Pimples on a child's tongue: causes and treatment of acne

Pimples on the tongue - what are they?

The mucous membrane in the mouth and tongue does not have sebaceous glands, so typical pimples cannot form on it. Such formations have two formation mechanisms:

Under the influence of damaging factors, viruses or bacteria, the mucous membrane stratifies, under the top layer of which liquid accumulates and small bubbles form. If such a formation is not infected, then its contents will be transparent, but if infection has penetrated into its cavity, then suppuration is possible - the vesicle will turn white. If blood gets into the liquid, then this formation takes on a red or dark tint. The blisters may burst and painful ulcers form in their place.
Sometimes, in response to inflammation, cells on the surface of the tongue begin to actively divide and slough off. Whitish or red formations form that resemble ordinary pimples, but at the same time they are only enlarged papillae.

Causes of pimples

There are many reasons for the appearance of such formations on a child’s tongue. Let's try to understand each of them in more detail.

Tongue injuries

After three months of age, babies begin to actively explore the world around them, including trying to taste everything. But the objects that enter the child’s mouth are not always sterile. Older children often have a habit of chewing on sharp objects, which can also scratch or injure the tongue. Even minor trauma to the mucous membranes in combination with the ingress of microbes can provoke an inflammatory reaction and the appearance of painful pimples, which are often localized on the tip of the tongue.

Candidiasis or thrush

In children under one year of age, the immune system is not fully formed, so any disease leads to a decrease in the body’s protective properties. The consequence of this is candidiasis in the oral cavity - active growth of fungi of the genus Candida on the mucous membranes, which can also be provoked by taking antibiotics. One of the typical manifestations of thrush is the appearance of pimples and a cheesy white coating on the entire tongue surface, spreading to the entire oral cavity. If you remove such plaque, you can find redness, swelling and even the appearance of small ulcers underneath it.

Stomatitis

With stomatitis, a large number of small white pimples appear on the root of the tongue at its base, on its lateral surfaces or at the tip, which are very painful and cause discomfort while eating or talking. Such pimples can merge to form extensive ulcers. In severe cases, the child feels generally unwell and has a high body temperature.

Allergy

Children under two years of age are more likely than adults to have allergic reactions. One of the manifestations of allergies is the appearance of small whitish or red pimples on the tongue. They can be located both at the tip and in the area of the root of the tongue and move to other parts of the oral mucosa: lips, gums, palate. Most often, such formations bother the child, itch and cause pain when eating and swallowing. But this is not characterized by an increase in body temperature.

An increase in allergy symptoms and the appearance of new pimples is caused by eating a product to which you are hypersensitive. Often the cause of such allergic reactions is toothpaste or other oral care products, even if they are recommended for use in children.

Angina

A bacterial infection that affects the tonsils in children can also spread to the lymphoid tissue, which is located at the root of the tongue closer to the throat. This is accompanied by the appearance of white pimples with a purulent coating in the tongue area. When the pus is removed, areas of redness and slight swelling are exposed. The formations are painful, interfere with normal swallowing and significantly worsen the child’s well-being: he becomes capricious, refuses to eat, and his body temperature rises. Often, if there are such pimples near the throat, you can feel enlarged lymph nodes.

Herpetic infection

Infection with the herpes virus most often occurs in childhood, and when the body’s immune defense is reduced, the infection can worsen. In this case, watery small pimples on a red background appear on the tongue, which can also appear on the child’s lips and throat. They are very painful and after opening them, shallow ulcers appear, which prevent the child from eating and talking normally.

Dysbacteriosis and unbalanced nutrition

Errors in the nutrition of a child, especially of a younger age, as well as disturbances in the normal composition of the intestinal microflora can lead to glossitis - inflammation of the mucous membrane of the tongue. This leads to the fact that the epithelium of the papillae begins to actively divide, they take on the appearance of inflamed red or whitish pimples. They rarely bother the child; sensitivity to hot, cold or sour foods may only change.

Reasons for the appearance of pimples

Pimples on a child's tongue appear due to exposure to irritating factors - in some parts of the tongue, the surface of the mucous membrane becomes stratified, under which fluid accumulates. This could be blood, serous exudate, pus, or microbial waste products. Therefore, the appearance of the pimples varies. They are red, transparent, white, yellowish.

In general, pimples on the tongue may appear due to the following reasons:

injuries, burns, contact with very cold things: for example, a scratch from an uncut nail, too hot porridge or milk, or it could be touching metal with your tongue in the cold,
stomatitis of various origins: most often the “culprits” of the rashes are the Candida fungus and the herpes simplex virus. Additionally, the surfaces of the gums, palate,
inflammation of the tongue (glossitis): inflammation begins due to the harmful effects of bacteria and viruses, as well as metabolic disorders,
general diseases of the body: rashes often appear with chickenpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, sore throat, with pathologies of the digestive or hormonal systems,
allergies: sometimes manifests itself to new foods, hygiene products, washing powders, toothpaste, cosmetics.

Treatment

In the treatment of pimples on the tongue, regardless of the reasons that caused their appearance, there are common points:

Mandatory thorough oral hygiene. After each meal, it is advisable to treat pimples with an antiseptic solution.
Excluding any irritating factors from the child’s diet: spicy, hot or sour foods. It is desirable that the food is soft and does not cause additional injury to the mucous membrane.
Under no circumstances should pimples be squeezed or opened; this can lead to the development of complications in the child and aggravation of his condition.
Dr. Komarovsky recommends in such cases drinking a large amount of liquid, which will help remove toxins and allergens from the child’s body.

