Neuralgia in a child: causes, signs, treatment methods

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Neuralgia in a child causes severe pain that occurs against the background of damage to the peripheral part of the nervous system. Children are diagnosed with intercostal and trigeminal neuralgia. Delayed therapy or failure to seek medical help leads to attention deficit, delayed development of the speech apparatus and hyperactivity. Children diagnosed with neuralgia are apathetic, nervous, tearful.

Provocative factors

The following factors contribute to the development of neuralgia:

• lack of oxygen during fetal development;
• insufficient concentration of hemoglobin in a pregnant woman;
• smoking future mommy;
• delivery injury;
• depression and stress while waiting for the baby;
• preterm birth;
• infectious pathologies;
• diseases of the spine;
• intensified physical activity;
• constant drafts, dampness;
• long stay baby in a kangaroo bag;
• anomaliesmusculoskeletal system.

Diagnosis of neuralgia

In order to diagnose neuralgia in a child, the following activities are carried out:

• the child's history is being studied;
• inspection in progress;
• a small patient is examined by a neurologist, during the consultation, the sensitivity of the area of pain concentration is revealed, the nature of pain is determined, the causes of the pathology are clarified;
• do electroneuromyography - evaluate the speed of impulse conduction along nerve fibers, as well as the degree of their damage;
• material taken from nerves is subject to microscopic examination;
• examine the condition of the vessels;
• if necessary, the child is examined by a neurosurgeon.

Symptoms

The main symptom of neuralgia in children is severe pain. In addition, the child has the following clinic:

• nervous tick;
• tearfulness;
• headaches;
• excessive sweating;
• involuntary facial muscle movements;
• irritability;
• weakness in lower limbs;
• excess saliva;
• temperature increase to 38 degrees;
• severe pain when changing body position;
• inability to open the jaw while crying.

When identifying the first signs of the disease, doctors recommend:

• seek medical attention soon;
• get tested;
• perform daily water procedures;
• keep the child away fromhypothermia and drafts;
• exercise regularly as recommended by your doctor.

Treatment. Complications

After an accurate diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes complex therapy. It is selected individually depending on the severity of the clinical picture, the age of the small patient and taking into account the characteristics of the organism, as well as the nature of the pain syndrome. Conservative treatment of neuralgia in children (symptoms affect the choice of methods) consists of:

• taking analgesic medications;
• phytotherapy;
• homeopathic treatment;
• physiotherapy exercises;
• massage;
• physiotherapy;
• acupuncture;
• manual therapy;
• reflexology.

Surgical treatment is indicated only in very severe cases.

All children with such a diagnosis are under dispensary observation by a neurologist at a polyclinic at the place of residence.

The danger of neuralgia in a child is due to the occurrence of pain shock and neuritis, as well as muscle atrophy and impaired sensitivity. To minimize the negative consequences, it is recommended to consult a doctor at the first signs of pathology to establish a diagnosis and select a complex therapy.

Prevention

Preventive measures include:

1. No drafts or hypothermia.
2. Strengthening the immune system.
3. Daily outdoor walks.
4. Hardening.
5. Balancedfood. Exclusion of fried, smoked, fatty spicy, sour foods, as well as fast food. Compliance with the principle of fractional nutrition, in other words, eat at least five times a day in small portions. Unlimited consumption of fruits and vegetables is allowed.
6. Take vitamin complexes enriched with trace elements.

Clinical picture of neuralgia in an infant

The main symptoms suggesting neuralgia are as follows:

• constant shuddering of the lower and upper limbs, as well as the chin;
• during strong crying, the baby pulls the arms to the face, the muscles of which twitch;
• poor quality sleep;
• when changing the position of the body, the baby screams a lot;
• during crying due to a clenched cramp of the jaw, the baby is unable to open his mouth.

If you find the above signs, you need to seek help from doctors for timely qualified assistance. To confirm the diagnosis, an examination of the fundus is performed, an ultrasound is done. If necessary, other methods of examination are prescribed. For the treatment of neuralgia in infants, massage courses, physiotherapy exercises and physiotherapy are used. Pharmacotherapy is rarely used. Neuralgia in infants is treatable.

