So, if you are faced with herpes sore throat, you should know that herpes sore throat is not the real name of the disease and this is very important, because if a person hears the word herpes in the disease, he usually immediately thinks about using acyclovir for treatment. But in this case, acyclovir will not help, because the causative agent of herpangina is not herpes, we will talk about this below. This disease has several names: herpes or herpetic sore throat, herpangina , ulcerous sore throat, enteroviral vesicular stomatitis, aphthous pharyngitis. Below we will consider the features of this disease, its symptoms, causes, and talk about how to treat herpes sore throat.

CATOGATORS OF HERPES ANGINA AND CAUSES OF DISEASE

Let’s see what herpes sore throat is and what virus is the causative agent of this disease. A favorable environment for infection is the intestines and the mucous membrane of the mouth. And the causative agent is a virus called “Coxsackie”. After the virus enters the intestines or mouth, it enters the bloodstream, and then begins to walk through the body through the bloodstream. In turn, the immune system produces cells to fight the virus. When a person undergoes this process, the body develops immunity to Coxsackie, which causes herpangina .

Coxsackie is transmitted in many ways. It can live on dishes or in food, most often the virus is spread by airborne droplets, and it can also be transmitted in a household way. Naturally, the risk of infection is very high if a person is next to a patient with herpes sore throat when it occurs in an acute form with a very high temperature.

An interesting fact is that herpangina often manifests itself in the summer and is often massive. At this time, other types of sore throats show lower activity.

SYMPTOMS OF HERPETIC ANGINA

When it comes to herpetic sore throat, the symptoms of which may be outwardly similar to stomatitis, you should first of all pay attention to the general condition of the patient.

With general symptoms, a person’s condition can greatly worsen. Herpangina , as a rule, occurs abruptly and provokes the following symptoms:

the patient may have a fever up to 40 degrees;

high temperature can persist up to 4 days;

often there may be pain in the abdomen in the form of contractions;

there is an increase in the lymph nodes under the jaw;

there is severe pain in the throat;

develops a severe cough, runny nose;

the patient feels a characteristic weakness of the body.

With an external examination of the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat, symptoms similar to a typical sore throat can be observed, but it is important to track the specifics of the signs with herpangina :

at the very beginning, the arc on the palate begins to turn red;

redness is also observed in the region of the tongue, the walls of the pharynx;

small nodules immediately appear on the mucosa, which turn into vesicles;

the size of the nodules is often about 3 mm in diameter;

their number usually does not exceed 20 pieces and fluctuates around 15 pieces;

often herpangina is accompanied by strong salivation and itching;

and also the mucosa becomes more sensitive to injury and bleeding.

It also happens that with herpes sore throat, the symptoms are extremely moderate. In this case, there is only slight swelling in the palate, tonsils and pharyngeal walls. And also these elements of the oral cavity may have redness, but there are no pronounced symptoms, in which case it is almost impossible to determine the disease without a doctor.

It is important to know that in childhood, in particular, up to 6 years, children may experience neurological symptoms. This usually happens when herpes sore throat is combined with the defeat of the Coxsackie virus in other organs of the human body. This occurs with serous meningitis, when the membranes of the brain become inflamed.

HOW TO DISTINGUISH HERPANGINA FROM OTHER DISEASES

Below in photo No. 1 you can see what herpes sore throat looks like, and in photo No. 2 stomatitis is shown. Despite their different symptoms in localization, these diseases are often confused. It must be remembered that herpetic stomatitis differs from herpangina in the area of damage, with herpetic sore throat, the palate and pharynx are affected, and with herpes stomatitis, rashes also appear in the area of \u200b\u200bthe tongue and gums.

In this example, we will consider the differences between follicular tonsillitis and herpetic. The photo under No. 3 shows herpangina , and in the photo under No. 4, purulent tonsillitis. The differences are obvious, with purulent tonsillitis, only the tonsils are affected, besides, purulent discharge on the tonsils is unlike blisters in herpetic tonsillitis.

In rare cases, the doctor will not be able to diagnose the disease during a visual examination. Then the specialist resorts to diagnostic methods by laboratory methods. Namely, to PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and ELISA (Enzyme Immunoassay). With PCR, the doctor recognizes the virus that provoked the disease, and with ELISA, antibodies will be detected.

AT-RISK GROUPS

Children from 4 to 10 years old. It is children at this age who most often suffer from herpetic sore throat. This is due to the fact that the child in this period of life most actively learns the world and communicates with other people. And since the virus is quite widespread, it is very easy to get infected from another person, especially since many do not even suspect that they have this disease.

Infants up to one year old. Many will think why children under one year old are at risk, because their whole world is often surrounded by only a limited circle of people. Yes, babies under one year old rarely become infected with this disease, because, among other things, they are protected by maternal immunity. But despite this, they are at risk and have a hard time with the disease.

