TREATMENT OF TONSILLITIS
IN CHILDREN

DIAGNOSIS

It is more difficult to determine the correct diagnosis in small children than in adults. Unlike a child, an adult can describe his condition. Moreover, there are many childhood (and other) diseases, which can have similar symptoms as tonsillitis. However, the doctor should not have problems with the diagnosis, and if a common medical check-up cannot reveal it, it can be revealed by means of various other available examinations and tests. This can be for example CRP test directly in the doctor’s office, which shows if there is an infection in the body, a fast Streptococcus test or other tests performed in cooperation with a laboratory or specialists, such as for example microbiologic test, biochemical test, blood count, serology, allergology, X rays etc. The most frequent cause of tonsillitis in children (and adults) is streptococcus pyogenes, which is often called the scarlet fever bug, because a frequent symptom of child strep throat may be scarlet fever, or scarlet fever rash, which is a side effect of the streptococcus and it usually appears several days after strep throat. However, it is not another kind of illness; it is simply common strep throat, only accompanied with scarlet fever rash.

SYMPTOMS and TREATMENT are essentially the same for children as for adults. The only difference is that an adult has more experience, so he/she can often estimate well, if he/she has the flu or tonsillitis and he/she can “prescribe” his/her own treatment and go to the doctor only after this does not work. We cannot risk such procedure for children and children should see a doctor immediately. However, there are still some options, which the parents can use after consulting the doctor, so you can for example make an agreement with the doctor that you will reduce the fever of the child, only after it exceeds a certain value, or that you will not give the child corticoids, that you will attempt to treat the child without antibiotics and the like.  

REMOVAL OF THE TONSILS, the so-called TONSILLECTOMY, is an intervention, which is even more controversial in the case of children than in the case of adults. This should really be only the last resort, because we are deciding, if we are to remove an organ from our child, which nature did not create as a decoration, but which is an important part of the immune system. Sometimes the doctor is so convincing and the parents so desperate that they have no strength to look for other solutions, which is a pity. Before deciding for this irreversible intervention, all other solutions should be exhausted including taking the child to the Canary Islands for 3 months away from the usual school group and into the environment full of sea salt. If this, in combination with Streptokill, helps, it will be clear that the problem lies elsewhere, not in the tonsils, and we can leave the child’s tonsils be, as they have a remarkable ability of regeneration, although many doctors deny this and say that the tonsils are already irreversibly damaged. However, such damage may not be that irreversible even in adults, and far less in children, who are still undergoing a physical development.

SMALL CHILDREN 3 YEARS OF AGE AND YOUNGER

Classic strep throat is quite rare in infants.

In younger infants, white films in their mouth will more probably be oral thrush (candidosis) than tonsillitis. This disease is caused by the fungus Candida Albicans.

In older infants and children around one year, viral inflammation, which may be very painful, are more frequent than strep throat. Such young children cannot tell us that their throat is aching, they will rather refuse to drink and they will suffer from a lack of appetite, as they will be afraid to swallow, when it is painful for them. Or they can cry when swallowing, or even vomit. Parents must be patient; they should try liquid food such as various mashes or mixed non-irritating foods. If it is a very small child, the mother should not stop breastfeeding, as it helps both to hydrate and feed the child and it also calms the child down. Streptokill helps both for strep throats, for which it is primarily designed, and for oral viral inflammations as well. However, parents should consult their doctor before giving Streptokill to children younger than 3 years. Another clear advantage of Streptokill is also the fact that it is sold as a spray with an oral applicator, which is ideal, because small children are not able to gargle and sucking could mean a risk of suffocating. Just get the applicator into the rear part of the mouth, use it and Streptokill will be distributed on the tonsils and the rear part of the pharynx after the child swallows. 

CHILDREN OVER 4 YEARS OF AGE

We most often come across repeated tonsillitis in kindergarten and school children. Tonsils undergo rapid development in this period and, moreover, tonsillitis is an infectious disease, which spreads quickly in a group of many children, who naturally come into much closer physical contact with each other than adults would. Small epidemics in groups of children are no exception. If the child is unlucky, there are carriers among his/her friends, who spread streptococcus to others, although they have no symptoms of the disease themselves. Such a situation has no solution, because it is not feasible to find out which of the children has streptococcus and which has not, or to compel a healthy child to use antibiotics when he/she has no symptoms of the illness. The only solution then is to strengthen the immune system, so that the children’s bodies can fight off the infection on their own. There are also other ways, such as long-term antibiotic treatments (pendepon treatment etc.) but these are very controversial solutions, as they significantly, and for the long-term, shift the natural operation of the child’s immune system and essentially the child’s behaviour as such, because they require a regime of rest in direct contrast with a healthy lifestyle. In other words, it does not seem to be an ideal solution to be under the permanent influence of penicillin for e.g. half a year without any guarantees that the condition of the patient will really improve. The WHO report also confirms that antibiotics are no cure-all and their power has been decreasing for a long time. 

PREVENTION

The best prevention is of course to strengthen the immune system, above all by means of a healthy lifestyle. The basis should be physical and psychological comfort, sufficient physical activity, healthy nutrition and staying in a healthy environment. For example the difference between a forest (outdoor) kindergarten and a normal kindergarten is very important from the perspective of the development of the immune system. 

CONTAGIOUSNESS OF STREPTOCOCCAL PHARYNGITIS IN CHILDREN

Around 20 - 30% of kids in kindergarten and elementary school unconsciously carry Streptococci A, however unless there are any signs of active streptococci infection, more precisely tonsillitis, there is no real danger of streptococcal pharyngitis and its impact. 

To completely eliminate danger of potential streptococcal pharyngitis break out we would have to start treating all children, their parents, siblings, relatives, friends and others, with antibiotics at the same exact moment. This would not only be difficult but almost unfeasible method, thus it is not recommended even by The National Institute of Public Health.