Treatment of aphthous stomatitis in adults and children

Aphthous stomatitis is an inflammation of the oral mucosa, characterized by the appearance of painful ulcers (aphtes). The illness is not a danger to others, but according to statistics, every fifth man faces this disease.

In medicine, there is no specific test for the detection of an infectious agent, so diagnosis has certain difficulties because for the treatment of various forms of stomatitis there are various medications. In addition, aphthous stomatitis can be a symptom of internal organs and systems diseases.

Causes

Among the reasons that cause an inflammatory process, doctors attribute the herpes virus, chronic infectious diseases of the nasopharynx, frequent colds. The catalysts may be:

• The lack of vitamin B and C, calcium, selenium, and folic acid;
• Chronic diseases of the digestive tract;
• Allergic reactions;
• Inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity;
• Burns and injuries of the mouth;
• Autoimmune disorders;
• Hormonal imbalances;
• Intoxication of various etiologies;
• Immunodeficiency states.

In addition, the reasons for the process may be local provocative factors:

• Not cured teeth;
• Absence or irregular oral hygiene;
• Plaque and mineralized deposits;
• Incorrectly made dentures.

Symptoms in adults

In general, mucosal ulcerations occur on the cheeks, the lips, in the sublingual area, on gums or on the tongue. Slight redness of the mucous small areas is the initial symptom of the disease. If treatment is not started at this stage, the redness increases and passes into ulceration of small size.

In addition to painful sore, the patient is concerned about excessive salivation, putrid breath, and bleeding. In the acute phase, due to the pain, it is difficult to eat. The emergence of multiple ulcerations of a large size is running features of the disease.

If within two weeks no healing occurs and swelling does not subside, then it may indicate a serious health problem. The general condition may be violated by elevated body temperature, swollen lymph nodes, headache, weakness and painful sensations in the mouth.

How to get rid of it?

When you have noticed the symptoms do not try to self-medicate because time will be lost and the process can go into chronic stage. It is necessary to consult a physician or a dentist, who will determine a plan of action aimed at the relief of inflammation.

Medical appointments should take into account the presumptive cause of a disease. They consist of a set of procedures aimed at the elimination of edema, pain and healing ulcers.

• Rinsing the mouth with a decoction of herbs (chamomile, calendula, sage), or antiseptic solutions: miramistin, furatsilin, hydrogen peroxide, in a proportion of 1: 1 with water.
• The excellent effect gives local processing procedure for ulcers with sea buckthorn oil, peach oil, freshly squeezed juice of Kalanchoe, dental gels Kamistad, Aktovegin, Solkoseril. All preparations are aimed at improving the trophic and stimulating the regeneration of the mucous tissue.
• It is required to appoint antihistamines, antipyretics, and analgesics Novocain, Heparin, Lidocaine.
• If the cause is candidiasis or viral infection, the doctor will prescribe antiviral and antifungal agents, antibiotics and steroids, when necessary.
• To increase immunity and reduce the risk of relapse immunomodulatory drugs such as – Imudon and multivitamin complexes are appointed.

Symptoms of illness in children

If a baby starts to act up, refuses to eat and complains of pain in the mouth, and by visual inspection of the mouth you have found small ulcers, there is every reason to assume that this aphthous stomatitis. As in adults, the treatment plan for kids is drawn up according to the identified health problems.

The causes of the disease are caused by the fact that thin and delicate mucous membrane of the oral cavity is exposed to slight injury, and the immune system is unable to cope with the influx of infections. Children are “ubiquitous” and often forget to observe good personal hygiene.

In addition, children of preschool and primary school-age lose teeth and permanent teeth begin to erupt. During this period, the child feels some discomfort and soreness in the mouth. All these phenomena create preconditions for the onset of the disease.

How to get rid of it?

Due to the uncertainty causes of child illness its treatment must be conducted by several doctors: pediatrician, dentist, allergist, if necessary, a gastroenterologist.

• For the treatment of ulcers decoctions of herbs, special bluing, furatsilina solution Vinylinum is used.
• The appliance of anesthetic, antiseptic drugs: 3% solution of silver nitrate, gramicidin paste.
• If the nature of the allergic inflammation is known, antihistamines are appointed: Tavegil, Suprastin, Zodak etc. To eliminate food allergens from the diet, it is necessary to spend allergological tests. After identifying, they should be excluded from the child’s diet.
• Upon detection of irregularities in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, a gastroenterologist prescribes concomitant treatment.
• Multivitamin preparations are prescribed.
• In a chronic course, the doctor may prescribe medications to correct immunity: Immune, Ribomunil, tincture of echinacea or ginseng, Eleutherococcus.

To relieve the painful symptoms, the child should be offered a soft, pureed food: soups, vegetable puree, meat soufflé and a sufficient amount of warm liquid. It may be chicken broth, herbal teas just boiled water, milk.

Chronic recurrence kind

Chronic course of the disease is characterized by frequent relapses and the emergence of long non-healing deep aphtes. The main reasons are:

• untreated infections that destabilize the protective functions of the body;
• stress;
• unbalanced diet in combination with addictions.

Diseases of the internal organs are also generators of a chronic process. Inflammation of the mucous membrane can recur throughout life, first in the autumn – spring, but then exacerbation may occur more often.

A characteristic feature of the chronic course of the disease is fever, prolonged headache, and rash on the mucosa ulceration of the genitals.

The more is the severity of symptoms of forms of the disease, the more suffers the organism and the extensive mucosal damage. Non-healing ulcers can lead to tissue necrosis and the appearance of scars on the mucosa.

Relief of the process, which passed in the chronic form, is time-consuming and requires some effort on the part of the physician and to the patient. Treatment is primarily directed to the identification and elimination of chronic foci of infection.

Doctor prescribes a full blood examination, tests for potential pathogens and sends to specialists: immunologist, allergist, a gastroenterologist. Along with a complete inspection painkillers and other drugs, referred to earlier, are prescribed.

Timely detection of precipitating factors, complex treatment and patient compliance with all the recommendations can give a good result and long-term remission.

Prevention

The basis of preventive measures is the hygienic rules for the care of teeth and oral cavity.

An integral part of life should be:

• regular visits to the dentist for a routine inspection;
• brushing teeth several times per day;
• the use of a special thread to clean the interdental spaces.

In addition, wearing braces, dentures require special attention and care.

Equally important is the food. Do not eat foods that have a traumatic and irritating effect on the mucosa: alcohol, pineapple, undiluted juices, hot food, as well as all sharp and spicy food.

The diet should include cereals (oats, buckwheat, millet), vegetables, not sour fruits, fish and lean meat, cheese. Multivitamin preparations and drinks, for example from the hips, should be taken in courses.

Do not forget that if you had been ill once with the aphthous stomatitis, then there is always the risk of recurrence. Therefore, neglect of preventive measures can lead to a more aggressive form, that will be difficult to treat.