The kid got sick. He is capricious, refuses even his favorite food. He has a fever, and on close examination, you notice sores in his mouth. All these are signs of stomatitis in a child. How to be?
What is stomatitis?
It is an infectious and inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa caused by various microorganisms. Stomatitis in children is more common and more severe than in adults.
What is stomatitis?
Since stomatitis can be caused by a variety of reasons, its course in each case will be different. Let's consider the main options.
Viral stomatitis
This type of stomatitis is caused by various viruses and is most common. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets and by household contact. The disease usually begins with a very high fever, lethargy of the child, and may be accompanied by a cough and a runny nose. On days 2-3, specific sores of white or yellowish color appear on the oral mucosa, surrounded by a pink border. They are called aphthous, therefore such stomatitis can also be called aphthous.
Bacterial stomatitis
Stomatitis caused by various bacteria more often affects older children and is an unpleasant addition to any common infection (tonsillitis, pneumonia). With bacterial stomatitis, a yellow coating appears on the lips, forming a thick crust in the morning, which prevents the mouth from opening. If a child has had such symptoms several times, it makes sense to check his immunity.
Trauma-induced stomatitis
Such stomatitis is formed due to microtraumas of the oral cavity caused by burns with hot food, the habit of gnawing seeds or caramel, and taking solid objects in the mouth. Another reason for such stomatitis is biting the inside of the cheeks due to an improper bite.
Candidal stomatitis or thrush
This type of stomatitis is characteristic, as a rule, of infants. It is caused by fungi of the genus Candida, which form milky-white colonies in the oral cavity. In the mouth of a sick infant, a white coating appears, which begins to bleed when trying to remove it.
Allergic stomatitis
Very rare. It appears immediately after any substance that is an allergen for a particular child enters the mouth. The mouth is swollen and itchy, and other signs of allergies may appear.
How to find pediatric stomatitis?
The symptoms of stomatitis are varied and may differ for each child, but the general signs will be:
- poor appetite;
- intermittent sleep;
- bad breath;
- temperature rise, sometimes up to very high;
- characteristic ulcers on the oral mucosa.
It is best to show your child to a doctor. Depending on the type of disease and the contraindications the child has, the doctor will select the optimal treatment and tell you how to avoid similar problems in the future.