Adults with poor immunity or when first exposed to the virus. Herpetic sore throat in adults is much easier than in children, and it is more difficult for an adult to get sick than for a child. But if immunity was undermined due to stress or with specific therapy, then the disease can manifest itself, as with a rare but possible primary infection in adulthood.

Some believe that during pregnancy a woman is also at risk. But in fact, in pregnant women, herpetic sore throat passes in the same way as in any adult healthy person. Of course, there is a danger of the Coxsackie virus entering the fetus, but this is very rare.

TREATMENT OF HERPES ANGINA

Be aware that the treatment of herpes sore throat in adults is different from the treatment in children. Therefore, below we will describe how herpes sore throat is treated in adults, what drugs are used for this and what methods are practiced.

In fact, when it comes to herpes sore throat and how to treat it, conventional therapy is carried out as in other viral diseases. At the same time, therapy should be complex and include not only drug treatment, but also a special diet. Let’s look at a visual therapy plan.

Treatment plan

Antipyretic and immunomodulators. Usually, antipyretic drugs such as Kalpol , Efferalgan and others are used to relieve fever and to combat other common symptoms. Sometimes with herpes sore throat, painkillers and antiseptics, such as Hexoral , are used for treatment . Of the immunomodulators, Imudon is often prescribed.

Antiviral drugs. To fight the virus, the patient must support the body with antiviral agents. But in the treatment of herpangina , one should not rely on acyclovir, because it is not caused by the herpes virus, but by the enterovirus, therefore, most often, drugs such as Claritin, Suprastin and others are prescribed. And also a good effect in the treatment can give liquid interferon.

Gargling. For gargling with herpetic sore throat, herbal infusions and ordinary saline are used. For herbal infusions, herbs such as Oak Bark, Coltsfoot, Yarrow, Sage and Chamomile are suitable. Gargles are done in order to reduce pain and relieve inflammation in the throat.

Diet and diet. If the disease does not show signs of meningitis, then a simple diet should be followed. The main thing is not to eat food that irritates the sore throat, foods containing spicy spices and solid foods are best excluded. You need to stick to a softer diet, eat soups and cereals, or grated foods, as well as drink more. And with symptoms of meningitis, diuretics are often prescribed and fluid intake is reduced.

Treatment with antibiotics. There are cases when the treatment of herpetic sore throat includes taking antibiotics. This happens if the disease is accompanied by a bacterial infection. In this case, it is necessary to take in parallel means that restore the intestinal microflora. If the patient falls ill again, then antibiotics are not prescribed, since herpes sore throat is a viral disease and prescribing antibiotics for secondary infection does not make sense.

Recommendations for treatment

It is important to know that the treatment of herpetic sore throat cannot be carried out with local heating, that is, inhalations or compresses can be done, this will only aggravate the disease. It is also better not to take antiherpetic drugs, neither Acyclovir nor Valaciclovir , these drugs can only give side effects.

In fact, in both children and adults, the treatment of herpes sore throat is a method of dealing with symptoms, so if the symptoms go away, you do not need to continue to use medications or treatments to combat symptoms that are no longer there. That is, if the inflammation in the throat is removed or it no longer hurts, you do not need to rinse it anymore. And also do not take antipyretics if the temperature has returned to normal or dropped below 38 degrees.

POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

The most common complication of herpes sore throat is serous meningitis. The fact is that the specificity of the Coxsackie virus affects nerve fibers and cells. As a result, the facial muscles can be disturbed, this manifestation is the consequences of serous meningitis. Herpes sore throat in adults still passes more calmly, but in a child, if meningitis appears, this can lead to very bad consequences, up to death. Therefore, the treatment of children must be taken very seriously.

A very rare complication of herpes sore throat gives to the liver. And here again, everything is due to the peculiarity of Coxsackie, which calmly takes root in the liver. If the disease is very difficult, then this can give severe complications to this organ.

Another complication may be the development of heart damage. This may reveal an ECG. The main thing is not to start myocarditis, because in this case you can get a chronic form of heart disease. If the damage to the heart muscle is detected and treated in time, then this complication can be eliminated in a couple of weeks.

PREVENTION

If we talk about the prevention of herpangina , then you need to approach it logically. Against this disease, there are no specific or specific methods of prevention, as well as the actual vaccine against this disease has not been invented either. Therefore, it remains only to lead a healthy lifestyle, maintain the immune system, and try to stay away from patients with herpetic sore throat, or at least wear a mask if one of your loved ones has become a patient.

Summing up, you need to focus on the fact that when detecting herpangina , you should not run to the pharmacy for antiherpetic drugs, it is better to trust the doctor’s treatment plan. And also do not forget, if your child is ill, you need to urgently take him to the clinic, since herpes sore throat can not only be more difficult for children, but also give more serious complications.