Intercostal neuralgia

The intercostal nerves originate from the spinal cord and are located in the intercostal spaces. When they are irritated, neuralgia occurs. This ailment does not occur in children.often. The main symptom of the disease is a sharp pain in the region of the ribs, which also radiates to the back. Additional symptoms of intercostal neuralgia in children include:

• appearance of pain when changing body position, coughing, sneezing, sudden movements;
• Pain on palpation of the chest, spine;
• uncomfortable when inhaling and exhaling;
• involuntary muscle contraction;
• loss of sensation in some parts of the body;
• excessive sweating;
• redness of the skin in the area of the irritated nerve;
• possible upper limb cramps;
• heartbeat and rapid pulse.

After a while, the pain goes away because the nerve root dies. The condition improves, but then the pain reappears, preventing you from breathing deeply. If the disease goes into a neglected form, then it will become more difficult to treat it. Therefore, if the above symptoms occur, the child should be shown to a neurologist.

Therapy for intercostal neuralgia

If a child experiences pain in the chest area, you should contact your pediatrician. The doctor will conduct an examination and, first of all, make an ECG to identify the work of the heart muscle. Most likely, an x-ray of the lungs will also be prescribed to exclude pulmonary pathology. Then the sick child is sent to a neurologist, who treats intercostal neuralgia in children.

He performs an additional examination usingcomputer diagnostics, myelography and electrospondylography. And only after an accurate diagnosis is made, the necessary therapy is prescribed. Depending on the condition of the child, treatment is carried out in a hospital or outpatient setting. It is required to observe bed rest in the first days. Lie down on a hard surface. To do this, put a wooden shield under the mattress. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to reduce pain. A large role in the treatment is given to:

• physiotherapy exercises;
• physiotherapy treatments;
• massage;
• acupuncture;
• manual therapy;
• homeopathy.

In addition, gels and creams are used for local anesthesia.

Topographic anatomy of the trigeminal nerve

The trigeminal nerve is one of the largest cranial nerves. It consists of a sensory and motor nucleus and fibers. Leaving the trigeminal node, the sensitive part is divided into three branches:

• orbital;
• maxillary;
• mandibular.

These branches carry out the sensitivity of the soft tissues of the skull and face, mucous membranes and tissues of the mouth, nose, teeth. The motor part controls the tissues of the lower lip, jaw, gums and chewing muscles. With inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, the work of the corresponding motor and sensory systems is disrupted. More often the pain occurs on one side of the face, but there is also bilateral inflammation of the trigeminal nerve.

Causes of trigeminal neuralgia inchildren

The disease is caused by the following reasons:

1. Severe hypothermia - constant exposure to drafts or under a working air conditioner.
2. Features of the anatomical location of the nerve - close superficial location causes increased sensitivity.
3. Infections of the nose and throat - sinusitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis.
4. Chronic dental problems - caries.
5. Tumours that cause pinching and neuralgia in a child.
6. Complications after traumatic brain injury.
7. Herpes virus infection, chickenpox.
8. Consequences after surgery on the face.

Before treatment, it is important to establish the cause that caused inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. The success of the chosen therapy largely depends on this.

Symptoms associated with inflammation of the facial nerve

Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve immediately causes pain in the face, and they may resemble symptoms of disease in other organs. There are two types of signs of trigeminal neuralgia in a child:

1. Typical - attacks of burning, severe pain occur cyclically, gradually reaching a peak and gradually subsiding. Their frequency is strictly individual, from once a day to repetition every hour. Feels like an electric shock.
2. Atypical - rare. Pain sensations are constantly observed. They are distributed over half of the face.

Other symptoms include:

• reduced or increasedskin sensitivity in the area of the face with an inflamed nerve;
• nervous tics - involuntary muscle twitches;
• increased salivation and lacrimation;
• reddening of the skin;
• sleep disorder;
• constant fatigue and bad mood.

Often, pain attacks with inflammation of the trigeminal nerve in a child provoke touching the skin of the face, a breath of wind, talking, smiling, brushing your teeth.

Therapy of inflammation of the facial nerve

For the treatment of neuralgia in a child, the doctor prescribes the following therapy:

1. Procedures to eliminate foci of dental and otolaryngic infections.
2. NSAIDs that relieve pain and inflammation.
3. B vitamins and drugs to improve peripheral circulation.
4. Anticonvulsants are used on a case-by-case basis.
5. Recommended dry heat on the affected part of the face.

Don't self-medicate a serious illness, seeing a doctor early has positive results.

Any pathology of the nervous system, including neuralgia, can affect the development of a child's vital organs.