Herpangina In Children

Herpangina In Children

Herpangina: Herpangina is a common juvenility illness caused by a virus. It’s characterized by small, blister-like ulcers on the roof of the mouth and in the back of the throat. The epidemic may also cause a sudden fever, sore throat, headache, and neck pain. The illness is comparable to hand, foot, and mouth disease, another type of viral infection that commonly affects children. Both conditions are created by enteroviruses.

Enteroviruses prevail a group of viruses that typically affect the gastrointestinal tract but sometimes proliferate to other parts of the body. Normally, the body’s immune system produces antibodies to fight off epidemic.

 Herpangina In Children

Antibodies are proteins that appreciate and destroy harmful substances, such as viruses and bacteria. However, infants and young children are less likely to have the appropriate antibodies because they haven’t advanced them yet. This makes them more susceptible to enteroviruses.

Herpangina In Adults

Herpangina is represented by small blisters or ulcers on the back of the throat and roof of the mouth and typically affects children during the vacation and fall months.

An epidemic of the mouth and throat, herpangina is created by a group of viruses called the enteroviruses. It is similar to another situation that affects children, known as hand-foot-mouth disease (HFM), which is also caused by enteroviruses. While both situations cause oral blisters and ulcers, the location of these sores is different.

Infections caused by enteroviruses are highly deadly and easily spread from one child to another. While adults can experience herpangina, they are less likely to, because they have built up the antibodies to fight the virus.

In most cases, herpangina is easily treatable, and syndromes resolve quickly.

According to Stanford Children’s Hospital, the most commonplace types of enteroviruses that cause herpangina are:

  • Coxsackie virus A
  • Coxsackie virus B
  • enterovirus 71
  • echovirus (less frequently)

Children aged 3 to 10 are at highest risk of consuming the condition, because they have usually not yet been brought to light to the virus and have not developed the antibodies required to fight the viral infection.

Herpangina is most commonly spread through contact with respiratory droplets, from sneezing or coughing, or from contact with fecal matter.

The virus can withstand for several days outside the body, on objects such as door handles, toys, and faucets.

The risk of getting herpangina developments in:

  • children aged 3 to 10
  • summer and fall in the United States, or year-round in tropical climates
  • schools, summertime camps, and childcare centers
  • those who do not wash their hands regularly and thoroughly

Once children have been affected by a unequivocal strain of enterovirus, they tend to become unaffected to that strain. They may still be at risk of infection by other viral strains, notwithstanding.

Herpangina Virus

Herpangina Virus

Herpangina is characterized by sudden onset of fever with sore throat, headache, anorexia, and frequently neck pain. Infants may vomit.

Within 2 days after onset, up to 20 (mean, 4 to 5) 1- to 2-mm diameter grayish papules develop and become vesicles with erythematous areolae. They occur most frequently on the tonsillar pillars but also on the soft palate, tonsils, uvula, or tongue. During the next 24 hours, the lesions become shallow ulcers, seldom > 5 mm in diameter, and heal in 1 to 7 days.

  • Herpangina is a self-limited viral infection primarily caused by a member of the Coxsackievirus family.
  • Herpangina most often affects young children.
  • Herpangina is associated with fever, sore throat, and blisters in the back of the mouth.
  • Generally, doctors diagnose herpangina based on clinical symptoms and characteristic physical findings alone. Laboratory tests are usually unnecessary.
  • Treatment of herpangina aims to minimize the discomfort associated with the mouth blisters.
  • Most children with herpangina recover completely after four to seven days.
  • There is no easy way to prevent herpangina.

Sores or localized abnormalities inside the mouth can arise from a number of causes. Mouth sores can occur on the tongue, gums, lips, or inside the cheeks.

What is herpangina?

Herpangina is an acute, self-limited viral illness often seen in young children during the summer months. Affected children usually complain of mouth sores and fever. A number of viruses, all members of the Enterovirus family, cause herpangina. Coxsackievirus, a member of the Enterovirus family, is the most common cause of the infection. At the onset of symptoms, most children develop a high fever and complain of a sore throat. They then develop vesicles (blisters) or ulcers (sores) at the back of the throat and palate. Children, especially younger children, may refuse to eat or drink because of the pain and are at risk for developing signs and symptoms of dehydration.

What causes herpangina?

