Many people consistently associate herpes with a “cold” on the lips. In fact, herpes infection is not a specific disease, but a broad concept that combines several viral diseases.
The child’s body has difficulty resisting the “onslaught” of herpes, so by the age of six, approximately 80% of children are infected with one type of virus or another. Among the adult population, about 97–98% of people are already infected.
About the disease
Herpetic infection is a collective concept that is used to refer to diseases that are provoked by different types of the virus of the same name.
Traditionally, in pediatric practice, pathology caused by type 1 is encountered. This is the so-called labial herpes (rash on the lips). Its peculiarity is its chronic course. It is impossible to completely get rid of the pathogen. With adequate treatment of a child with symptoms of labial herpes, stable remission can be achieved. However, at this time the virus “hides” in the nerve ganglia (ganglia), where it can remain inactive for as long as desired. When favorable conditions arise (primarily decreased appetite), it is activated again. Another common form of herpes infection that can occur in children is varicella (chickenpox). The disease is provoked by the herpes virus type 3. It is important to remember that after successful recovery, the pathogen also goes into a latent form and persists in the nerve ganglia. The risk for the patient may be a reoccurrence of the infection. The type 3 virus, when reactivated, can cause herpes zoster, which is characterized by a more pronounced clinical picture with a deterioration in the child’s well-being and the appearance of rashes along the intercostal nerves.
The specialists of the SM-Doctor clinic have extensive experience in early diagnosis and treatment of all pathologies caused by herpes viruses. Doctors provide the necessary monitoring and quality treatment for children with any form of herpetic infection.
Treatment of herpes on the lips in children
To find out how to treat herpes on the lips of a child, it is better to visit a specialized clinic as soon as possible. Here, the optimal treatment regimen will be individually selected for you, taking into account the condition of the little patient’s body. However, we can tell you in advance how the treatment will proceed and what medications may be prescribed.
These are the following drugs:
- immunostimulants;
- antiviral drugs;
- interferons.
The disease should be combated at the first sign of infection. This is a guarantee of a prompt and successful recovery. If herpes is not treated, it can develop into a complicated or chronic form. Then relapses will become common. Treatment here consists of reducing symptoms and suppressing the manifestation of the viral infection. Since it will not be possible to completely remove herpes from the body, everything must be done to reduce its manifestations to a minimum, as well as to minimize the activity of the disease virus. The specialist should prescribe ointments, tablets, antipyretic drugs.
For babies up to the first year of life, ointments and gels are prescribed as therapeutic agents. Older children are prescribed tablets and, in special cases, injections. Healing medications and antiseptics are also prescribed.
An immunologist prescribes immunostimulants. These funds are needed so that the baby’s body actively fights the infection and so that herpes does not affect other areas of the mucous membranes and internal organs.
Interferons are needed to destroy the infection and to prevent its uncontrolled reproduction. They come in the form of tablets and suppositories.
You may have to contact specialists in the future. This virus is not eliminated from the body. It tends to periodically escalate. At this time, your child may feel a certain discomfort in his health, unpleasant sensations. Doctors' recommendations will help alleviate this uncomfortable condition for the child. They will not only prescribe you medications and a diet, but will also tell you what kind of lifestyle your baby should have. Most often, specialists, in addition to medications, prescribe proper and balanced nutrition and vitamin complexes. They may also recommend taking appropriate antiviral drugs and immunostimulants during influenza epidemics.
Herpes symptoms
Labial herpes is the simplest and most harmless form of the disease, which occurs most often in children. Apart from discomfort for the baby and parents, in most cases the disease is not accompanied by serious consequences. Typical clinical picture:
- the formation of painful blisters filled with serous fluid in the lip area;
- itching and burning in places where skin elements appear;
- loss of appetite. Breasts may refuse to breastfeed due to pain during feeding;
- general weakness, lethargy, emotional lability;
- increase in body temperature to 37-37.5 ° C (rare).
With adequate treatment, signs of the disease can disappear after 3-4 days.