If pimples cause pain and discomfort in a child, then the doctor may prescribe products for topical use with an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect (Solcoseryl, Metrogyl denta).

If the cause of pimples is a sore throat or stomatitis, then it may be recommended to take antibacterial agents in combination with antiseptics. Treatment of allergic manifestations consists of eliminating the action of the allergen and taking antiallergic medications. For herpetic lesions of the mucous membranes of the tongue, antiviral drugs have a good effect, and for candidiasis - drugs with antifungal action.

Before you begin to treat pimples that appear on the tongue, you need to find out the causes of their occurrence. It is from this moment that all further treatment measures will depend. In order to make a correct diagnosis, you need to visit a dentist. Self-medication can be dangerous for the child.

Children's diseases with rash. Vaccinations and immunity assessment

Most childhood infections are accompanied by various rashes. A rash is a general reaction of the body to the toxic effects of a pathogen and its waste products, and the child has an accelerated metabolism, wide blood vessels and good blood circulation.

Children's diseases are best dealt with in childhood. Firstly, this is how the child’s immunity is formed and protection against infections in the future. Secondly, in adulthood, childhood diseases are much more severe, and many of them are especially dangerous during pregnancy.

All infections are highly contagious, progress with fever and have symptoms of a cold. Often, characteristic signs of the rash allow them to be distinguished from each other. Let's look at the main childhood diseases and their distinctive features:

Measles

Recently it was believed that measles had been defeated, but recently outbreaks have been occurring more and more often. This is due to the refusal of mandatory preventive vaccinations. In fact, measles is a serious disease, especially in adolescence and adulthood. It occurs with complications: pneumonia, otitis, and frequent damage to the kidneys, liver and brain. May lead to deafness and blindness. The measles rash is maculopapular (papules - small elevations on the skin), appears on the 3rd day of illness, begins behind the ears and on the face and appears in stages from top to bottom, can have different sizes (polymorphic). Before the appearance of the rash, you can notice white dots on the mucous membrane of the oropharynx, reminiscent of semolina, with a red rim; they are called Filatov-Koplik spots.

Chicken pox

Caused by herpes virus type III. Most children become ill between the ages of 2 and 7 years; at older ages it is more severe. Everyone knows that the rash with chickenpox is in the form of blisters (vesicular). It starts from the scalp, spreading throughout the body. First, spots appear, which successively turn into papules and itchy blisters with transparent contents, leaving behind crusts. All these elements can be simultaneously observed on the child’s body. In adults, the infection can occur as shingles.

Rubella

It is highly contagious, often mild in both children and adults, and therefore may go undetected. It is particularly dangerous during pregnancy, as it can lead to the formation of fetal developmental abnormalities for up to 12 weeks. Typical manifestations: enlargement of the occipital and posterior cervical lymph nodes, a small spotted rash, without pain or itching.

Scarlet fever

Caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. It manifests itself as a sore throat and a typical pinpoint rash against the background of severe redness of the skin. Most of the rash elements are in the area of the flexor surfaces and they tend to merge. The nasolabial triangle always remains free of rash. Another sign is a bright red tongue.

Erythema infectiosum

Caused by parvovirus B19. In children, it is widespread, mild, with signs of a cold, and possible headache. The hallmark is bright redness of the cheeks, which is why parvovirus infection is better known as “slapped cheek disease.” Dangerous in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Roseola

Caused by herpes virus type VI. Mostly children under 5 years of age are affected. The disease is rarely recognized because in the first 3 days the temperature rises sharply to 39-40 degrees, on the 4th day it drops to normal numbers without signs of a cold, and a rash resembling rubella appears. Few people realize that these are manifestations of the same disease. In adults it causes chronic fatigue syndrome.

We have looked at the typical manifestations of the rash. But recently, the classic course of the disease has rarely occurred. In addition, rashes can occur with other infections: caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, yersiniosis, viral hepatitis, and so on. The most correct position of a parent in the event of a rash in a child is to call a doctor at home or an ambulance to rule out severe, life-threatening infections, for example, meningococcal.

Why are vaccinations needed?

Vaccination against measles is mandatory and is included in the National Vaccination Calendar. There are vaccines against chickenpox and rubella; the latter is being discussed as mandatory for girls.

How do you know if you have immunity to childhood infections?

For this purpose, antibodies are determined - immunoglobulins class G (IgG). These are proteins of the immune system that appear in the body when a pathogen enters the body and persist for a very long time or for life. Their identification indicates good immunity and protection from re-infection.

But it should be remembered that IgG can be determined during the current disease. If there is a clinic, then IgM and IgA are simultaneously determined, as well as the identification of the pathogen by PCR.

The KDL laboratory offers to determine immunity to the following infections:

Antibodies to measles virus, IgG
Antibodies to the Varicella-Zoster virus, IgG – determination of immunity to chickenpox
Antibodies to rubella virus, IgG
Antibodies to parvovirus B19, IgG
Antibodies to the herpes virus type VI (Human Herpes virus VI), IgG – to the causative agent of roseola

Who is indicated for determining immunity to childhood infections in the first place?

Against measles - for everyone. If IgG is not detected, therefore, there is no protection and revaccination is recommended in order to avoid infection.
When planning pregnancy - if there is no immunity, vaccination is indicated to provide protection against infections that can cause intrauterine damage to the fetus (rubella, parvovirus B19)
Early in pregnancy (first 12 weeks). Infection during this period is most dangerous, since all the organs and tissues of the baby are formed). If IgG is detected, there is no risk of infection.

Get examined by the KDL laboratory in a timely manner and be healthy!