Herpes in a child's mouth: a photo of bubbles on the gum, how and what to treat, Komarovsky's advice

Parents of preschoolers often face such a problem as herpes in the mouth in children. The condition worsens the quality of life of the baby and causes a lot of trouble for caring mothers and fathers.

It is important to know how to notice the problem in time, how to solve it as soon as possible and effectively prevent the recurrence of the disease.

What is herpes and where does it come from in children?

Herpes simplex virus (HSV types 1 and 2) infects from 65 to 87% of people in all parts of the world (according to WHO).

Moreover, most of us become infected precisely in childhood - up to 6 years. It's related:

• with the child's reflex need to taste everything, which contributes to the colonization of the oral cavity with various viral agents;
• with the immaturity of the immune system, unable to fight a number of viruses, including HSV;
• with age-related lack of specific enzymes in salivary fluid;
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• with the thinness of mucous surfaces, contributing to frequent injury and subsequent penetration of viruses.

Infection occurs by airborne droplets or by contact. The pathogen enters the cells and remains there forever.

In some people, the virus does not manifest itself in any way, in others - against the background of illness, stress, overwork, malnutrition - it regularly "wakes up". It is enough to freeze, overheat in the sun or get sick with a common cold, and the herpes on the child's gum reappears.

20-30 days after infection, the body develops immunity to avoid severe manifestations of infection in the future.

But unfortunately, HSV has a low interferonogenic activity and practically does not stimulate the production of interferon, which is designed to fight viruses. It is difficult for the immune system to cope with the problem on its own, so relapses occur quite often.

The virus, in addition to unpleasant itchy blisters, can cause a number of serious complications, including: stomatitis, extensive skin lesions, diseases of internal organs, specific pneumonia, herpetic encephalitis.

Important! Many mothers are afraid to breastfeed their baby if they have characteristic sores on their lips or mouth, fearing infecting the baby. Evgeny Komarovsky believes that it is enough to wash your hands thoroughly before feeding and be sure to wear a gauze bandage.

Symptoms of herpes in the oral cavity of a child

In both a one-year-old child and an adult, the virus manifests itself with unpleasant symptoms 2-12 days after infection.

The following manifestations of the disease are characteristic of babies:

• damage to the oral mucosa (itching first appears, then swelling, rash, blisters, ulcers, and at the last stage - scabs);
• irritability, moodiness;
• increased body temperature;
• profuse salivation;
• difficulty swallowing and chewing;
• vomit.

In the photo, the symptoms of herpes (herpetic stomatitis) - bubbles and sores in the mouth and lips of the child:

Drug treatment

Traditionally, the duration of treatment with medicines is about 5-7 days. At that time:

1. The child accepts acyclovir-containing drugsprescribed by the attending physician.
2. It is mandatory to treat the infected mouth with antimicrobial and antiseptic agents (solutions, balms, gels).
3. With a weakened immunity, the patient is prescribed antibiotic therapy, which protects against the addition of a secondary infection. Only a doctor can choose a drug. You should not prescribe treatment on your own, since antiherpetic drugs, in addition to indications, have a number of contraindications that should be taken into account before starting treatment.
4. During treatment, food should be soft, non-irritating to the oral mucosa (liquid, pasty).
5. Arginine-rich foods are banned. These are: nuts of all kinds, legumes, red meat (beef), sugar, salt. Soup-puree - the basis of the diet for oral herpes, does not irritate the mucous membrane and saturates with valuable vitamins and microelements.

Video from Dr. Komarovsky:

Folk remedies

Herpes on the lips and in the child's mouth, it is necessary to treat it immediately after the first manifestations are detected. In addition to medications, folk methods that mothers share with each other after getting rid of their baby from herpetic stomatitis have proven their effectiveness.

The most popular are the following techniques:

1. Lubricating the affected areas with oil (tea tree, sea ​​buckthorn, fir). These oils have a pronounced antiseptic effect, contribute to the early healing of wounds caused by the virus.
2. Removing inflammation with toothpaste. If there is no antiseptic at hand, then an ordinary toothpaste, which contains valuable tannins, can be an alternative to it. They not only strengthen the gums and protect the tooth enamel, but also effectively dry the painful vesicles, accelerating the healing process. The agent is applied to the affected areas several times a day.
3. A virus in a child's mouth, like any other viral infection, is "afraid" of garlic. Of course, for babies, this technique is not relevant, but it is suitable for children of preschool and school age. A clove of garlic is crushed on a fine grater, mixed with natural honey to form a thick gruel and applied to herpes lesions.
4. Disinfection with "heart" drops. Corvalol or valocordin is dripped onto a cotton swab, which is applied to the sore spot several times a day (6-7).
5. Moxibustion propolis. Tincture from this beekeeping product effectively fights herpes. It is enough to spot it on the bubbles several times a day.
6. Rinsing the mouth with chamomile or mint decoction can relieve pain and speed up recovery when treated with medications or traditional medicine recipes.

Important! In severe cases, life-threatening signs - respiratory arrest, sepsis, fever - join the symptoms. In this case, you must urgently seek qualified medical help, and not self-medicate.

Prophylaxis

Preventive measures are general and allow you to minimize the risk of developing any infectious disease:

1. Compliance with the rules of basic hygiene. The use of individual towels, dishes and other personal items prevents infection with HSV-1, and also protects against HSV-2, if the person is not infected with it.
2. Minimizing contacts. If an adult family member suffers from acute oral herpes (there are visible signs of the disease), then it is necessary to reduce close contact with the child. You cannot drink from one cup, taste the baby's food with his own spoon, kiss, etc.
3. Immunity care. Do not forget that any virus prefers to settle in a weakened organism that is unable to effectively resist it. Regular sports, walking in the fresh air, hardening, proper and balanced nutrition, necessary for every growing organism - all this will effectively strengthen the immune system.

It is almost impossible to protect yourself from infection with HSV. But it is in the power of caring parents to pay attention to the first symptoms of the disease in a timely manner and save the baby from unpleasant sensations. Simple preventive measures are relevant not only to protect against the virus, but also to prevent complications caused by HSV that has already settled in the body.