Chicken pox is a typical representative of “childhood infections”. The disease is accompanied by the appearance of rashes with serous contents throughout the body of a small patient. A characteristic feature that allows you to quickly differentiate chickenpox from other infectious pathologies is the obligatory presence of pustules on the scalp and the formation of crusts after removal of the blisters. The disease is also accompanied by a rise in body temperature to 38-39.5 ° C. The severity of the pathology depends on the individual characteristics of the child’s immune system and the aggressiveness of the pathogen.
Herpes zoster is accompanied by:
- the occurrence of rashes along the intercostal nerves;
- severe pain in the area where the pustules spread;
- high fever;
- pronounced general intoxication syndrome.
If you detect at least one of these symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. SM-Doctor specialists point out that chicken pox and herpes zoster are diseases that require isolation of a small patient in a hospital to monitor his condition and prevent the spread of the pathogen to other family members and the environment.
Types of herpes in children
It is worth distinguishing between herpes simplex viruses type 1. This is the most well-known type of herpes simplex virus, which appears on a child's lip and is characterized by a general malaise, sometimes with a slight fever. Oral ulcers are most common in children aged 1-2 years, but they can appear in people as young as at any age and at any time of the year.
A crust on the lip of a child with herpes. Photo: victoriafly / freepik.com
The second type of herpes is genital, which manifests itself in a similar way. During childbirth, if the mother suffers from genital herpes, the baby may become infected as it passes through the birth canal. The manifestations of this type of herpes in children are more complex than in adults. Children may suffer from herpetic sore throat and stomatitis.
Herpes virus type 3 (varicella zoster virus) in children during primary infection causes chickenpox; in the secondary manifestation of the virus, the disease occurs as herpes zoster (shingles).
Chickenpox. Photo: freepik.com
Herpes type 6 in children causes roseola infantile, a pink maculopapular rash. It mainly affects children under the age of 2 years. First, a fever develops, then the temperature decreases within 3-6 days. After the temperature drops, an exanthema appears on the skin - pink maculopapular rashes 1-3 mm in size, turning pale when pressed (this is one of the distinctive signs; for the same rubella, the rash does not turn pale after pressure). They may disappear within a few hours or may persist for up to several days. The rash is localized mainly on the body, spreading to the neck, face and limbs
Infantile roseola. Photo: (Public Domain)
Herpetic viruses of types 4, 5, 6 can cause infectious mononucleosis - an acute infectious disease characterized by fever, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen, lymphocytosis, and the appearance of atypical mononuclear cells in the peripheral blood.
Cytomegalovirus, a member of the herpesvirus type 6 family, is one of the most common viruses. Children usually become infected with cytomegalovirus infection in early childhood, for example, in a nursery or kindergarten. Transmission of cytomegalovirus can only occur through direct contact with an infected person. In addition, children can be infected with the virus during fetal development. The infected environment is blood, urine, saliva and other biological substrates. Typically, cytomegalovirus in healthy children is asymptomatic or accompanied by minor symptoms similar to those of mononucleosis and disappearing after a few days or weeks.
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck of a child with infectious mononucleosis. Photo: GMS current topics in otorhinolaryngology, head and neck surgery / Open-i (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Human herpesvirus type 6 and type 7 during primary infection causes neonatal exanthema in infants. Only a specialist can accurately diagnose a child’s health condition.
Causes of herpes
All variants of herpes infection occur against the background of the activity of the virus of the same name of different types. Since upon initial penetration into the human body the pathogen no longer leaves it, it is important to know the factors that can provoke the activation of the disease:
- hypothermia;
- seasonal colds;
- any conditions that provoke a decrease in immune defense (poor nutrition, hypovitaminosis and others);
- exacerbation of chronic somatic diseases;
- contact with an infected patient.
The virus is transmitted by airborne droplets, so it is extremely difficult to completely prevent a child from encountering pathogenic particles.
