✓ Pharyngitis in children

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Meaning of pharyngitis

Symptoms

Pharyngitis is an infectious inflammatory manifestation of the throat and for this reason its main symptom is the sore throat, associated with difficulties in:

swallowing, redness of the tonsils,
swollen lymph nodes in the throat
and fever.

Read also: Sore throat in children, causes, drugs and natural remedies

The causes of pharyngitis

"In 70-80% of cases the pharyngitis caused by virus, such as adenovirus, enterovirus, rhinovirus "explains Professor Maurizio de Martino, director of the Pediatric Clinic 1 of the Meyer Hospital, University of the city.

In these cases, other symptoms may be present such as

cooling down,
a runny nose,
cough.

"Only in 20-30% of cases the cause is a bacterium, especially it group A beta hemolytic streptococcus".

A probiotic to prevent pharyngitis

If your child has frequent episodes of pharyngitis, you may want to consider getting him to take probiotic supplements. Why? Probiotics, used above all for the well-being of the intestine, are actually also excellent allies for prevention of airway infections, as numerous researches now demonstrate.

Probiotics, in fact, help to keep the balance in balance oral microbiota which, in turn, has the task of defending the organism from the entry of pathogenic viruses and bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes, Haemophylus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The presence of these bacteria is associated with the main diseases of the oral cavity, such as pharyngotonsillitis and ear infections. To prevent the onset of this type of infections it may therefore be useful to integrate probiotics. But which ones to choose?

According to the results of a pilot study conducted by some researchers of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in the city, the best in the field seems to be Streptococcus salivarius K12, a particular strain that is found in abundance in our oral cavity and which is able to reduce the episodes of streptococcal pharyngitis and pharyngonsillitis in children with recurrent infections.

How is the diagnosis made

If the child has sore throat associated with fever, it is advisable to carry out in the pediatrician's office the quick test - basically a buffer - which identifies in a few minutes whether the infection is of bacterial origin or not. Almost all pediatric clinics have the rapid test: alternatively it is necessary to go to an analysis laboratory.

The swab is used to identify or exclude the presence of streptococcal infection, a fundamental information for deciding to administer the antibiotic therapy or less.

Read also: Streptococcal sore throat, everything you need to know

Eat if it cures the pharyngitis

"If the pharyngitis is caused by viruses, it heals by itself within 3-6 days, so it does not require medicines" underlines Prof. de Martino.

When to take the antibiotic

"If, on the other hand, the origin is bacterial, it is necessary to give the antibiotic, in particular amoxicillin, for 10 days.

It is essential to continue the therapy until the term indicated by the doctor, even if the symptoms disappear sooner. Only in this way, in fact, can the bacterium be eradicated ".

Other natural remedies

Other remedies are only palliatives: the balsamic candies they do not have a therapeutic value, but they can give some relief, as long as the child is of an age where there is no risk of making them go sideways. But it is much better a teaspoon of honey, to be dissolved in a nice cup of hot milk! And above all a few days off at home.

Sources for this article: advice from the pediatrician Maurizio De Martino, Del Paesene guidelines for the management of pharyngotonsillte in pediatric age; All about streptococcus in "A scuola di salute", magazine of the Bambin Gesù pediatric hospital

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