Herpetic stomatitis is a viral disease that manifests itself in the form of small painful ulcers on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. The cause of herpetic stomatitis is the herpes simplex virus, which is transmitted to the person by contact and airborne droplets. Most often, this disease is observed in young children - from 6 months to 3 years.
Herpetic stomatitis in children - symptoms
The disease begins with fever, headache, excessive drowsiness, and an increase in the submandibular lymph nodes. In addition, the child has decreased appetite, weakness, nausea, increased salivation and bad breath. A couple of days after the development of acute herpetic stomatitis in children, the primary elements of the lesion begin to appear on the mucous membrane of the lips, cheeks, tongue, and gums, in the form of ulcers or blisters with cloudy contents inside. In these places the child experiences persistent itching, burning and pain. After some time, the bubbles begin to burst, leaving after themselves aphthae - small sores, which soon become covered with a white coating and tighten. However, if the treatment of herpetic stomatitis is not performed in children, the acute form of its course can easily grow into a chronic one.
How to treat herpetic stomatitis in children?
In the event that herpetic stomatitis in a child has an easy form, then the disease usually lasts about 4 days and, with strict adherence to the recommendations of the attending physician, safely passes. But, if in the course of the disease there is a deep intoxication of the child's body, stomatitis takes a severe form, then antiviral therapy in the hospital is necessary.
Treatment of this disease consists in carrying out local procedures that act directly on damaged surfaces, as well as general therapy aimed at strengthening and maintaining the immunity of the child. As a treatment for herpetic stomatitis is used rinsing, lotions and treatment of affected areas with ointments. In the event that the child is too small and can not rinse the mouth, then the affected areas of the mucous membrane must be treated with gauze or cotton swabs.
In general, the treatment is reduced to the use of:
- antiseptics (rivanol, furatsilin);
- anesthetics and antiviral drugs in the form of ointments (interferon 50%, oxoline 0.5%);
- wound healing preparations (rosehip oil, sea buckthorn oil, aloe leaf pulp, Kalanchoe juice).
In addition, it is worth remembering that the baby needs a lot of drinking, because due to excessive salivation, dehydration can occur, as well as a complex of children's multivitamins that support the baby's immune system.