Children's ENT doctor. Heading: ‘Children’s ENT diseases’ Chronic diseases of ENT organs in children

Diseases of the ENT organs must be treated at an early stage of their development, since after the transition of these pathologies to the chronic stage, the treatment will be more complex and lengthy, often dragging on for many years. Untreated diseases in childhood can cause a delay in the development of the child.

Varieties of diseases

The list of ENT diseases is huge, it can include hundreds of clinical names. Diseases of the nose, throat and ear are often diagnosed in children and adults. Children are exposed to them more often due to the imperfection of the immune system.

Nose diseases:

• runny nose or in acute and chronic stages;
• ( , );
• foreign body in the nasal cavity;
• nosebleeds, etc.

The pathological process affects the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses. Some chronic nasal diseases (for example, sinusitis and frontal sinusitis) can cause serious complications in the form of excruciating migraines, blurred vision, and the development of meningitis.

Ear diseases:

• inner, outer and middle;
• eustachitis;
• sulfur plug;
• foreign body in the ear canal;
• injury to the inner ear and eardrum, etc.

The clinical picture of ear pathologies in almost all cases occurs against the background of hearing loss. Inflammatory processes are usually accompanied by fever, symptoms of intoxication of the body, discharge and acute pain in the ear.

In adult patients, the signs of ear disease are often blurred and mild, so the pathology is more difficult to detect and with a great delay. Signs of a pathological process may not make themselves felt for a long time.

Allergens

With the individual susceptibility of the body, they can cause sore throat and swelling of the nasopharynx. Allergens are dust, animal hair, pollen, etc.

Regardless of the cause of the allergy, it is possible to get rid of it only on the condition that contact with the allergen is excluded or as limited as possible. Also, the therapy of allergic rhinitis consists in the appointment of antihistamines.

hypothermia

A cold can catch you by surprise not only in the cold season, but also in hot weather. This is most often observed in people suffering from a decrease in immunity. In the cold season, low temperatures provoke spasm and vasoconstriction, disrupt tissue trophism, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of developing inflammatory processes and ENT diseases due to the penetration of infectious pathogens into the organs.

In the summer, the greatest danger to the throat is swimming in cold water, ice cream and chilled drinks.

Ears are more susceptible to cold gusts of wind and low temperatures, so be sure to protect them by wearing a headscarf or hat. A runny nose most often develops due to cold feet, which is why you need to wear shoes according to the weather and prevent them from hypothermia.

Any diseases of an inflammatory, infectious and systemic nature often become a provoking factor for the development of ENT diseases.

General symptoms

The general clinical picture of diseases of the ear, nose and throat is characterized by:

• discomfort and pain in the larynx and nasopharynx;
• difficulty in nasal breathing;
• elevated body temperature;
• intoxication of the body in the form of weakness, deterioration in performance, muscle pain;
• inflammatory phenomena in the affected organs;
• discharge from the nasal cavity and ears;
• pathological enlargement of the submandibular lymph nodes;
• hearing loss;
• headaches;
• decreased protection of the immune system;
• impaired sense of smell, etc.

If, against the background of the current disease, several of the listed symptoms are noted at once, this indicates an advanced stage of the disease.

How are ENT organs interconnected?

All diseases of the ENT organs are combined into a general category, because the throat, ear and nasal cavity interact as a single physiological system.

For example, if a person has a sore throat, the infectious process can freely enter the sinuses or the inner ear, causing inflammation in them, and vice versa. Most often this happens due to untimely treatment of ENT diseases or a decrease in immunity.

Otolaryngology as a science is engaged in the study and treatment of ENT diseases, and also works in a preventive direction. An otolaryngologist, in addition to specific knowledge of the pathologies of the ENT organs, must have the knowledge and practical skills of a therapist and surgeon. Advanced diseases in otolaryngology often require the doctor to perform surgical procedures.

Treatment of ENT diseases consists in a complex effect on the body, in particular, on the affected organ or organ system of drug, symptomatic, physiotherapeutic and radical therapy.

All diseases require competent diagnosis and the choice of the most gentle and effective therapeutic effect. In addition to treating the underlying pathology, specialists pay attention to improving the patient's immune system and are engaged in the prevention of possible relapses of ENT diseases.

