During an exacerbation of infectious pathologies, the risk of an inflammatory process called pharyngitis increases. This disease is not dangerous to human life and develops as a result of reproduction on the mucous membrane of the pharynx of various bacteria and fungi. Most often, pharyngitis occurs in children and appears in combination with tonsillitis.
Causes
Any inflammation, including pharyngitis, occurs at the time of weakening of the body's immune system. In this dangerous period, the following factors can provoke the development of the disease:
- Exposure to various bacteria and viruses, such as streptococci, staphylococci, etc.
- Injury or mechanical impact. Inflammation can occur due to irritation of the mucous membrane with chemicals, spicy foods, cold or hot air, and also as a result of surgical intervention.
- Allergic reaction. It manifests itself under the influence of a variety of allergens: dust, household chemicals, pollen or animal hair.
- Bad habits. Smoking and abuse of alcohol can also cause inflammation.
- Chronic and infectious diseases of the nose, mouth and sinuses. Exacerbation of rhinitis and sinusitis, as well as the treatment of these diseases with various drugs can cause the onset of the inflammatory process.
- Gastrointestinal diseases. With various diseases of the stomach and intestines, the contents of the gastrointestinal tract can enter the pharynx, which, in turn, causes the development of pharyngitis.
- Frequent and severe colds.
- Diabetes mellitus, various endocrine diseases that cause drying of the mucous membrane of the mouth and pharynx.
- Hypothermia of the body.
In addition, this disease is contagious and passes from a sick person to a healthy one through the use of shared household items or during communication (by airborne droplets).
Kinds
Depending on various factors, pharyngitis can take various forms.
Acute and chronic pharyngitis are distinguished by the degree of inflammation and the characteristics of the course of the disease. Symptoms of the acute form appear very quickly and disappear on the 5-6th day of the disease. Chronic pharyngitis is characterized by milder symptoms compared to acute, but they develop and last much longer.
For the causes of inflammation, pharyngitis is divided into:
- allergic;
- bacterial;
- traumatic;
- fungal;
- viral.
Chronic pharyngitis
Chronic pharyngitis, in turn, can also have different forms, depending on the nature of the changes in the mucous membrane. On this basis, distinguish:
- Atrophic pharyngitis is the most severe form, accompanied by atrophy, thinning of the mucous membrane.
- Granular. This form is characterized by the formation of red grains on the mucous membrane of the pharynx.
- The catarrhal form is the easiest type of disease, a feature of which is the abundant secretion of thick mucus.
- Hypertrophic pharyngitis is accompanied by swelling, proliferation of the mucous membrane, as well as changes in the connective tissue of the throat.
Often there is a mixed form of this disease, which is a combination of various types of pharyngitis.
Symptoms
The initial signs of inflammation are sore throat when swallowing, sore or burning. In the morning, you may need to get rid of mucus by coughing or expectoration.
Common symptoms of the acute and chronic form of this disease are:
- extensive redness of the mucous membrane of the pharynx;
- dry cough;
- copious secretion of mucus in the throat;
- feeling of weakness and malaise;
- recurrent headaches;
- possible increase in temperature.
In more severe forms of pharyngitis, a constant feeling of dryness in the throat, enlargement and soreness of the lymph nodes and tonsils, ear pain, runny nose and nasal breathing disorders, as well as cough accompanied by nausea and vomiting are added to the main symptoms. Depending on the variety of the disease, thinning or, on the contrary, thickening of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, soft palate and tongue may be felt.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation are less pronounced compared with the acute form. The temperature, for example, rises to 37.5 degrees, but it can stay for several days.
Pharyngitis in children
Most often and in various forms, pharyngitis occurs in children. They are much more difficult to tolerate the development and course of this disease. A complication of inflammation of the pharynx in children can be otitis media, tonsillitis, various abscesses, the spread of the disease in the lower respiratory organs.
However, it is quite difficult to identify the disease in a child, especially if he is still too small and cannot describe his condition. The main signs of pharyngitis in children are anxiety, a possible increase in temperature, impaired sleep and appetite. But all these symptoms can apply to other diseases, so to determine the exact diagnosis, you need to contact a specialist who will conduct a thorough examination.
In addition, the child should not self-medicate either. In order to avoid aggravation of the situation and the transition of the disease to a more serious stage, a sick child should not go outside, soar his throat and rinse it with soda solutions in the days of exacerbation of pharyngitis.
According to reviews, in the treatment of pharyngitis in children, they are best suited: bed rest, irrigation of the pharynx with special drugs or antibiotics, but only if there are any complications. The room where the child is constantly sleeping and should be regularly ventilated. And to maintain the protective forces of a growing organism, various vitamins should be used. But all this should be used only after consulting a doctor.
Adult Treatment
According to reviews, the treatment of pharyngitis in adults requires emphasis on reducing pain in the throat. For this, antiseptic, painkiller tablets for resorption are used: Strepsils, Septolete, Lizobact, Faringosept, etc.
In addition, regular rinsing of the throat with solutions of “Chlorhexidine”, “Miramistin” or “Furacilin” is carried out. To achieve the fastest result, gargle every two hours.
Also, the throat irrigation with various sprays, such as Ingalipt, Hexoral, Cameton, etc., should be added to the treatment system for this disease.
If there is a cough in the treatment of pharyngitis with adults, it is recommended that it is recommended to use agents that actively dilute sputum, made on the basis of medicinal herbs or ambroxol. These include Herbion, Gedelix, Ambrobene and others. They are excellent for treating pharyngitis in children.
Recommendations
In combination with medications in the treatment of chronic pharyngitis, according to reviews, the following rules must be observed:
- Diet. It consists in the complete exclusion of foods and dishes that irritate the mucous membrane of the throat.
- According to reviews, in the treatment of pharyngitis at home, you need to give up all habits that can aggravate the situation - smoking, alcohol.
- Drink plenty. To do this, you should not use hot, but warm drinks. Milk with honey in this situation will serve as an excellent natural doctor.
Also, to improve the protective properties of the body and as an addition to the main treatment for pharyngitis, according to reviews, the doctor may prescribe various medications that increase immunity, such as Interferon, Viferon, Imudon, etc. If the above methods are not effective enough antibiotics can be used for treatment, but such a need is rare.
Prevention
To prevent the occurrence of pharyngitis, periodic preventative measures should be taken:
- Health promotion. A balanced diet, exercise, regular walking and hardening will increase the body's ability to withstand various infections.
- Limit the effects of various harmful factors that can trigger the onset of the disease (contact with patients with pharyngitis, smoking, hypothermia, alcohol consumption).
- Provide regular wet cleaning at home, airing the room and humidifying the air. This reduces the airborne dust and microparticles of debris, and also facilitates breathing during sleep.
- Systematically examined for various problems that may cause inflammation. For example, caries, runny nose, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, liver, endocrine system, etc.
Another way to prevent pharyngitis is to quickly eliminate the focus and symptoms of infection. And this, in turn, is possible only with timely contact with a specialist who will conduct a thorough diagnosis, make a conclusion and prescribe treatment.
Conclusion
According to reviews, the symptoms and treatment of pharyngitis in adults are interrelated. Compliance with all recommendations in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle allows you to effectively and as soon as possible to get rid of discomfort in the throat, contributes to a speedy recovery and prevention of repeated cases of the disease.
In addition, it must be borne in mind that only a timely visit to the doctor will avoid undesirable consequences and guarantee a speedy recovery. It is not recommended to self-medicate, since only a specialist, based on the results of the examination, will be able to prescribe the most effective drugs depending on the patient's condition.