Acute tonsillitis is a viral or bacterial infection that affects mainly tonsils in the palate. Angina is contagious, and it is transmitted by airborne droplets. The degree of danger, as well as the type of therapy are determined depending on the type of pathogen. The most favorable is bacterial tonsillitis. Often angina leads people to serious complications. These include heart defects, rheumatism, glomerulonephritis, as well as others. In this article, we will take a closer look at how you can get sore throat, what methods of therapy to use against the disease.
Description of the disease
As mentioned earlier, angina is a viral or bacterial infectious disease, accompanied by an inflammatory process on the lymphatic boat ring. In most cases, the tonsils are affected. In addition, angina is the most common upper respiratory tract disease. The greatest surge in incidence occurs in the autumn-spring period due to a weakened immune system. Almost every person on this planet has a chance of contracting a sore throat. However, not all varieties of the disease will be contagious.
Reason for occurrence
How can I get sore throat? What are the causes of this disease? The main causative agent of this pathology in most cases are different staphylococci and streptococci, in rare cases, viruses. How can I get sore throat? The source of infection are patients with this disease, as well as carriers of pathogenic microorganisms that secrete microbes during a conversation with people around them. In addition, you can get sore throat during sneezing or coughing a sick person. As mentioned earlier, the main route of transmission is airborne. It is for this reason that the disease is so common. However, when answering the question of how it is possible to contract sore throat, it should also be noted that this can happen through an alimentary or contact-household way.
Even more rarely, the disease occurs due to endogenous infection - an already existing infection process inside the body. In this case, bacteria from one focus with lymph, blood or anatomical spaces move to another, causing an inflammatory reaction again.
But the very penetration of microorganisms into the oral cavity of a healthy person will not always be the cause of the development of the disease. Specialists identify some predisposing factors of the disease. This should include such conditions of the human body or the external environment as:
- Bad environmental situation in the region of residence.
- Subcooling, general or local.
- Excessive air dryness.
- Weakening of the immune system.
- Inadequate intake of vitamins.
- Violation of nasal breathing due to other pathologies.
- Acute viral respiratory infections.
If a pathogenic microorganism gets on the surface of the tonsils, and at this time a person receives hypothermia, then the disease develops.
Varieties of sore throat and incubation period
So, we have answered the question of how angina is transmitted from person to person. However, this will also depend on the type of disease. All types of angina are classified according to the type of pathogen into viral and bacterial ailments. This division is of great importance, since, knowing the pathogen, adequate treatment can be prescribed, and a further prognosis for recovery will be given.
If the disease cannot be treated for some reason, the consequences will turn out to be very deplorable for the patient, and can even lead to death.
Purulent tonsillitis
The most unpleasant and difficult to treat type of disease is purulent tonsillitis, which is typical for adults. Distinctive symptoms of the disease are the presence of a purulent inflammatory process on the follicles or tonsils. They also turn red and increase in size. That is why sore throat is called red throat disease. Acute purulent tonsillitis includes three stages: lacunar, follicular, and also phlegmonous.
The incubation period will last throughout the entire period of the disease. The period from the moment of infection to the onset of the first symptoms will be 1-2 days.
Catarrhal sore throat
One of the most favorable types of the disease, which often develops after a decrease in immunity or cooling, is catarrhal sore throat. Is catarrhal sore throat contagious to others? The answer to this question will be positive. This type of disease can be transmitted by airborne droplets or through household items. This type of disease is treated with drugs. Catarrhal sore throat often occurs without pronounced signs, due to which it is not diagnosed on time.
The incubation period also lasts throughout the course of the disease. However, there is a high probability of infection in the first three days of the disease.
Viral sore throat
The main causative agent of this sore throat are different strains of viruses. According to its symptoms, this type of tonsillitis resembles a catarrhal form. However, a distinctive feature will be that the use of antibiotics will not bring any result, and treatment is carried out with the help of antiviral drugs. Viral tonsillitis is common mainly in the winter, when it takes on an epidemic nature. How can I get sore throat from a sick person? The main transmission method is airborne.
The incubation period of angina in adults lasts quite a long time: from 2 days to 2 weeks. This will depend on the individual characteristics of the human immune system. Throughout this time, the patient will be considered a source of infection.
Folk remedies for angina in adults
There are many different effective recipes for traditional medicine that help overcome sore throat. Consider separately folk remedies for angina in adults.
Sea water
People who live near the sea successfully use sea water as a gargle for their throats. This product perfectly removes the inflammatory process, as well as swelling of the tonsils, healing and disinfecting the entire oral cavity. Of course, not everyone has this opportunity, so you can independently prepare a therapeutic solution for rinsing at home.
To do this, it is necessary to dissolve one teaspoon of simple table salt in one glass of boiled warm water. You also need to add 10 drops of iodine, half a teaspoon of baking soda. Each housewife has these ingredients, so making a medicinal product will not be difficult. At the height of the disease, you need to do a gargle every 2 hours. In addition, if there is a sore throat in a child at 2 years old, you can use such a remedy to treat the disease.
Infusion of elecampane
Since the characteristic symptom of the disease is severe pain during swallowing, it is necessary to use a safe, natural painkiller. Such qualities are available in infusion based on elecampane. Preparing this tool is quite simple. To do this, one spoon of dry elecampane grass must be poured with one glass of boiling water, wrap, let it brew for 2 hours. When the medicine has cooled to an acceptable temperature, it can be used as a solution for gargling. To enhance the healing effect, you can tie your neck with a warm woolen scarf. The rinse procedure should be performed as often as possible, especially for the initial stage of development of angina.
Potato inhalation
Our grandmothers also used inhaled vapors from boiled potatoes to treat sore throats. To make such an inhalation, you need to boil several tubers of this vegetable. Cook the vegetable until you start to smell a strong potato smell. Please note that during cooking it is necessary to pour a small amount of water into the pan so that the steam is generated from the vegetable. In order to enhance the effect, some add a small amount of iodine to the pan, as well as a teaspoon of soda. In order to alleviate the condition of the disease, a potato broth is inhaled for 10 minutes. Such inhalations are carried out several times a day.
Propolis
The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and also analgesic properties of this product are known to everyone who is not indifferent to their own health. That is why propolis has been used for a long time to combat various respiratory viral diseases, as well as infectious ailments. In the case of angina from propolis, it will not be necessary to prepare any medicinal formulations. It is useful to simply chew slowly in the mouth after eating. And if you have a specific small burning sensation in your mouth during chewing, this indicates the high quality of propolis. Some people put a piece of this product over their cheeks at night so that the unique component fights the disease throughout the night.
Ginger, honey and raspberry infusion
It is also very effective infusion, which is prepared from honey, ginger, and raspberries. However, this medicine will need to be prepared every day. To do this, 100 g of mashed raspberries, 5 g of ginger grated, and 10 g of honey are mixed with one tablespoon of olive oil. The finished mixture is poured with one glass of boiling water, wrap, left overnight to insist. In the morning, the healing agent is filtered and taken 3 times a day.
So, now you know whether angina is always contagious, how it is transmitted. If the first symptoms of the disease appear, use the above home recipes for treatment.