With inflammation of the glands and the whole throat, everyone will recognize a sore throat in these symptoms. However, if not the entire larynx begins to hurt, but only the back wall of the throat, doubts arise in determining the diagnosis. Most often, after such complaints, doctors give the verdict: pharyngitis. This disease is no more dangerous than a sore throat, but it may well provoke complications if treatment is not started in time. That is why it is so important to know about all the symptoms and types of this disease. Based on this knowledge, you can choose the appropriate method of treatment of both drug and non-traditional nature.
Disease definition
The main difference between pharyngitis is the defeat of the larynx. Translated from the Latin pharynx, it is indicated by the word "pharynx", which gives the name to the disease. The ending with “um” indicates an acute inflammatory process. Therefore, pharyngitis is not the usual difficulty in swallowing or irritation of the back of the throat, it is a serious disease that must be treated with the help of doctors. Pharyngitis is very similar to a similar tonsillitis disease, but if you study these pathologies in more detail, significant differences can be distinguished between them.
With tonsillitis, the side walls become inflamed, and pharyngitis occurs most often only with damage to the posterior wall of the throat. You can not treat this type of disease carelessly. If treatment is not started on time, the whole organism may suffer from complications. Therefore, when the first signs of pharyngitis appear, you must immediately go to the otolaryngologist for an appointment. An experienced specialist will always determine the type of disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment regimen. Do not try to independently determine the disease and even more so treat it. All manipulations, and especially folk methods of treatment, must be agreed with the doctor.
Types of disease
Pharyngitis in its signs and causes is divided into several types: acute granulosa, chronic, catarrhal, atrophic, hypertrophic. Of these, the following types of origin should be distinguished:
- Fungal infection of the throat wall.
- Traumatic.
- Allergic
- Bacterial.
- Viral
The simplest forms of pharyngitis are: atrophic, hypertrophic, as well as a mixed variety. This disease can occur in a chronic form. However, in this case, the fault lies in part with the diseased. If you treat the symptoms inattentively and neglect a visit to a doctor, even the mildest form of pharyngitis can result in a serious complication.
Chronic pharyngitis
A predisposition to colds, a polluted environment, weak immunity - these factors affect the chronic course of pharyngitis. In addition, those people who work in industries can acquire pathology. A gasified and dusty environment causes great harm to the body, provoking not only the development of pharyngitis, but also many other diseases. Also, the chronization of inflammatory processes in the throat occurs more quickly in smokers and in those who abuse alcohol.
The chronic form of pharyngitis occurs without an increase in temperature. However, the patient suffers from constant coughing, as well as a foreign body sensation in the throat. The person has the impression that snot flows down the back of the throat. Such symptoms are directly related to the accumulation of pus on the back of the larynx. Because of them, a person is irresistibly drawn to coughing and clearing his throat.
Mucus and purulent growths cause a lot of discomfort, the patient tries to spit the secretions from the throat, but he cannot do this without the help of drugs. After each expectoration, the mucus again flows down the back of the throat, renewing the unpleasant sensations. These symptoms affect the emotional and mental state, affect the quality of sleep. Suffering from chronic pharyngitis becomes nervous, irritated and aggressive.
Granular pharyngitis
This form of the inflammatory process most often occurs in those who live in a humid climate. It also manifests itself in people whose professional activity is associated with work in high humidity. The granular form of pharyngitis is prone to those who are prone to allergic reactions, smokers or alcohol abusers. This type of disease manifests itself when pathogenic microorganisms that provoke swelling and redness fall on the walls of the throat. After this, the mucous membrane begins to become covered with a film, and then nodular granules form on the back wall. The diagnosis of this disease can be quickly determined by the photo of the back of the throat. Granular pharyngitis is accompanied by certain symptoms:
- Severe cough. The patient constantly coughs, and unpleasant mucus is released from the throat. A poorly departing and viscous secretion irritates the walls of the larynx and enhances the inflammatory process. It is especially strong at night. That is why patients often suffer from insomnia. In the morning, coughing becomes even more rampant and severe.
- There is a sore throat, tormented by dryness. It becomes difficult for the patient to swallow. In this case, the back wall of the throat is white or slightly pinkish, with small red nodules and dots.
The disease is quickly diagnosed by an otolaryngologist. Therefore, it is better not to hesitate to visit and at the first symptoms go to the hospital to draw up a treatment plan. If you do not start treatment on time, granular pharyngitis quickly flows into an atrophic form.
Catarrhal pharyngitis
This form is different in that it manifests itself at the very beginning of the disease. Catarrhal pharyngitis is the easiest stage. So
same as in other forms, it is characterized by the sensation of a foreign body, as if snot dripping down the back of the throat, tickling, itching and discomfort in the oral cavity. Sometimes it becomes hard and painful to swallow. This symptom provokes frequent expectoration, as well as coughing. In this case, catarrhal pharyngitis is always accompanied by redness of the back of the throat. The cough in the morning can be so strong that there are attacks of vomiting. If you do not start adequate therapeutic treatment in time, pharyngitis flows into a hypertrophic form.
