What is a hip cold?
The hip cold, medically called “Coxitis Fugax”, is a sudden, non-bacterial inflammation of the hip joint that affects children in particular. The painful inflammation is caused by a joint effusion, i.e. an accumulation of fluid in the joint space. A hip cold usually disappears after one to two weeks and leaves no permanent damage. It is painful, but usually harmless.
hip rhinitis in children
The exact cause of a hip cold is not yet clearly known. However, in most cases it is preceded by a viral disease, such as a flu infection or tonsillitis . This connection could also explain the unusual name of the disease.
Hip cold is one of the most common joint diseases in childhood and typically occurs in children between the ages of three and ten years. Boys are affected four times more often than girls. Adults can also get hip colds, but this is extremely rare. Why children in particular are affected has not yet been clearly clarified.
Symptoms and duration of hip joint inflammation
The typical symptom of a hip cold is hip pain . The pain usually occurs on one side, only in rare cases both hip joints are affected. The pain begins suddenly in the groin and can radiate from there to the front of the thigh or down to the knee.
On the other hand, fever is not a symptom of a hip cold, which could rather indicate bacterial joint inflammation . Such inflammation should be treated promptly by a doctor.
The duration of a hip cold is usually limited to 5 to 14 days . The inflammation usually occurs only once, only in rare cases does a child suffer from it several times in his or her life.
Diagnosis of Hip Fever
Although a hip cold is not dangerous, the symptoms should be taken seriously. A medical diagnosis and further observation are important in order to rule out at an early stage that a serious joint disease is hiding behind the “benign” hip cold. Because in rare cases, diseases such as Perthes’ disease, Lyme disease or bacterial coxitis can also be behind the symptoms.
An ultrasound examination (sonography) can be used to ensure that the inflammation is actually a hip cold. The accumulation of fluid in the joint space of the hip joint can be shown using ultrasound.
In addition, X-rays, blood tests and temperature measurements are important measures to be able to diagnose other causes of hip pain.
Treatment: Rest is the best medicine
As a rule, no specific therapy is required to combat a hip cold. The inflammation heals on its own within a few days and leaves no permanent damage.
In any case, the affected hip joint must be relieved and protected. It is advisable to stay in bed for a few days and to relieve the joint with walking aids when walking. However, children can only use crutches safely from about five to six years of age. If the pain is severe, pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory drugs can also be prescribed to support it.