Diagnosis of herpes
"SM-Doctor" is a multidisciplinary clinic specializing in providing high-quality medical services to children of any age. Diagnosis of herpetic infections in our center is carried out according to the standards used in leading clinics in Europe and the world. Our specialists establish a preliminary diagnosis at the stage of the initial examination of the child. Depending on the severity of the clinical picture, the necessary auxiliary diagnostic procedures are selected:
- a set of standard laboratory tests (general blood test, urine test, blood “biochemistry”, etc.);
- specific serological tests (ELISA) to detect antibodies to a specific type of virus in the patient’s blood;
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a highly informative diagnostic method that allows you to detect the presence of a virus in a child’s body with up to 99% accuracy.
"SM-Doctor" is a multidisciplinary center. Thanks to this, if necessary (for example, if complications develop), our patients can be examined by a wide range of specialists in different fields. If the attending physician, in addition to infection, suspects a pathology of internal organs and systems, he refers the sick child for consultation with a cardiorheumatologist, ophthalmologist, neurologist and others. In a short period of time, the child receives a full range of diagnostic services aimed at identifying any abnormalities in the functioning of the body.
Treatment of herpes
SM-Doctor doctors select treatment for herpetic infection for each child individually.
Our specialists prescribe medications depending on the severity of the clinical picture of the pathology and the presence of concomitant diseases. The following means are traditionally used to combat the virus:
- acyclovir is a specific drug to destroy the pathogen;
- antipyretic medications (paracetamol, ibuprofen) for fever above 38°C;
- auxiliary medications (painkillers, antiallergic and others).
Treatment of herpes, manifested by skin rashes
Treatment of herpes on the skin is prescribed depending on the patient’s age, severity of symptoms and area of the lesion.
For the treatment of herpes in children, the following are used:
- Antiviral drugs (Acyclovir, Zovirax, Virolex) that inhibit the virus. The drugs are used in the form of tablets, intravenous injections or externally as an ointment, which is applied to the affected areas of the skin, relieving itching and accelerating the healing process. The dosage is calculated by the pediatrician;
- Immunostimulants (Immunal, Arpetol, Groprinosin) , which help the child’s body fight the virus and prevent damage to new areas of the skin.
- Interferons that effectively act on viruses.
Symptomatic treatment is also used - antipyretics for fever and antihistamines for severe itching.
As with other viral diseases, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids - this helps remove toxins from the body and alleviates the child’s condition.
Note If a child has herpes on the skin, treatment should be started immediately - an advanced infection can become chronic, and with recurrent diseases, complications may develop.
Immunomodulators (Cycloferon) are used strictly as prescribed by the doctor. It is also recommended to take vitamins A, B, C, E. Damaged areas of the skin can be treated with gels (Bonaftone, Panavir or Depanthenol).
In adults, treatment is carried out according to a similar scheme. For severe pain, standard painkillers are used (ointments with acetaminophen or lidocaine, Naproxen, and Nurofen can be given to children). Glucocorticosteroid ointments are contraindicated for herpes on the body.
Treatment of herpes rashes during pregnancy
If skin rashes appear during pregnancy, it is necessary to determine what type of herpes virus affects the body (cytomegalovirus and genital herpes are dangerous for the baby, but the herpes virus is not dangerous for the pregnant woman). If skin rashes during pregnancy are extensive, treatment is carried out exclusively in a hospital. Appointed:
- Multivitamin complexes (Pregnavit, etc.);
- High doses of vitamin C;
- Oxolinic ointment applied to rash sites;
- Acyclovir or herpevir exclusively in the form of ointments (tablet forms are prescribed individually when assessing the benefits/harms);
- Interferon (nasal drops or rectal suppositories Laferon, Viferon).
Timely comprehensive treatment of herpes on the skin is the key to a speedy recovery, but it is important to remember that neuralgia as a consequence of the disease persists for some time after treatment.
Prevention of herpes
The basic rules that will help reduce the likelihood of infection with viruses of the herpes family are:
- hand washing;
- limiting contact with sick people;
- nasal instillation with saline solutions during the off-season.
There is now a vaccine against chickenpox. Vaccination helps prevent infection and/or development of severe forms of the disease. “SM-Doctor” is a multidisciplinary medical institution that provides effective treatment to children facing various diseases. Herpetic infection in any of its manifestations is not a problem. The main thing is to schedule a consultation with our specialists on time. Contact us!