Self-medication or ignoring the treatment of diseases can cause serious consequences for the body as a whole. One pathology of ENT organs easily leads to a complication of another. For example, a common cold can lead to inflammation of the maxillary sinuses (sinusitis) and middle ear (otitis media). That is why it is necessary to treat any pathological conditions of the ENT organs in a complex manner, since they are interconnected.

Useful video about ENT diseases

ENT diseases include diseases of the ear, pharynx, larynx and nose. The medical discipline dealing with the treatment and prevention of ENT diseases is called otorhinolaryngology. One way or another, almost everyone has encountered these diseases since childhood. ENT diseases in children are most often diagnosed by pediatricians. Problems such as runny nose, SARS, tonsillitis, sinusitis do not have age, and are equally common in children and adults. But in childhood, the likelihood of complications of ENT diseases is higher. The cause of the development of most ENT diseases are bacterial and viral infections, often against the background of functional immaturity. With untimely prevention of diseases of the ENT organs and / or improper therapy, ENT diseases can go into a chronic stage, which can even lead to disability.

Causes of ENT diseases

Hypothermia of the body

Sharp temperature changes

Weakened immunity

Contact with the patient

Lack of vitamins and minerals in the body

stressful situations

Advanced acute respiratory infections, influenza

Treatment of ENT diseases

If any symptoms of ENT diseases occur, it is necessary to carry out timely diagnosis and start therapy, since not only the disease itself is dangerous, but its consequences.

Therapy of diseases of the ear, throat, nose in adults differs from the treatment of ENT diseases in children. Children's ENT diseases, due to the anatomical differences between children and adults, have their own specifics. Treatment of ENT diseases in children, in addition to antibiotics, may include antiallergic drugs, and surgery may be more often indicated.

Patients with chronic ENT diseases in the spring-autumn period are shown to undergo medical and physiotherapeutic treatment, as well as strengthening the immune system.

Galavit in ENT diseases

Doctors often include anti-inflammatory drugs and immunomodulators in modern treatment regimens for ENT diseases to increase the effectiveness of treatment.

The immunomodulator Galavit is successfully used both for the treatment of ENT diseases (as part of complex therapy) and for their prevention, and is indicated for both children and adults.

Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses

The size of the nasal cavity in newborns and infants is relatively small. The nasal cavity is shorter, narrower and lower compared to other age groups due to underdevelopment of the facial skeleton. The vertical size of the nasal cavity is significantly reduced due to the absence of a perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone, which is formed only by the age of 6 years. The lower wall of the nasal cavity is in close contact with the tooth germs in the body of the upper jaw, which is associated with the risk of developing osteomyelitis of the upper jaw with inflammation of the nasal cavity and ethmoid sinuses. Growth acceleration occurs already in the first six months of life and is associated with the intensive development of the skull, mainly the maxillary region, and teething.

Along with the small size of the nasal cavity, a sharp narrowing of the nasal passages, closed by well-developed nasal conchas, is important. The inferior turbinates are located low, tightly adjacent to the bottom of the nasal cavity, as a result of which the lower nasal passages are impassable for air. The upper and middle nasal passages are practically not expressed, children are forced to breathe through a narrow common nasal passage. In this age group, severe difficulty in nasal breathing is common, especially with the accumulation of mucous secretions or crusts in the nasal cavity.

As a result of the discrepancy between a significant volume of the turbinates of the narrow respiratory area, acute rhinitis in newborns and infants is severe, with a predominance of general symptoms and the frequent development of complications. Even a slight swelling of the mucous membrane of a narrow and small nasal cavity leads to the cessation of nasal breathing. The child's breathing takes on the character of "flying": children breathe often and shallowly, but the wings of the nose do not swell, as with pneumonia. Sucking is sharply difficult or impossible, sleep is disturbed; the child is restless, body weight decreases, dyspepsia, hyperthermia may be added. Breathing through the mouth leads to aerophagia with flatulence, which makes breathing even more difficult and leads to a violation of the general condition of the child. With nasal congestion, the child throws his head back to make it easier to breathe, convulsions are possible. Due to the pronounced tendency to generalize any inflammatory processes in newborns and infants, acute rhinitis proceeds as acute nasopharyngitis. At the same time, on the soft palate, one can see reddened, protruding anteriorly tubercles - clogged mucous glands.

