Pharyngitis - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

Pharyngitis is a disease of the pharynx, mainly infectious in nature, with damage to the mucous membrane and lymph nodes. Rarely it is isolated, more often it is combined with acute inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory tract. Pharyngitis is very common in middle and old age. As a rule, children develop acute pharyngitis. According to statistics, men suffer from this disease more often than women.

Causes of pharyngitis

Acute pharyngitis develops when exposed to an infectious agent, 70% of cases are viruses, the remaining 30% is a bacterial infection, fungal, allergic reaction and trauma.

Chronic form of pharyngitis develops due to the long-term inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa, frequent colds, the addition of additional bacterial infection to the already existing viral. Also, the cause of chronic pharyngitis can be unfavorable climatic and environmental factors( polluted air, chemicals, smoking and drinking alcohol).Chronic pharyngitis is characterized by a long period of development.

Like all chronic diseases, pharyngitis worsens with reduced immunity, the presence of other infectious diseases that can occur in parallel, under stressful conditions, when the body is overcooled or under stress.

Sometimes chronic pharyngitis is combined with a chronic inflammation of the oropharyngeal tonsils( chronic tonsillitis).Inflammation, which lasts for a long time in the mucous membrane of the pharynx and lymphoid tissue, leads to a violation of blood circulation and, as a consequence, to atrophy. Depending on the degree and depth of the mucosal lesion, several forms of pharyngitis are distinguished: catarrhal, hypertrophic and atrophic.

Symptoms of pharyngitis.

Symptoms of pharyngitis are quite diverse, but most patients note unpleasant sensations when swallowing. It can be dryness, burning, sensation of persecution, tickling, a feeling of dexterity when swallowing saliva, a foreign body sensation. May disturb weakness, intermittent or persistent headache, a slight increase in temperature. With pharyngitis, the submaxillary and occipital lymph nodes may increase, sometimes painful when pressed. If symptoms of congestion and pain in the ears should immediately consult a physician or an ENT doctor. These symptoms indicate the transfer of infection from the pharynx to the middle ear, which can lead to inflammation of the area and hearing loss.

The same symptoms can occur with catarrhal or purulent angina, the main difference is that with these diseases, pain syndrome will be more pronounced, and a sharp increase in temperature to 39 ° C.In rare cases, there can be a combination of these two diseases. Very often pharyngitis in children is confused with acute infectious diseases, such as measles and scarlet fever. In some cases, a serious infectious disease diphtheria is masked by symptoms of pharyngitis and may not be taken seriously. For diphtheria, it is typically difficult to remove films of white or gray-white plaque.

Diphtheria raids on the posterior wall and tonsils.

Some systemic diseases and neurological disorders can be masked by symptoms of pharyngitis, so self-medication and self-diagnosis can lead to serious consequences. To clarify the diagnosis may require additional advice from narrow specialists.

Diagnostic measures.

Diagnosis is quite simple, when you go to the doctor you will be examined by the oral cavity, with a possible fence detachable for subsequent diagnostics of the pathogen. The posterior wall of the pharynx, when viewed, will be swollen, bright red, with enlarged follicles of the lymphoid tissue.

Hyperemia and edema of the posterior pharyngeal wall of the pharynx

It will also be necessary to submit an overall blood and urine test to determine the severity of the inflammatory response and as a diagnosis of concomitant diseases.

Treatment of pharyngitis.

Treatment is complex, aimed at reducing local symptoms of the disease and affecting the underlying cause, supporting pharyngitis. The main task of treating pharyngitis is to kill unpleasant sensations. In the treatment will be involved anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic and antibacterial drugs.

For local treatment of patients with both acute and chronic pharyngitis, agents that help moisturize the mucous membrane of the posterior pharyngeal wall, remove sensations that can be regarded as paresthesia( sensation of tickling in the throat, the presence of a foreign body, etc.).Of the traditional methods of treatment can be a long rinse of the throat tincture of sage, chamomile, calendula or yarrow, lubricating the back of the pharynx with a mixture of glycerin and peach oil.

With , the infectious nature of the pharyngitis shows the spraying of the pharyngeal cavity with aerosols. Usually, tablets and candies have low activity, they are prescribed for mild forms of the disease.

Sore throat first of all indicates the activity of pathogenic microorganisms, which can be destroyed by the procedure of irrigation of the nasopharyngeal mucosa with a drug with antibacterial action. Such a means can be a Bioparox aerosol containing an antibiotic of natural origin, fusafungin, which reduces inflammation and accelerates the healing process. The drug will stop the reproduction of harmful bacteria and will not harm normal microflora.

With allergic pharyngitis , antihistamines are used.

In the treatment of acute pharyngitis , immunomodulators are used that stimulate the body's own forces to fight the disease.

With chronic pharyngitis , treatment begins with the sanation of foci of chronic infection of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity. If ineffectiveness is possible, surgical sanitation is strictly according to indications. In hypertrophic forms, areas of hypertrophy( hyperplasia) should be cauterized, cryodestruction, and lacerocoagulation should be used.

With atrophic pharyngitis , the treatment is more symptomatic, aimed at a feeling of dryness, sore throat. To this end, use 1% Lugol solution, oily and alkaline inhalations, rinsing with alkaline solutions. Inside prescribe vitamin A, iodine preparations. Given the fact that the cause of chronic pharyngitis can be endocrine and hormonal disorders, diseases of the cardiovascular system, lungs, kidney failure, it may be necessary to participate in the treatment of appropriate specialists.

Further rehabilitation and treatment of chronic forms without exacerbation: climatic treatment( seashore and mountainous areas) is shown.

Complications of pharyngitis

Complications can be divided into local, nearby and at a distance, and general. Of the local complications in the neighborhood, the most common is angina( purulent), peritonsillar or zaglugal abscess, acute otitis media( inflammation of the inner ear), laryngeal edema, phlegmon, laryngitis, tracheitis, chronic bronchitis. In more rare cases, the salivary glands are affected, cervical lymphadenitis develops.

Hyphalic abscess

To complications over a distance it is necessary to attribute autoimmune diseases that arise as a consequence of allergization of the body. Rheumatism and glomerulonephritis are among the most dangerous. Rheumatism leads to damage to the valves of the heart and the development of vices, and in the future to chronic heart failure. Glomerulonephritis can lead to chronic kidney disease. All this will significantly worsen the quality of life and can lead to death. Very often, complications occur in children, they have pharyngitis and concomitant sore throat may have a false groove, manifested by suffocating breathing and spasm of the muscles of the larynx.

Features of nutrition and prevention of relapse with pharyngitis.

The inflammatory process, which exists for a long time in the pharyngeal cavity, depletes its protective functions, so proper nutrition is the key to successful treatment, and further prevention of various diseases. Foods with pharyngitis should be small portions fractional, the food should be well treated thermally. To prevent further damage and so inflamed mucosa must be excluded:

• Rough, poorly digested food.
• Sharp, salty, smoked products.
• Cold products( ice cream, carbonated drinks).

Foods rich in vegetable fats and vitamins( A, B12, B6, and C) will help you get better soon. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to avoid places of large concentrations of people during the period when the level of the general morbidity of the SARS population increases. Produce preventive vaccinations, timely sanitize foci of infection of the oral cavity( caries, tonsillitis).

Doctor therapist Zhumagaziev E.N.