What are the special characteristics of children with sore throats when swallowing?
A sore throat when swallowing and scratching the throat is a typical symptom of a cold in children. More often than in adults, sore throats in children are only caused by viruses and not by bacteria. Especially in winter, the dry heating air puts a lot of strain on the still tender mucous membranes of children.In addition, the immune system of children is not yet fully developed, which is why there is a particularly high risk of infection.
For this reason, children quickly catch a cold or sore throat from other children from kindergarten or school. Sore throats and swallowing problems due to tonsillitis are particularly common in children. This is because the immune system (and thus also the tonsils) is still in the “learning phase” and starts the defence against any foreign body.
In extreme cases, it can happen that the inflamed tonsils in a child grow so large that they touch each other in the middle. In this case one speaks of “kissing tonsils”. This strong enlargement can lead to enormous swallowing difficulties and breathing problems. If a child suffers repeatedly from such an inflammation, a tonsillectomy can be useful.
Diagnosis of sore throat when swallowing
A sore throat when swallowing is usually reported by the patient to the doctor during the medical history. The doctor must now search for the cause to initiate an appropriate therapy. In addition the physician looks often with a light source and a clean spatula into the neck of the patient.
In order for the doctor to have the best possible view of the throat and pharynx, he places the spatula on the tongue and gently presses it down, asking the patient to say “A”. In this way, the palate is lifted upwards and the doctor can inspect the tonsils and throat. He looks for redness and swellings, whether they occur on both sides, whether there are coatings on the swellings and whether these coatings can be easily removed by scraping or whether slight bleeding occurs.
In addition to inspecting the neck, the doctor also palpates under the chin and at the angle of the jaw for swollen lymph nodes. If swallowing difficulties or hearing loss should also occur, he will check the ear for signs of middle ear infection. In order to clarify whether it is a flu-like infection, the doctor will also listen to the lungs with a stethoscope and other general examinations. At this point, our next article would be helpful for you: When should I go to the doctor with a sore throat?