This age group is characterized by the so-called posterior runny nose, caused by the accumulation of infected mucus in the posterior parts of the nose, associated with difficulty in secreting the secret into the nasopharynx due to the structural features of the choanae. On the posterior wall of the pharynx, stripes of viscous sputum descending from the nose are visible, hyperemia of the lymphoid granules of the posterior pharyngeal wall; enlarged occipital and cervical lymph nodes can be identified.

The mucous membrane of the nasal cavity in young children is very delicate, well vascularized. The folding of the mucous membrane of the nasal septum observed in newborns soon disappears. The ciliated epithelium passes directly into the stratified epithelium of the vestibule of the nose. An important feature of the nasal cavity in newborns and children of the first six months of life is the absence of cavernous (cavernous) tissue in the region of the free edge of the lower and middle nasal concha. In this regard, children of this age practically do not have spontaneous nosebleeds, unlike older children. When bloody discharge from the nose appears, a thorough examination is necessary to exclude congenital hemangioma or a foreign body in the nasal cavity. For the same reason, in newborns and children in the first half of life, it is not advisable to use vasoconstrictor drops in the nose, the action of which is calculated on the reflex contraction of the cavernous tissue of the nasal conchas. The rarity of spontaneous nosebleeds is also explained by the underdevelopment and deep location of the branches of the nasopalatine artery and its anastomoses in the anteroinferior part of the nasal septum (the bleeding Kisselbach zone).

The paranasal sinuses in newborns are underdeveloped and are formed during the development of the facial skeleton and the growth of the child. At birth, there are two paranasal sinuses: a well-developed ethmoid sinus (anterior and middle cells of the ethmoid labyrinth) and a rudimentary maxillary sinus in the form of a narrow gap (diverticulum of the mucous membrane) at the inner corner of the orbit in the thickness of the bone of the upper jaw. The frontal, sphenoid sinuses and the posterior ethmoid cells are in their infancy. In this regard, among the diseases of the paranasal sinuses in newborns and infants, the defeat of the ethmoid labyrinth (ethmoiditis) prevails, which is especially difficult with orbital and septic complications.

Snot in the chest

Very often situations arise when a child has snot flowing, while there are no signs of a cold. Such a runny nose is physiological in nature, it can continue until the newborn is 2 months old. Factors that cause snot in newborns:

1. Infection. Most often, colds occur when a viral infection transmitted by airborne droplets enters the body. ARVI in infants progresses rapidly and is manifested by pronounced symptoms.
2. Allergy. Snot in children can still be allergic. They occur when nasal inhalation of such allergens as dust, pollen of flowering plants, fluff, wool. In such situations, the breathing process becomes more complicated, the baby begins to sneeze, watery snot is released from the nose. Vascular response to external stimuli. Very often, snot in newborns occurs with a high sensitivity of the vessels of the nasopharynx to environmental factors. This process usually manifests itself with bouts of sneezing, alternate sinus congestion, and copious discharge from the nose.
3. Enlarged adenoids. A feature of the physiology of the children's respiratory system is that at birth, adenoids begin to grow rapidly in children. They sometimes provoke the formation of snot, which are greenish in color. In such cases, it is necessary for the baby to drip a 1% solution of collargol into the nose.

Treatment of rhinitis in newborns is characterized by complexity, due to narrow nasal passages. The course of rhinitis in newborns has its own characteristics, which is explained by the physiological and anatomical features of the infant. The complexity of the course of the disease lies in the fact that infants cannot free their nose from accumulated mucus on their own, and also do not know how to breathe through their mouths, which is especially dangerous during sleep and breastfeeding.

Many parents do not know what to do when the snot of a newborn bothers the baby day and night. It is impossible to start medical treatment of rhinitis in a baby on your own; therapy can only be prescribed by a specialist.

How to treat a runny nose in a newborn depends on the factors that caused this condition of the nasal mucosa of the child. Even before visiting the specialist's office, parents can perform actions aimed at alleviating the condition of their baby. First of all, if there is a severe runny nose in an infant that makes nasal breathing difficult, it is necessary to clear the nasal passages from a pathological secret. Solutions based on sea water or regular saline are well suited for this procedure.

Humidification should be another action for parents who don't know what to do when their baby has a runny nose. A well-ventilated room with moist air contributes to a faster recovery of the nasal mucosa. You can increase the humidity in a dry room by using a humidifier. The optimal indicators of air humidity in the room where the sick child is located is 50% at a temperature of 20-21ºС.

