You have probably never heard this word, but what is herpangiana and how can it affect the little ones at home?
Here we are going to explain what this infection is, how it appears and how it can affect the little ones.
What is herpangina?
Herpangina is an infection that appears in the throat and mainly affects children between 3 and 10 years of age, although it can also affect adolescents and adults, but it is less common.
It could be said that it appears as small epidemics where a large number of children are concentrated, for example in schools. Children are not the most hygienic people as they are always touching everything because they want to experiment, so places like the ones we have mentioned above should be as clean as possible.
The most common time of year is during the fall and summer.
It is especially in summer since it is when the children begin to make more life together and many can get together, also the change of temperature influences in a notorious way at the time of being more prone to contract it since it is spread by coughing and saliva.
Many people confuse it with hand-foot-mouth disease, but there is a difference: in the case of herpangina, the sores and different spots only appear in the mouth, while in the other case they can appear in any part of the body.
What is the cause of herpangina?
A virus of the enterovirus family.
What are the symptoms?
We must take into account that each child is different and the virus can affect each one in a different way. The incubation period is usually 3-5 days.
They usually show signs of not wanting to eat
Headaches and neck pain
Severe stomach pain
In adults, there is usually a stabbing pain in the back and neck.
Small spots in the throat. If they are not treated properly, they can generate ulcers.
Fever for 2-4 days.
Vomiting in infants.
Is there a treatment?
Theoretically, there is a treatment since if the child is given the necessary antibiotics the sores will disappear as well as the fever and other problems.
There are cases in which there are health professionals who do not want to treat children with this problem, since it has been demonstrated that in a more or less short period of time this disease disappears, but it is true that, as we have mentioned above, ulcers may appear if the sores are not treated.
A home treatment to take into account in these cases, is that the person affected by this virus is always very hydrated. Drinking water from time to time helps to hydrate the person and to keep the throat moist for the sores.
Recommendation from Gross Dentists
As professionals we recommend that the moment you detect that your child is suffering from the symptoms we have mentioned above, you should immediately go to the doctor or your regular pediatrician.
They know the treatment that should be applied to each child.
Ortodoncista especializada en el sistema de ortodoncia invisible, extensa trayectoria profesional y un gran número de pacientes satisfechos con los resultados obtenidos tras la finalización de su tratamiento.