Symptoms and treatment of acute pharyngitis

Foci of infection in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses often cause acute or chronic inflammation of the pharyngeal tissues. The most common pathology - acute pharyngitis, symptoms and treatment in adults may differ depending on the variety of the disease.

• Causes of Acute Pharyngitis
• Types and Symptoms of Pharyngitis
• Acute pharyngitis in pregnancy
• Diagnostics
• Methods of treatment
• Treatment with folk remedies

Causes of Acute Pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is an acute or chronic inflammatory process in which pathological changes occur in the mucous membrane of the pharynx. It is characterized by a perspiration in the throat, during a conversation and swallowing, discomfort occurs. The aggravation occurs during the off-season, viral and infectious epidemics.

Acute pharyngitis is rarely an independent disease, often the disease is combined with angina, laryngitis, rhinitis. Subacute pharyngitis is the first sign of measles, ARVI, scarlet fever.

The main causes of acute pharyngitis:

• damage to mucous membranes by viruses, fungi and bacteria;
• work associated with constant vocal cord tension, inhalation of harmful chemicals;
• permanent local or general hypothermia, burn mucous;
• operation, foreign body entry.

An acute inflammatory process of the throat can occur against a background of weak immunity, smoking, abuse of alcoholic beverages and spicy food.

Important!Most often, acute pharyngitis occurs in children and middle-aged people. In elderly and elderly people, the disease is rarely diagnosed, except for menopausal women.

How long does acute pharyngitis last? With timely diagnosis and proper therapy, you can cure the disease in 5-7 days.

Code for the ICD 10 acute pharyngitis - J02 (major diseases of the respiratory system). For chronic forms use the designation J31.2.

Types and Symptoms of Pharyngitis

The clinical manifestations of acute pharyngitis depend on the etiologic factor. But there are several common symptoms - scratching, sore throat, which sometimes gives into the ears, after taking warm drinks unpleasant sensations decrease. On the background of swelling of the mucous lays the ears, the hearing deteriorates. The temperature is high, especially in children. On examination, you can see slime in the throat with pus, mucous red and swollen, the inflammatory process spreads to all parts of the nasopharynx.

Important!With acute catarrhal pharyngitis, only the mucous membrane of the pharynx is affected. When granulosa form of inflammation extends to lymphoid follicles, which are located deep in the mucosa.

Acute viral pharyngitis - this form of pathology occurs most often. The disease develops against the background of infection with rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, enteroviruses. The cause may be influenza, herpes, immunodeficiency states, respiratory diseases.

Signs of viral pharyngitis:

• dry cough, congestion of sputum;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• general weakness, lack of appetite;
• elevated temperature, intoxication, severe sweating.

The cause of the development of acute bacterial pharyngitis is a lesion of the mucosal group A streptococci. The disease develops quickly - the temperature rises to 38-39 degrees, there is a strong chill. Lymph nodes increase, the disease is accompanied by severe pain, which spreads throughout the nasopharynx.

Acute granulosa pharyngitis develops with the combined effect of unfavorable external factors and hereditary predisposition to this form of pathology. Has a vivid clinical picture - constant perspiration in the throat, frequent attacks of coughing, congestion mucus viscous consistency, with coughing, vomiting may begin. The throat hurts not much, the temperature rarely exceeds the subfebrile mark, on the surface of the mucous it is possible to see pustules.

Important!In acute chronic pharyngitis, the temperature does not increase, the general condition does not deteriorate. A man is tormented by a persistent dry cough, a constant sensation of the presence of a coma in his throat, which is caused by a large accumulation of mucus.

Is acute pharyngitis infectious? If the cause of the pathology is viruses and bacteria, the sick person can infect others - infection mainly occurs by airborne or by contact-household way. If the inflammation of the pharynx arose on the background of allergies, burns, injuries, then this form of the disease is not harmful to others.

How many days are the sick leave for acute pharyngitis? The duration of the sick-list is 7-10 days. In chronic form, the timing may be much longer, since this form is more dangerous for a person, more difficult to treat.