Treatment of transparent snot in a child should be carried out only as directed by a doctor, since such a symptom may indicate several diseases. Regardless of the cause of rhinitis, parents should regularly clean the crumbs' nose, improving nasal breathing with these actions. To do this, you can use a special device for suctioning mucus - a nasal aspirator. If the transparent snot in the nose is so thick that it is difficult to remove it from the nasal cavity, the mucus must first be thinned. Solutions based on sea water are well suited for this, as well as decoctions of herbs such as chamomile. You need to drip a few drops into each nasal passage of the child, and then use the aspirator. It is important to adhere not to symptomatic treatment, but to carry out actions aimed at eliminating the cause of the development of the disease. Parents should contact specialists in a timely manner, who will tell you how to treat transparent snot in a child, having previously established an accurate diagnosis.

Pharynx

In children, near the median septum of the pharyngeal cellular space, there are lymph nodes, where the lymphatic vessels flow from the palatine tonsils, the posterior parts of the nasal and oral cavities. With age, these nodes atrophy; in children, they can suppurate, forming a retropharyngeal abscess.

Adenoids are common in children.

Larynx

In newborns and young people, the larynx is located slightly higher than in adults (in adults, the upper edge of the larynx is at the border of the IV and V cervical vertebrae).

In children, the Adam's apple is soft and not palpable.

outer ear

In a newborn and infant in the first 6 months of life, the entrance to the external auditory canal looks like a gap due to the fact that the upper wall is almost closely adjacent to the lower one.

In newborns, the temporal bone is not yet fully developed, so the bony part of the ear canal is absent, there is only a bone ring to which the tympanic membrane is attached. The bone part of the ear canal is formed by the age of 4 and up to 12-15 years the diameter of the lumen, the shape and size of the external auditory canal change.

Eardrum

In children, the tympanic membrane has an almost round shape and is much thicker than in adults (0.1 mm), due to the inner and outer layers. Therefore, in acute otitis media in children, perforation of the tympanic membrane may not be observed.

Middle ear

The auditory (Eustachian) tube in children is wider and shorter than in adults.

Mastoid

In a newborn, the mastoid part of the middle ear looks like a small elevation behind the upper posterior edge of the tympanic ring, containing only one cavity - the antrum. The formation of the mastoid process ends by the beginning of the 7th year of a child's life.

hearing loss

This is a disease characterized by hearing loss, up to its complete loss. There is a pathology among people of different age categories, it can be a congenital or acquired problem. Hearing loss in newborns most often appears as a result of a woman suffering from any infectious or viral diseases during pregnancy.

The problem of hearing impairment in newborns is very relevant both from a social and medical point of view. The thing is that hearing loss in a baby leads to the presence of deviations in speech development, affects intelligence and personality formation.

Therefore, even before discharge, in many modern maternity hospitals, each baby is tested for hearing loss in newborns using special automated equipment. If the test is not passed, a referral is made to a specialist for further evaluation and hearing testing.

Symptoms of congenital hearing loss

The main symptom of hearing loss in newborns is the absence of any response to sounds. With normal auditory development, babies startle at sudden or too loud sounds as early as two weeks of age.

The most likely causes of hearing loss in newborns include:

• influenza, toxoplasmosis, herpes and rubella, transferred during pregnancy by the mother;
• alcohol intake and smoking;
• prematurity of the baby, weight less than 1500 gr.;
• bad heredity.

Also, the risk of hearing loss in newborns increases if a pregnant woman was taking toxic medications (streptomycin, furosemide, aspirin, gentamicin, etc.)

There are three degrees of hearing loss in newborns:

• The first degree of the disease is considered the easiest, with it a person can perceive a whisper at a distance of 1 to 3 meters, and colloquial speech of medium volume from 4 meters. Difficulties in auditory perception are observed when the speech of the interlocutor is distorted, as well as in the presence of extraneous noise.
• In the presence of the second degree of hearing loss, the child has difficulty in recognizing a whisper at a distance of more than a meter. At the same time, colloquial speech is best perceived when the interlocutor is no more than 3.5-4.0 meters away. However, even with such a removal, some words may be perceived illegibly.
• The most severe is the third degree of hearing loss. With such a hearing impairment, a whisper is almost indistinguishable even at a very close distance, and colloquial speech can only be perceived at a distance of no more than 2 meters.

