When diagnosed in a hospital, many people could hear such strange words as "catarrh", "catarrh", "hypecretion" and so on. But what is it? How is this disease characterized and is it worth it to worry about? Let's take a closer look.
What it is
Catarrhal inflammation is a process that occurs in the mucous membranes. It is characterized by abundant secretion of exudate caused by hypersecretion of the mucous glands. More often acute, in a chronic form is rare.
Exudate is a cloudy fluid released from blood vessels during inflammation. It can be serous, mucous, purulent or hemorrhagic with the addition of desquamated epithelial cells.
Hypersecretion is the increased secretion of any gland. In our case, the mucosa.
Reasons for the appearance
Most often, the causes of catarrhal inflammation are mechanical effects on the mucous membrane (for example: friction, pressure), irritation with chemicals (chemicals, gases), introduced infection (viral, bacterial), infectious-allergic nature, auto-toxicity (colitis).
Forms
The form of catarrhal inflammation directly depends on the type of exudate. As mentioned above, there are four types of this fluid, which means there are also four forms of the disease:
- mucous catarrh;
- serous;
- purulent;
- hemorrhagic.
However, in pure form they are less common than in mixed form. They can turn into each other, for example, serous can easily go into a more severe, purulent form.
Mucous Qatar
This catarrhal inflammation is characterized by mucous degeneration and profuse desquamation of epithelial cells. The latter can be necrotic if the process is pronounced. The number of goblet cells is increased, they tend to swell and cool. The mucous membrane is full-blooded. It is dull, swollen, sometimes with hemorrhages.
Serous Qatar
This catarrhal inflammation forms a colorless or cloudy, watery fluid (or exudate). The mucous membrane is swollen, dull. Dystrophy of epithelial cells, but not too intense. Plethora and edema are characteristic.
Purulent Qatar
Purulent-catarrhal inflammation is characterized by swollen, dull mucous membranes covered with purulent exudate. Hemorrhage and erosion may be observed.
Hemorrhagic Qatar
This type of inflammation is characterized by swollen, thick, blood-soaked mucous membranes with bloody exudate. In the intestines, the mucous membrane has a dirty gray color. The exudate is dominated by red blood cells. The exudate is located both on the surface and in the shell itself. The vessels are full-blooded. Dystrophic changes and necrosis in the epithelium.
In addition to the four species discussed above, the disease has an acute and chronic form.
Acute and chronic forms
Acute catarrhal inflammation is characteristic of some infectious diseases. For example, the top. respiratory tract.
Chronic catarrhal inflammation is characteristic of any disease, even those that are not infectious. It may be accompanied by symptoms such as:
- atrophy;
- mucosal hypertrophy.
Diseases Caused by Catarrh
Many diseases known to us appeared precisely because of a catarrh disease. These diseases are:
- conjunctivitis (mucous membrane of the eye);
- rhinitis (nasal mucosa);
- pharyngitis (throat mucosa);
- tonsillitis (tonsils);
- laryngitis (larynx);
- tracheitis (trachea);
- bronchitis (bronchial tree in the lungs);
- pneumonia (lung tissue).
Catarrhal diseases can be the beginning of various rare fevers, childhood respiratory diseases (measles, rubella, etc.), seasonal flu, meningitis, hepatitis and encephalitis.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is based on an analysis of the lives of patients, the clinical picture of the disease, examination, and research data. The patient at the doctor's office needs to most accurately and in detail describe the onset and symptoms of the disease, tell about their chronic diseases.
Often in the hospital, such patients take blood and urine for analysis to find the causative agent of the disease.
The first thing a doctor will suggest at the appointment is ARI, SARS, or the flu. Depending on the results of the tests and on the diagnosis, the patient will be prescribed therapy or he will continue the examination to determine the cause of the disease. Adequate treatment is not possible without a correct diagnosis.
Therapy
Catarrhal inflammation is just the symptoms that accompany any of the above diseases, so they primarily eliminate the underlying disease. Depending on the disease, the treatment can be different, but there are main points that doctors use very often, prescribing it to their patient. Often with illness:
- drink plenty of fluids, infusion therapy (in difficult situations);
- medicines are prescribed (antiviral and antifungal drugs, antibiotics, etc.);
- aerosols for washing the nose are prescribed;
- use drugs that contain interferons;
- gargling solutions.
Catarrhal inflammation will not become dangerous for your life if you consult a doctor in time and will be treated in good faith for this ailment. The disease is not fatal when a person takes care of his health and follows the instructions of doctors.