Several common members of the Coxsackie A virus family and a number of other enteroviruses (for example, enterovirus 71) can cause herpangina. The viruses are usually spread via the “fecal-oral route” (contamination of hands and other surfaces with fecal matter) or via the “respiratory route” (air droplets from coughing or sneezing). One can develop the illness from contact with either of these materials from an individual infected with one of these viruses. Interestingly, half of individuals infected with some of these Enterovirus family members remain asymptomatic (having no symptoms) which makes preventing transmission more difficult.

Herpangina Picture

Symptoms of herpangina typically show up two to five days after you’ve been exposed to the virus. The symptoms of herpangina vary from person to person, but can include:

  • sudden onset of fever
  • sore throat
  • headache
  • neck pain
  • swollen lymph glands
  • difficulty in swallowing
  • loss of appetite
  • drooling (in infants)
  • vomiting (in infants)

Small ulcers in the back of the mouth and throat begin to appear about two days after the initial infection. They tend to be light gray and often have a red border. The ulcers usually heal within seven days.

Herpangina cannot be treated or cured, but medicines can help ease symptoms and possibly speed up how long they are present. In most cases, the virus and symptoms will disappear on their own within a week to 10 days. Rarely, serious complications can occur.

Contact your doctor right away if you have:

  • a fever that is over 106°F (41°C) or that doesn’t go away
  • mouth sores or a sore throat that lasts for more than five days
  • symptoms of dehydration, such as
    • dry mouth
    • lack of tears
    • fatigue
    • decreased urine output
    • dark urine
    • sunken eyes

The most common complication of herpangina is dehydration. Proper care and attention to regular hydration can help prevent this.

What Is Herpangina

Herpangina and HFM are caused by the same group of viruses and display similar symptoms. They also both commonly affect children. In addition, both herpangina and HFM may begin with a fever and sore throat several days before ulcers appear in the mouth.

As with herpangina, HFM is transmitted through unwashed hands, fecal matter, and respiratory secretions. Treatment for both conditions is the same, and both infections tend to clear within 7 to 10 days.

However, some differences exist between the two conditions. The locations of the ulcers differ. In cases of herpangina, sores are experienced at the back of the mouth, while HFM ulcers occur at the front.

As the name suggests, children with HFM will also experience lesions on the soles of their feet and the palms of their hands in the vast majority of cases. Herpangina lesions are typically only found in the throat and mouth.

Herpangina Pictures

The diagnosis of herpangina is usually made based on a medical history and a physical examination.

As the ulcers are so distinct, it is easy to differentiate between herpangina and other conditions of the mouth and throat.

In addition, factors that indicate herpangina above other conditions include:

  • the time of year
  • age of affected child
  • exposure to others with the condition
  • incubation period

While laboratory tests are available to test for enteroviruses, they are generally unnecessary.

When to see a doctor

People should contact a doctor if they experience any symptoms of herpangina so that they can make a formal diagnosis and rule out other conditions.

It is especially important to seek urgent medical treatment if someone experiences any of the following:

  • fever over 106°F, or fever that persists
  • mouth or throat sores for 5 or more days
  • vomiting or diarrhea for more than 1 day

People should also contact a healthcare professional if they develop any symptoms of dehydration. These include:

  • dry mouth
  • lack of tears
  • thirst
  • tiredness
  • feeling lightheaded, dizzy, or weak
  • reduced urine output
  • dark urine
  • sunken cheeks or eyes

Is Herpangina the same as Hand Foot Mouth?

Herpangina and handfoot and mouth disease. Herpangina and handfoot and mouth disease are both illnesses that are caused by the Coxsackie virus. Herpangina causes ulcers at the back of the mouthHandfoot and mouth disease causes blisters on any combination of the hands, feet and the mouth.

How long does Herpangina last?

Common characteristics shared by herpangina and HSV-1 infections include moderate fever, reduced appetite, headache, and malaise. The typical HSV-1 infection lasts for 7 to 10 days. Herpangina symptoms generally last for 4 to 7 days.

Is Herpangina contagious to adults?

Infections caused by enteroviruses are highly contagious and easily spread from one child to another. While adults can experience herpangina, they are less likely to, because they have built up the antibodies to fight the virus. In most cases, herpangina is easily treatable, and symptoms resolve quickly.