Acute otitis media

Diagnostic feature

Clinical diagnostics. The sequence of development of acute otitis media is the same as in children of other age groups: the catarrhal stage of inflammation, the formation of exudate, perforation of the eardrum and suppuration from the ear, the development of complications or a favorable resolution of the process. The most important symptom of the disease - ear pain - in newborns and infants is detected by a change in the behavior of the child. Acute pain occurs suddenly and is usually so severe that the child holds his breath. Children of the second half of life stop playing, grab their ear with their hand. When sneezing, swallowing, coughing, accompanied by an increase in air pressure in the tympanic cavity, the pain intensifies; sometimes the pain subsides. The child is lethargic, supple, drowsy. At certain intervals, the pain attack is repeated with the same or greater intensity. Sometimes the restless behavior of the child is replaced by seeming calm, the child sleeps a lot, falls asleep during feeding, is lethargic, which indicates depression of the nervous system. The body temperature rises; children do not sleep well, often wake up screaming and do not calm down for a long time, shudder, moan. Painful facial expression, fixed gaze, painful grimaces. Changing the position of the child does not have a calming effect.

A child up to 4-5 months old cannot localize pain, only helplessly turns his head. There are erratic and obsessive movements: a pendulum movement of the head and a “tongue chewing symptom”. The reason for these movements is the desire of the child to find the optimal position in which the ear would hurt less. At the height of the pain, hand cramps (posture of the Kapellmeister) or false opisthotonus are possible. With an increase in intoxication, convulsive contractions of the eye muscles may be attached. Children of the second half of life stretch their hands to the sore ear, rub it with the back of the hand, try to stick their finger into the ear canal. Babies refuse to eat; more willingly suck the breast opposite to the side of the diseased ear. Soreness when pressing on the tragus is characteristic (Your symptom), since pressure is directly transmitted through the non-ossified part of the auditory canal to the inflamed tympanic membrane (after a year of life, pain when pressing on the tragus indicates only a lesion of the external auditory canal).

Diagnosis of ENT diseases in infants

Examination and treatment of babies differs markedly from work with adult patients. A small patient cannot always sensibly tell what worries him, he does not know how to properly dissolve tablets, gargle. The ability and skills of a good pediatric ENT doctor to find an approach to a sick baby, to establish psychological contact with him are no less valuable than the professional skills of an otolaryngologist. The physiological and anatomical features of the body of a small child determine the specificity of the treatment procedures, examination of the ENT organs, anesthesia (if necessary).

Modern methods for diagnosing ENT pathology include: clarification of parental complaints, issues of the treatment and diagnostic complex, etc., objective examination, laboratory tests, endoscopic and computerized examinations of the nose, throat, and ear, ultrasound.

Treatment of ENT diseases in infants

The most important task in the treatment of otolaryngological diseases is to prevent the transition of the disease into a chronic form. In the treatment of ENT pathology, therapeutic (drug, physiotherapeutic) methods are used. In recent years, minimally invasive laser and endoscopic methods have been actively used to treat otolaryngological pathology.

Prevention of diseases in children of the nasopharynx, larynx and hearing organs must be applied from a very early age. A qualified pediatric ENT specialist will help you develop a plan of preventive measures, thanks to which your baby will avoid chronic colds and infectious diseases, as well as the risk of various complications.

Remember that regardless of age and general condition of the body, the child requires constant attention. A pediatric ENT doctor will always help diagnose the disease in time, establish its causes, and also prescribe the appropriate treatment and prevent possible complications.

First, in recent years there has been a local increase in the child population. More children - more ENT diseases.

Secondly, oddly enough, the high level of medical care. Previously, when medical care was less accessible, and medicine itself was imperfect, life expectancy was shorter, infant mortality rates were higher. Modern high-tech medicine fights natural selection more successfully and the weaker ones survive too. The gene pool does not become cleaner from this, and the number of chronic diseases is growing. All pathology, not only ENT organs.

The vast majority of ENT diseases among children are complications after SARS. They are seasonal. A wave of SARS has passed, followed by complications: adenoiditis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, otitis media, etc.

Myth two. Adenoid enlargement is not normal.

What are adenoids? Many diseases enter the body through the upper respiratory tract. To recognize microbes, the body came up with a kind of observation post, which was placed in the mouth and nose.