Complications from this disease can spread to the entire body. At the same time, they quite often arise both due to the lack of treatment, and after illiterate use of drugs. That is why it is so important to be treated under the supervision of a doctor.
Causes of Pharyngitis
Mouth breathing is considered the main factor provoking the appearance of pharyngitis. During inspiration, contaminated air enters the mucosa, which is filled with germs, viruses, infections, and other sources of inflammation. Among the main causes of inflammation of the back of the throat, the most common:
- Polluted environment (cigarette smoke, smog and dust).
- Drinking cold drinks.
- Long stay in cold or frost.
- Endocrine Disorders
- Chronic pathology, indigestion.
- Abuse spicy and salty.
- Tendency to pharyngitis after tonsillectomy.
- Ingestion of chemicals through the air.
- The constant use of alcohol.
- Infection by infection.
- Viruses.
- Complications from SARS.
- Abuse of drops in the nose.
Throat may suffer due to late visits to the dentist. If tooth decay develops, the inflammatory process can spread to the mucous membrane. Also, if there are signs of sinusitis, sinusitis or rhinitis, it may well result in pharyngitis. It is very important to be careful during the treatment of the common cold. Drops in the nose constrict the blood vessels, and this leads to a slowdown in blood circulation, which has a direct effect on the larynx.
About 70% of cases of pharyngitis occur due to viral infections. The back of the throat becomes inflamed due to the following types of viruses:
- Respiratory.
- Rhinoviruses.
- Influenza and parainfluenza.
- Adenoviruses.
The most common cause of pharyngitis is rhinovirus.
Symptoms of the disease
Most colds have the same symptoms. Therefore, it is so important to carefully consider your health and correctly determine the course of the disease. Pharyngitis should be confirmed only by a doctor. Having diagnosed yourself, you should not immediately go to the pharmacy for medicines. Only a doctor can tell how to treat the back of the throat, or even refute the disease, revealing another pathology. Most often, laryngeal inflammation is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Dry mouth.
- Sore throat.
- Fast fatiguability.
- Temperature rise.
- Ear pain.
- Foreign body sensation on the back of the larynx.
- Cough, headache.
- Plaque on the back of the throat.
- Decreased appetite or lack thereof.
- Insomnia.
With pharyngitis, the patient is tormented by the desire to swallow or spit mucus, which is constantly formed on the wall of the larynx. The discomfort of these symptoms can be complemented by severe pain in the back of the throat. The pain is always accompanied by redness. In this case, you can not doubt the diagnosis. In 95% of cases, such symptoms indicate pharyngitis.
Traditional treatment of various forms of pharyngitis
The treatment approach differs depending on the form of pharyngitis. Therefore, the doctor first of all finds out the type of disease and only after that tells how to cure the back of the throat. To do this, he prescribes certain medications. To cure an acute form of pharyngitis, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antiseptic drugs are most often prescribed. Doctors recommend irrigating the throat with special sprays, flushing the throat with propolis and homemade herbal infusions, and dissolving antibacterial lozenges.
Severe pharyngitis involves taking antibiotics. In addition to them, the doctor prescribes a special diet for the patient, which excludes spicy, sour, salty, cigarettes, alcohol and cold drinks. Such restrictions help relieve inflammation from the red back of the throat, as well as prevent even more irritation.
The granular form of pharyngitis is treated with several types of therapy: conservative and surgical. When choosing a conservative form, the doctor prescribes various home rinses with herbal infusions, inhalations from eucalyptus. Red granules appearing on the back of the throat are burned with a solution of iodine. An important role in the treatment is diet. If the granules increase in size, and therapy does not give results, the doctor may insist on the surgical removal of tumors.
With catarrhal pharyngitis, treatment begins with nasal breathing. Then antibiotics are prescribed. The choice of medications depends on the cause of the disease, as well as on the personal characteristics of the patient's body. Recovery should always be accompanied by bed rest, diet, and also a break from mental work.
Atrophic inflammation of the back of the throat is treated with a local and general method. The patient is prescribed immunostimulants, drugs with antiseptic and antibiotic properties. It is also necessary to carry out therapy with anti-inflammatory and homeopathic medicines.
Before using any medicine, you should carefully rinse your throat so that there is no plaque or crust on it. They do this with antibacterial sprays, antiseptics, herbal infusions. Only on a cleared throat can a medicinal ointment or any other healing and anti-inflammatory agent be applied. Sometimes doctors prescribe treatment with physiotherapy using a laser, as well as courses of UHF or ultraviolet radiation.
Alternative methods of treatment
Most colds can be cured exclusively by folk methods. Pharyngitis is no exception. This disease is very important to detect at an early stage, then unpleasant symptoms can be removed in a few days with the help of home rinses and larynx rinses.
Each treatment rinse should be done after thorough removal of mucus on the back of the throat. A solution of soda and sea salt is perfect for this. One teaspoon of each product should be added to a mug of warm water. After such washing, you can proceed to therapeutic rinses, as well as to drink plenty of water. If you miss the first days of pharyngitis, alternative recipes can be practiced only in conjunction with medical treatment. The following remedies should be used as home therapy:
- Brew for rinsing grass: chamomile, sage, eucalyptus, calendula, St. John's wort. Perfectly relieves mucus on the back of the throat decoction of elm bark. Rinse their larynx as often as possible. It is advisable to do at least 5 rinses per day.
