, then it is necessary to neutralize it. But the reason may lie not only in this. Doctors take into account a number of factors:
- Adrenal dysfunction.
- Tendency to allergic reactions.
- Poor living conditions (low air temperature at home, lack of necessary seasonal clothing).
If the child’s tonsils are constantly enlarged, then the doctor will raise the question of surgical intervention. But first you need to undergo an examination and understand the cause of what is happening.
Lack of heat
Often this allows parents to relax and calm down. Once the temperature is normal, it means the body copes itself and there is no need to interfere with its work. In fact, if a child has enlarged tonsils without fever, you need to analyze well what has happened over the past few weeks. If the child has had SARS or the flu, then this may be a consequence or complication. More precisely, only a doctor will answer.
Body temperature may not change. Moreover, this is not a favorable factor. On the contrary, this suggests that the body cannot turn on its protective forces, it is weakened or depleted. This may also indicate that the disease is becoming chronic. All methods must be used to avoid this. Otherwise, sore throat and inflammation of the tonsils will become a constant companion.
Unilateral inflammation
I would like to say a few words about those cases when the child has enlarged tonsil on one side. The symptom is alarming and immediate pediatrician consultation is required. Sometimes this speaks about the constitutional features of a small patient. In this case, conservative treatment will be prescribed. In this case, a banal cold can also act as a provocateur. In any case, it is better to go through the diagnosis and know for sure that your baby is not at risk.
The causes of tonsil enlargement in a child can be many. If the lymph nodes increase at the same time, then this is a reason for consultation with a TB doctor and oncologist. Sometimes the reason is disappointing. It can be tuberculosis, swelling, or syphilis. If there is a suspicion of oncology, then material is taken for analysis. After this, the doctors decide to leave the enlarged tonsil or remove it. If oncology is confirmed, then anti-cancer therapy is mandatory.
Clinical picture
Despite the differences, there are still common symptoms that you need to know and consider. Red, enlarged tonsils in a child - this is an occasion to immediately contact an ENT doctor or a pediatrician who can redirect to the right specialist. So, the following symptoms are characteristic of the clinical picture:
- On examination, it can be seen that the nasopharyngeal glands are loose and red, swollen.
- Voice may disappear, cough develop.
- Symptoms also include nausea.
- Fever. There can be both an insignificant and a very serious leap.
- If we are talking about a young child who still cannot say what is bothering him. It is to such changes as moods and refusal of food that one has to orient.
- Encourage such a thought should be nausea, vomiting, salivation, difficulty breathing.
Diagnosis should be done by a doctor. It includes primarily an examination of the baby's throat. If a specialist has suspicions, then he can prescribe samples for streptococci. But self-medication is unacceptable. Today, there is a tendency among parents to buy antibiotics on their own and give them at the slightest suspicion of a disease. This cannot be done. You do not know what caused the enlargement of the tonsils. And even if you have determined this by eye, you just won’t be able to determine which drug the pathogens are resistant to and which are harmful to them. Therefore, enlarged tonsils in the throat of a child is a reason for consultation with an ENT doctor.
Treatment
First of all, you should consult a doctor, and after that follow his recommendations. The main goal of treatment is the complete elimination of the focus of inflammation. Otherwise, the disease will return very soon. Today they rarely resort to their surgical removal. Conservative methods usually give excellent results.
There are general guidelines that parents should follow. This will allow for significant changes in the shortest possible time.
- Bed rest and lack of physical activity.
- Be sure to give your child a warm tea, water and fruit drink. This will get rid of toxins.
- If the inflammation is very strong, then antibacterial therapy is required. The choice of drug in this case remains with the doctor. Probiotics are prescribed in parallel with the antibiotic. They are needed to restore the intestinal microflora.
- Children need to be taught to gargle. All topical preparations (sprays, lozenges) will have a good effect only if you first cleanse the throat with a solution of furatsilina, salt or soda.
Diet
A sick child refuses food. Especially when the throat hurts and is difficult to swallow. Now there is no need to insist on the contrary, the body should focus on the fight against infection, and not on the digestion of food.
Even when the appetite wakes up, you need to adhere to certain restrictions. This applies to the entire period of the disease. It is best to give up sweets and dairy products. An ideal option for feeding a baby is a semi-liquid soup - mashed potatoes or porridge on the water. You can add a little dried fruit. So you do not overload the body and give it the opportunity to concentrate on the main thing. No wonder the broth with crackers has always been considered the ideal food for a sick person.
Traditional medicine recipes
Since each parent has to treat enlarged tonsils in a child, you must always be fully equipped. Homes should have herbs and rinses. It is very good to have an inhaler or nebulizer.
Once again, the use of alternative methods does not mean that you can not consult a doctor. Only a pediatrician or ENT should choose what to use in this case. We will only list proven folk recipes.
- Most often, rinses are prescribed. This is a simple, effective and inexpensive method that will give its results from the first applications. To do this, use propolis tincture, Kalanchoe juice, a solution of soda and sodium chloride, a decoction of chamomile.
- What did your parents treat you as a child? Surely many remembered mustard plasters. These are effective compresses that locally increase body temperature, which kills bacteria. But compresses are used not only with mustard. No less effective are cabbage leaves, honey, vegetable oil, alcohol, cottage cheese.
- Sea buckthorn oil. It is known for its healing properties. In addition, the oil helps to soften the throat, due to which an improvement is achieved. Therefore, throughout the disease, it is recommended to treat the affected glands with sea buckthorn oil.
- Warm drink. It can be milk with honey and herbal teas.
Do not forget that the best means of prevention is to observe the rules of personal hygiene. Therefore, from an early age, show your child how to wash his hands and clean his nose. In parallel, you can hold a master class on how to sneeze and cough indoors, how to use a scarf.
Effects
We have already mentioned several times that the lack of proper treatment leads to the transition of the disease into a chronic form and the development of complications. Let's pay a little attention to this. The reader must understand the danger of inaction.
Serious studies were conducted, during which it was found that enlarged and inflamed lymph nodes of the throat can lead to serious consequences. Moreover, this speaks not only of the situation when the need for treatment was ignored. If the infectious focus has not been completely eradicated, the situation will be similar.
What threatens the focus of infection? The fact that it will gradually deplete the body's immune forces and capture all new organs. Most often provokes disorders in the body: diseases of the kidneys, joints, heart. With the advanced stage of the disease, pus is formed between the tonsils.
Therefore, after completing the course of treatment, you must definitely see a doctor. The specialist will evaluate the condition and prescribe additional treatment, if necessary. In addition, he can prescribe supportive therapy, which is designed to destroy the remnants of the infection, preventing her from continuing her life in the body.