These are tonsils - accumulations of lymphoid tissue. In the recess between the soft palate and the tongue are two palatine tonsils. In common parlance they are called tonsils. In the depths of the nasal cavity is another tonsil, which is called adenoids. There are also tonsils at the root of the tongue and near the entrance to the middle ear. When microbes enter the tonsils, they are recognized, neutralized, and launched, in addition to the local, and the general immune mechanism. The process is accompanied by a slight inflammation and an increase in the tonsils (adenoids too). This is a natural reaction that should normally pass in about 1 to 2 weeks.

If the child is often sick or weakened, then the tonsils do not have time to return to normal, and the inflammation becomes sluggish. And this is not a normal situation.

Myth three. With enlarged adenoids, the child develops an “adenoid” type of face and enuresis (bedwetting) is observed.

Both of these examples are described in old Soviet textbooks. But in 20 years of work, I have never had to remove adenoids from a child due to enuresis. An adenoid face - a heavy, lowered lower jaw, smoothed nasolabial folds - now, probably, can only be found in a remote village in dysfunctional families. In other cases, after all, help is provided to the child on time.

Myth four. Adenoids cannot be removed. This leads to a decrease in the immunity of the child.

If conservative treatment does not help, then I usually give the example of a dog. A man feeds, loves and takes care of a dog as long as it protects him. If the dog ceased to protect the person, began to snarl and pose a danger, the question arises: is it worth keeping it further?

The same goes for adenoids. As long as they perform their function, this is part of the child's immune barrier. If they begin to interfere with life, then they themselves undermine the immune system and they must be removed. Exist Absolute indications for removal of adenoids:

• First, conductive hearing loss. It is not very pronounced, but gradually increases. The child makes the TV louder, does not immediately respond. Parents often attribute his behavior to inattention, and these are problems with the adenoids. If the adenoids are not removed, there is a chance that as the child grows, everything will resolve itself. Or maybe not. Then the eardrum will begin to collapse, chronic inflammation of the middle ear will occur, and in adulthood such a person will still need surgery. But it will be impossible to restore natural hearing.
• Secondly, snoring with holding your breath during sleep. This is an indicator that the child is experiencing chronic oxygen starvation. Such a child does not get enough sleep, he has increased fatigue, he gets sick a lot, misses school, his performance decreases. Teachers may even consider that he has reduced intelligence. It's not about stupidity. You just need to get your breath back...

There are many other, relative, indications for the removal of adenoids. Each time the issue is resolved individually with the attending physician.

Myth five. Before the operation to remove the tonsils (palatine tonsils), you should eat a lot of ice cream.

This myth is outdated. Now many new techniques have been developed to remove the tonsils (tonsils and adenoids). Their essence is the same - it should not hurt and not in haste. But before they really gave ice cream. It gives a mild analgesic effect. In Soviet textbooks it is written that the operation to remove the tonsils is painless. Adults who have had surgery remember that this was not the case. Parents who bring their child to surgery relive their childhood pain and fear. Often they transfer pain and fear for the child to doctors. They can be understood, the illness of a child is a powerful stress for parents. But as a result, doctors literally bathe in negative emotions. In order not to burn out professionally, the doctor must develop protection, a certain detachment, which is often perceived by people as indifference. This is a big psychological and ethical problem.

Myth six. Surgery to remove tonsils, such as adenoids, is useless. They grow up again.

Indeed, earlier in about half of the patients, adenoids recurred. The reason is their incomplete removal due to a less perfect operation technique. . Then the sick child was tied or held tightly, an instrument was put into the mouth and the tonsils were cut off. It was painful, the child twitched and resisted. The doctor worked blindly and was nervous. There is such a well-aimed medical phrase: "A sick child should not be present at his operation."

Now operations to remove the tonsils are carried out in accordance with this popular expression - under anesthesia. For a child, they are painless, and the doctor sees his actions and has the opportunity to remove the tonsils completely. This is a big step forward.

Myth seven. Chronic infection of the tonsils can "walk" through the body and affect other organ systems.

This is not a myth. Take, for example, chronic tonsillitis - damage to the palatine tonsils (glands) is often caused by hemolytic streptococcus. Exacerbation of tonsillitis - tonsillitis. If the general immunity of the child is reduced, then he can get tonsillitis several times a year. In between exacerbations, feel weakness, weakness - due to constant intoxication from a chronic focus of infection, from the tonsil. Often he has a seemingly unrelated slightly elevated temperature. These manifestations of chronic infection are unpleasant in themselves.

