Almost all of us are familiar with a disease such as pharyngitis, which in practical medicine means the presence of an acute or chronic inflammatory process in the pharyngeal mucosa. This disease is very common in the cold season, during the period of viral epidemics and, perhaps, is one of the main reasons for going to the doctor, especially in children. Knowing the causes that led to the onset of the disease, allows for the competent treatment of pharyngitis.
What causes can lead to the development of an inflammatory process in the throat?
Acute inflammation of the pharynx most often occurs as a result of the penetration of a bacterial or viral infection. Less commonly, pharyngitis can have a fungal etiology. In addition, local damage to the mucous membrane can occur with direct exposure to irritating substances, tobacco smoke, too cold, or, conversely, hot food, alcohol, etc.
What are the main symptoms of the disease?
The main complaints of the patient when contacting a doctor are a feeling of tickling or tingling in the nasopharynx, sore throat, especially when swallowing solid food. Body temperature, as a rule, remains within the normal range, sometimes it can rise to subfebrile. General well-being remains normal, but there may be a slight malaise and body aches. On examination, you can see redness and swelling of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, sometimes a plaque appears on the tonsils. Very often, especially in children, nasal breathing is difficult. Proper treatment of pharyngitis at this stage allows you to completely recover and prevent the disease from becoming chronic.
Chronic pharyngitis can take several forms. This is catarrhal, atrophic and hypertrophic. Therefore, here the treatment of pharyngitis depends on the form of the disease.
Treatment of pharyngitis in children
In the acute course of the disease in a child, local treatment is most often used, which consists of repeated irrigation or rinsing of the oral cavity and pharynx with antiseptic solutions. Most often, warm solutions of furatsillin or boric acid, Gramitsidin, Stopangin or Hexoral preparations, decoctions of medicinal herbs are used. In addition to solutions, tablets for resorption with antiseptics can be used. In case of violation of nasal breathing, irrigation of the nasal cavity with weak saline solution (preferably if it is sea water) and instillation of vasoconstrictor drugs in each nasal passage (Nazivin, Otrivin, Sanorin, etc.) are carried out. Alkaline inhalations help well. Drinking plenty of water and taking multivitamins is very important. Treatment of pharyngitis with antibiotics is performed if the infection spreads below or in a chronic form of the disease, accompanied by fever. With the appearance of plaque on the tonsils, pharyngitis and tonsillitis should be differentiated. Outside the disease, it is important to conduct hardening measures.
Treatment of pharyngitis in adults
Medication for acute pharyngitis in adults is similar. It is very important to eliminate annoying components. In chronic pharyngitis, the pharynx is treated with a Lugol solution, alkaline inhalation. Multivitamin preparations are prescribed to strengthen immunity. Hypertrophic pharyngitis is treated with a Collargol solution or silver solution, which cauterize overgrown lymphoid tissue of the pharynx. With severe mucosal hypertrophy, cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen) is used.
Prevention of pharyngitis is a systematic hardening measures, multivitamins in the cold season, the elimination of irritating agents (tobacco smoke, aggressive food, alcohol, etc.) and the rehabilitation of possible foci of infection of the oral cavity.