Causes of a cold on the lip of a child

A cold on the lip is traditionally considered a consequence of acute respiratory infections. However, it is caused by the herpes virus and looks like a rash in the form of small bubbles. Often, parents do not take a cold on the lips seriously, although in fact, herpes is very dangerous.

What causes a cold on the lips?

"Cold on the lips" is the popular name for herpes. This is due to two reasons:

• fever, chills, muscle pain and weakness - these symptoms, characteristic of a cold, often accompany the appearance of sores on the lips;
• herpes is most often activated during colds or after hypothermia.

When a virus enters the body, it is impossible to get rid of it. It is in the human body throughout life. At the same time, the disease does not manifest itself in all infected, it is activated when the immune system is weakened. What happens during a cold, hypothermia or stress.

Treatment of herpes allows you to stop the progression and spread of the disease, as well as alleviate the condition of the sick person, speed up the healing process.

A newborn or a child under one year old can become infected from the mother or other relatives. The disease itself in a child often occurs in a more severe form than in adults. This is due to the weak and fragile immune system of the baby.

That is why it is necessary to start treating the baby as soon as possible. In the absence of timely treatment, the disease can affect the nervous system, as well as internal organs. Herpes occurs not only in the form of rashes on the lips and skin surface. If the disease is not treated, the infection passes into the oral cavity, the child develops tonsillitis or stomatitis.

How does herpes on the lips

It is very difficult for parents to identify the initial stages of the course of herpes in infants. The disease can be detected only after the formation of ulcers on the surface of the skin. In general, herpes on the lips proceeds in several main stages:

• the onset of the disease. After infection, there is a burning sensation, pain on the lip at the site of the appearance of sores. This period lasts from several hours to days. If you start treatment at this stage, you can get rid of the disease in just 1-2 days. However, it is almost impossible to diagnose it in a child of the first year of life;
• the appearance of redness and swelling on the lips. This stage is characterized by the course of the inflammatory process, the formation of bubbles with a colorless liquid occurs;
• erosion formation. The most contagious stage, when pustules appear, a sore is formed, around which a red ring appears. The bubbles burst, liquid is released;
• crust formation. This occurs 4-9 days after the onset of the disease. From the sores formed on the lips, crusts can fall off, herpes heals.

Treatment of herpes on the lips

When herpes appears on the lips of a small child, you should consult a doctor. Timely and competent treatment will avoid complications.

If the child is already familiar with complementary foods, it is necessary to use individual cutlery. A sick child should also have a towel for individual use. This is especially true if the family has more than one child.

It is best to start treating the child before the sores appear. The development of the disease is possible with the help of ethyl or camphor alcohol. If the appearance of rashes could not be avoided, it is necessary to smear the inflamed area with zinc ointment or paste. You can also anoint the sore with iodine or brilliant green. You can use other, modern drugs for the treatment of colds on the lip, it can be Zovirax or Acyclovir. It is necessary to smear the sores 3-4 times during the day.

Do not touch the sores on the lips with your fingers. It is necessary to smear the sore with a cotton swab. Otherwise, the virus can enter the eyes, leading to herpetic conjunctivitis. This disease is characterized by tearing, inflammation and redness in the eye area. Complications can lead to vision problems.

However, without consulting a doctor, you should not buy drugs in a pharmacy. If you treat the child yourself, this can lead to complications. This is especially true when the child has a fever.

If a child of the first year of life has a rash in the mouth, the doctor prescribes a regular procedure for treating the oral cavity with furatsilin solution or tincture of calendula, rotokan.

The appearance of sores and pain in the mouth can lead to the refusal of the child to eat. To alleviate the condition of the baby, the doctor may prescribe local drugs, for example, based on lidocaine, which significantly reduces pain. However, the use of such drugs in children with allergies is contraindicated.

In no case should you treat herpes with hormonal ointments. They lead to an increase in the duration of the disease. In addition, if you smear the sores with hormonal drugs, this can lead to even more suppuration.

Also, the doctor prescribes antiviral drugs that have a detrimental effect on the virus. They can be in the form of ointments, creams and gels. Tablets for children of the first year of life, as a rule, are not suitable, therefore, in some cases, intravenous administration of drugs is required. In this case, the dosage of the drug is determined by the body weight of the child and the degree of complexity of the course of the disease.

In some cases, especially at high temperatures, treatment may be accompanied by the use of rectal suppositories once a day for 5-7 days.

Additional treatment with folk methods involves the use of infusions of licorice or St. John's wort. So you can speed up the healing process of sores on the surface of the skin.

If the child is breastfed, do not stop it in case of herpes in the mother. The virus cannot pass into breast milk. An exception is cases of herpes on the chest.

Prevention measures

Prevention of herpes in a child comes down to strengthening the immune system. Since a baby under one year old can only become infected from the mother or other relatives, precautions should be taken if any of the family members fall ill to avoid infection of the crumbs. It is also necessary to start treatment as soon as possible at the first symptoms of the disease.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before picking up your child. When a rash appears on the lip, it is imperative to use a medical bandage when communicating with the baby.

The best preventive measure to strengthen the immune system is breastfeeding. It is also useful for the baby to regularly stay in the fresh air. And any diseases should be treated as soon as possible. Even a common cold greatly weakens the immune system, which can cause the appearance of herpes.

To date, there are no drugs that can rid the human body of the virus completely, you can alleviate the course of the disease and suppress its spread.