In addition, hemolytic streptococcus toxins affect the heart, kidneys and joints, leading to diseases of these organs. Now more and more often there are cases when a person is 26-28 years old, and he already has myocarditis (heart disease). When you start to understand, it turns out that all his childhood he suffered from chronic tonsillitis. Such severe consequences might not have happened. Let me remind you once again that the severity of the manifestation of ENT diseases is associated with the state of the general immunity of a person.

Myth eight. It is possible to increase the body's resistance to infections and thereby reduce the number of ENT diseases by hardening.

Now in society they somehow don’t talk about hardening. Sounds more like a healthy lifestyle. In order for children to be healthier, parents first of all need to lead a healthy lifestyle themselves and educate the child by their own example. In the meantime, ENT doctors and pediatricians advise cutting off the child from microbes. How?

If this is a frequently ill child (sick with SARS more than 8 times a year), we advise you to remove the child from kindergarten and keep it at home. We say to the rest of the parents: "Look for a garden where no one gets sick." Of course, there are no such kindergartens. In most kindergartens, the groups are overcrowded. Children share their infections with each other and get sick in a circle. If there are 10 people in a group, children get sick less. And if 28? Frequent acute respiratory viral infections reduce the overall immunity of the child and give more severe complications to the ENT organs. This is not only a medical problem. This has been a social problem for a long time.

ENT diseases are quite common. From time to time they can disturb almost everyone. The pathology of the pharynx, larynx, ear and nose is treated by an otorhinolaryngologist. A general practitioner and a general practitioner can also provide some assistance in diseases of this localization.

What ENT diseases exist?

To date, a large number of diseases of the otorhinolaryngological profile are known. By localization, they are divided into the following groups:

• throat diseases;
• ear diseases;
• diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses.

The set of diagnostic studies prescribed by the otorhinolaryngologist and further tactics of patient management will depend on the localization of the pathology.

Throat diseases

The list of ENT diseases in this area is quite extensive. The main ones among them are the following:

• angina;
• pharyngitis;
• laryngitis;
• tonsillitis;
• abscess;
• tumor pathologies;
• thermal and chemical burns;
• foreign bodies.

All these ENT diseases of the throat require an appointment with a specialist doctor to prescribe a rational course of treatment.

Angina

Angina is a disease of the palatine tonsils. Most often it is caused by a staphylococcal infection. With this disease, plaque is found on the palatine tonsils. It can be whitish or purulent, depending on the form of pathology. This ENT disease is manifested by severe sore throat, aggravated by swallowing, fever and general weakness.

Diagnosis of angina is based on the detection of plaque on the palatine tonsils during a general examination, as well as the results of a study of biological material taken with a smear from the affected area.

Treatment of angina is based on the use of antibiotics, antipyretics, antihistamines and painkillers (often in the form of a spray). Also, with this pathology, it is recommended to gargle 5-6 times a day with saline-soda solution.

Pharyngitis

It is an inflammation of the back of the throat. It is one of the most common diseases. Most often, pharyngitis occurs after hypothermia, which leads to a decrease in the level of local immunity. As a result, conditionally pathogenic microflora begins to multiply and damage the mucous membrane of the throat.

The main symptoms of pharyngitis are redness of the back of the throat, pain and itching in the affected area, fever. Diagnosis of the disease includes a general examination, as well as the delivery of general blood and urine tests.

Treatment of this pathology is based on the use of antihistamines, antipyretics, as well as local anesthetics in the form of a spray. In the case of a protracted course of this disease, the patient is prescribed antibiotics. In addition, doctors recommend drinking plenty of warm liquids and gargling with saline-soda solution.

Tonsillitis

This pathology is an inflammation of the palatine tonsils. Most often, it develops after hypothermia or after contact with an already sick person.

The clinical picture of tonsillitis is characterized by swelling and redness of the palatine tonsils, sore throat, which is aggravated by swallowing, and fever. This disease may be accompanied by difficulty in eating.

Treatment of tonsillitis includes the use of antibacterial drugs, antihistamines, antipyretics and local anesthetics in the form of a spray. In the chronic course of this disease, accompanied by a significant increase in palatine tonsils, the patient is recommended to undergo surgical treatment in order to remove them. This will save a person from tonsillitis and tonsillitis, but it will also remove one of the immune barriers to pathogenic microorganisms.