Acute pharyngitis in pregnancy

During pregnancy, acute pharyngitis develops as a complication of colds and ENT diseases, caries. Infectious and viral form are very dangerous for normal development of the fetus, can adversely affect the course of pregnancy. In the early stages of pregnancy, inflammation can lead to miscarriage. In the last months can cause fetal hypoxia, premature delivery.

During inflammation should be less talk, give up acute, sour and salty foods, carbonated drinks. The room should be often ventilated, drink a lot of warm drinks.

How to treat acute pharyngitis in pregnant women:

• gargle with safe antibacterial agents (Furacilin, Chlorhexidine), decoctions of chamomile, mint, calendula;
• Do inhalations with coniferous, eucalyptus, mint oil - provided there is no high temperature;
• to dissolve candies with antiseptics - Lizobakt, Pharyngosept:
• use anti-inflammatory sprays - Tantum Verde, Bioparox;
• as antipyretics use paracetamol derivatives.

Important!Adequate drug therapy with acute inflammation of the throat during pregnancy can be prescribed only by a doctor.

Diagnostics

When there are symptoms of pharyngitis, you should immediately consult a doctor. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor conducts pharyngoscopy - when you see the doctor clearly sees the reddening of the throat, swelling of the pharyngeal walls, palatine arches. With a bacterial form of the disease, the mucus has a greenish tinge.

To determine the type of pathogen, virologic or bacteriological examination of the smear from the throat is performed. A clinical blood test can show the presence of atypical monocytes, increased white blood cell count and ESR, which is typical for all infectious diseases.

Methods of treatment

The main group of drugs for acute pharyngitis depends on the variety of the disease. When the form of infection is used antiviral drugs, which should be taken from the first hours of the disease - Amizon, Arbidol. It is necessary to dissolve 4-5 times a day lollipops, which have antiseptic properties - Dr. Mom, Septotlet.

Treatment with antibiotics in the form of tablets and injections is rare, using local antibacterial agents.

Means for topical therapy with acute pharyngitis:

• Bioparox is an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent in the form of an aerosol;
• Imudon is a multivalent antigenic complex that significantly accelerates the healing process;
• Hexoral - the product is released in the form of an aerosol and rinsing solutions. It is characterized by low toxicity, eliminates virtually all kinds of bacteria that can provoke the development of pharyngitis.

Acute pharyngitis in children under one year is not treated with aerosols - there is a high probability of spasm of the glottis, acute respiratory failure. The best treatment for babies is an abundant warm drink, treatment with mucous antiseptic solutions. For young children, this disease is quite dangerous - against the background of a strong swelling of the mucous membranes, suffocation may occur.

For effective treatment in adults and children necessarily apply multivitamin mineral complexes - Duovit, Alphabet.

The most dangerous complication of acute pharyngitis is an abscess that can form around the tonsils, on the back of the throat, in the tissues of the neck. Purulent abscesses are treated only with the help of surgical intervention.

Against the background of pharyngitis, autoimmune reactions often develop, which can cause rheumatism, pathological changes in the kidneys, brain, heart valves.

Treatment with folk remedies

Many folk methods help quickly get rid of pain and inflammation, some of them act faster than medicines. For a quick recovery, preventing the development of complications, it is necessary to intelligently combine conservative and nontraditional methods of treatment.

Than to treat acute pharyngitis at home:

1. Mix 5 g of mother-and-stepmother leaves with 3 g of foliage leaves, add 1-2 drops of mint essential oil. Pour the mixture 220 ml of boiling water, leave for an hour. Do inhalation or gargle 5-6 times a day.
2. Inhalation of soda should be done until complete recovery 3-4 times a day. In 400 ml of boiling water dissolve 10 g of soda, inhale the steam for a quarter of an hour.
3. Prepare a collection of 5 g of lime-colored, 10 g of sage, 7 g of calendula. Blend 250 ml of boiling water, cool to a comfortable temperature, gargle 5-7 times a day.

Acute pharyngitis is a complex throat disease that often develops into a chronic form, without proper treatment, severe complications develop. To prevent the disease, you must stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, do not inhale cold air with your mouth, eat a comfortable temperature with a moderate amount of spices and seasonings.