- Treatment of the back of the throat can be done with honey. To do this, you need to drink tea with him, as well as dissolve it separately. Honey is a natural antiseptic that not only kills bacteria, but also has a huge amount of nutrients.
- To put warming compresses. To do this, you will need 40% alcohol, clean water and gauze. In a glass of water you need to dilute a little alcohol and soak gauze in it. Then you should wrap gauze in your throat and wrap it on top with a warm towel. When a burning sensation occurs, immediately remove the gauze from the skin. If the back of the throat hurts and bakes, it is better not to do such compresses.
- Increase the volume of warm drink, paying particular attention to herbal teas, decoctions. With pharyngitis, it is useful to drink rosehips, as well as eat raspberry jam. In total, at least 2 liters of fluid per day should be consumed.
- Do inhalation with steam. You can use both herbal dry collection and aromatic oils. For cooking, pour about 200 ml of boiling water into a deep pan, and then drop 3-4 drops of essential oil into it. Then you need to bend over the pan with steam and cover yourself with a towel. In order for the inhalation to work, you need to sit on the steam for at least 10 minutes.
Gargle several times a day with an aqueous solution of sea salt and soda. It will clear the walls of the larynx from mucus and bacteria. This procedure is especially necessary if there are blisters on the back of the throat. After this, you can do rinses, therapeutic inhalations, as well as drink healthy teas. Herbal infusions will reduce the development of the inflammatory process in the throat, remove redness, itching, blisters. An excellent therapeutic effect will have tinctures from lemon and honey.
Alternative methods will help relieve unpleasant symptoms of the disease, as well as speed up the healing process. But do not forget that only a doctor can prescribe a suitable treatment that does not harm the body. For example, if pharyngitis was triggered by a bacterial infection, treatment with a course of antibiotics is most likely needed.
If instead, it is treated exclusively by traditional methods and not go to the doctor for examination, the disease can progress and cause complications in the internal organs. Therefore, when unpleasant symptoms appear, it is necessary to go to the hospital and coordinate with the doctor each stage of both drug and alternative therapy.
Doctors advice
All doctors are unanimous that any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. That is why they advise to follow all preventive measures, strengthen the body, and also lead a healthy lifestyle. If you follow these recommendations, you can not be afraid of pharyngitis and many other diseases.
To avoid unpleasant inflammation of the throat wall, it is necessary to properly temper, follow a special diet that excludes too salty, sour and spicy foods. An important role is played by the use of alcohol and cigarettes. Doctors say that smokers are more likely than others to develop pharyngitis. The same applies to those who drink too much alcohol.
Maintain a healthy immune system from the inside. Therefore, it is very important to include foods with a high content of vitamins in the diet. With a shortage of nutrients, you can take vitamins in capsules or tablets. However, you should choose the drug only after consulting a doctor.
Preventive measures include constantly maintaining the body at a comfortable temperature. It is impossible to prevent hypothermia of the body. Particular attention should be paid to the weakest places: the larynx, arms and legs.
Inflammation of the back of the throat in children
Quite often, the inflammatory process in the throat of a child is confused with an acute infection, for example, scarlet fever or measles. Therefore, it is necessary to seek the diagnosis of the best and most experienced specialists who will be able to determine the exact diagnosis even from the photo. The back wall of the throat with this disease will always be red and inflamed. As in adults, pharyngitis develops in children due to bacteria or infections entering the mucosa. After infection, the following symptoms begin to appear in the child:
- Slight swallowing pain.
- Itching and burning in the throat.
- An increase in body temperature up to 38 degrees.
Of the features of childhood pharyngitis, one can distinguish its course. The older the child, the easier the form of the disease will be. In newborns and infants, pharyngitis is extremely difficult. In some cases, it can lead to complications such as adenoiditis and tonsillitis.
The therapeutic treatment of this disease in children is carried out with the help of plentiful warm drink, warming compresses, constant rinses. The latter are made from herbal infusions. Before therapeutic rinsing, the throat is always washed with an alkaline solution. The pharynx is irrigated several times a day with an antibacterial spray. As well as adults, a child will benefit from inhalation from aromatic oils and herbal infusions. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to children only in the most extreme cases, when the disease progresses and there is a risk of complications. Only if treatment is justified by them, are injections, tablets or powders prescribed for oral administration. Since antibiotics have a bad effect on the intestinal microflora, along with them, the doctor prescribes drugs that restore the flora.
From pharyngitis it is necessary to protect both yourself and your own children. Very often, this disease develops after tonsillectomy. According to medical statistics, pharyngitis is most often sick in the summer and winter. Therefore, in the summer you should not lean on ice drinks, and in the winter beware of hypothermia. Also, one should not forget about strengthening the body with vitamins and try to lead a healthy lifestyle.