Abscess

This disease is quite dangerous. An abscess is a suppuration limited to connective tissue. If an abscess is opened not in the throat cavity, but in other tissues, the patient may develop severe complications that can lead to death. That is why it is important not to try to treat the abscess on your own, but immediately contact an otorhinolaryngologist.

This pathological process is most often accompanied by severe pain in the throat, which can radiate throughout the neck, swelling and swelling in the affected area, and an increase in body temperature up to 40 ° C or more.

Treatment of an abscess begins with antibacterial, antihistamine, and antipyretic drugs. If their use has not brought the expected results, a surgical operation is performed to open and drain the abscess. The intervention can be performed in a hospital or in the treatment room of an otorhinolaryngologist at an outpatient healthcare facility. After the operation, treatment with tablet preparations continues until the patient recovers completely.

Ear diseases

Among this pathology, the most common diseases are the following:

• otitis;
• sensorineural hearing loss;
• deafness;
• abscess of the external auditory canal;
• damage to the eardrum;
• foreign body and sulfur plug in the external auditory canal.

In the presence of this pathology, it is important to promptly seek help from a specialist, since all these ENT diseases of the ears can lead to a decrease and even loss of hearing.

Otitis

Otitis media is an inflammatory disease of the ear. Along the course, acute and chronic forms of pathology are distinguished. According to the nature of the damage, otitis is defined as catarrhal and purulent. By localization, it can be external, middle or internal.

The clinical course of otitis is accompanied by pain in the affected area and fever. In addition, with the purulent nature of the disease, the level of hearing may decrease. This disease requires immediate treatment, especially when it comes to otitis media or internal. If a person is not quickly relieved of such otitis media, this will lead to deterioration or complete loss of hearing. Treatment of this type of ENT disease is based on the use of antibiotics in the form of ear drops or intramuscular / intravenous injections, antihistamines, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in order to reduce the temperature and severity of the inflammatory process.

Sensorineural hearing loss

This disease is characterized by hearing loss. The reasons for its development may be as follows:

1. Constant exposure to noise on the auditory analyzer.
2. Heredity (approximately 12.5% ​​of people have a gene mutation that contributes to the development of sensorineural hearing loss).
3. Damage to the auditory nerve.
4. Acute infectious diseases (primarily influenza).

This chronic ENT disease most often gradually progresses, especially if the cause of its initial development is not eliminated. Therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating the action of a provoking factor. These patients are often offered ear prostheses for use.

Diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses

There are many different ENT diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses. The most common among them:

• rhinitis;
• curvature of the nasal septum;
• nose bleed;
• adenoiditis;
• sinusitis.

Rhinitis in its course can be acute and chronic. It occurs under the influence of one or another irritant, which can be pathogenic microorganisms, allergic pollutants, active chemicals. In some cases, the cause of chronic rhinitis is the excessive use of vasoconstrictor nasal drops, which leads to atrophy of the mucous membrane. Treatment consists in eliminating the factor that provokes rhinitis, as well as the use of nasal drops, mostly salt-based.

A deviated septum is a problem if this ENT disease leads to a violation of the normal breathing pattern. Treatment in this case can only be surgical.

Nosebleeds can have a variety of causes. Most often this happens when there is a blood vessel in the nasal mucosa that is located too superficially. Also, nosebleeds often develop against the background of an increased level of blood pressure. Treatment consists in cauterization of the bleeding vessel. This procedure should be carried out only by an otorhinolaryngologist.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammatory disease of the paranasal sinuses. In the question of which ENT disease is the most dangerous, this pathology will be the correct answer. This is due to the fact that with its prolonged course, destruction of the bone wall of the paranasal sinus is possible. If its contents enter the brain, it can cause serious neurological disorders. It is for this reason that sinusitis should be treated as soon as the first symptoms appear.

The clinical picture of sinusitis is characterized by pain in the paranasal region, which changes its character when the head is tilted, fever, runny nose. Diagnosis of this pathology consists in conducting general blood and urine tests, as well as radiography of the paranasal sinuses. Treatment will include antibiotics, antihistamines, vasoconstrictor nasal drops, and antipyretics. In the case of a chronic course of the pathology, a surgical operation can be performed to improve the outflow of purulent masses formed in the sinuses.