A real test for each of us can be a sore throat. Moreover, quite often it happens that attempts to self-treatment do not lead to anything good. If your throat hurts and nothing helps, you should definitely get an appointment with an otorhinolaryngologist. This will help to accurately determine the diagnosis, and therefore, to prescribe the most effective treatment.
Causes of a sore throat that is impossible to get rid of
As a rule, severe sore throat indicates an inflammatory process in the mucous membrane of the larynx or nasopharynx. Often a sore throat is accompanied by a number of rather unpleasant symptoms - swelling of the lymph nodes, chronic rhinitis, inflammation of the tonsils. It often happens that the throat hurts and nothing helps. In this case, it is important to consult a specialist as soon as possible - only he will be able to accurately diagnose and prescribe such treatment that will really contribute to improving well-being.
The variety of causes of sore throat can be classified into two large types: infectious and non-infectious. The first group includes the following diseases:
- ARVI;
- scarlet fever;
- adenovirus infection;
- sinusitis;
- streptococcal infection;
- parainfluenza;
- rhinovirus infection;
- Infectious mononucleosis;
- flu;
- measles;
- chickenpox;
- diphtheria;
- fungal diseases (candidiasis);
- adenoiditis;
- mycoplasmosis.
Sharp pain when swallowing or pressing on the throat occurs for non-infectious reasons:
- laryngeal injury;
- allergic reactions;
- inflammation of the esophagus or trachea;
- gastroesophageal reflux disease;
- neoplasms in the throat;
- avitaminosis.
Sore throat with chronic sore throat
If the throat hurts, but not red, and it hurts to swallow, the patient probably has a sore throat. This is an acute inflammation of the tonsils. Angina is primary or secondary. The primary is the reproductive period of the infection in the tonsils, the so-called acute period. Secondary angina develops as a result of infection of the nasopharynx, larynx or esophagus.
In most cases, the disease is associated with the multiplication of streptococci. Possible pathogens are pneumococci, staphylococci, hemophilic bacillus. As a rule, infection occurs by airborne droplets. That is, being in the same room with an infected person, it is quite possible to get a sore throat. Otorhinolaryngology distinguishes several forms of the development of the disease:
- follicular
- catarrhal
- lacunar
- necrotic.
If the patient has a sore throat, but not red, and it is painful to swallow, then a catarrhal sore throat is likely. This means that a number of sprays with an antibiotic active against streptococcal infection will be effective. In parallel with a sore throat, when a patient swallows, the temperature may rise, many also have a headache, loss of appetite, and lymph nodes on the neck swell.
Laryngeal trauma pain
If a sore throat and nothing helps, then you should think about an injury or an allergic reaction. Depending on the reasons that caused them, injuries are classified as follows:
- mechanical;
- thermal;
- chemical.
If there is a suspicion of an injury or burn of the larynx, you should definitely get an appointment with a traumatologist. In some cases, for the healing of the mucosa, the use of special agents with panthenol in the composition is necessary. If in some way the patient received a chemical burn (due to accidental or intentional ingestion of acids and alkalis, table vinegar, unsuitable alcohol), then urgent medical attention is needed.
An allergic reaction is manifested not only by pain in the larynx, but also by swelling of the neck, tonsils, and lymph nodes. Only an otorhinolaryngologist can make an accurate diagnosis.
Mononucleosis as a cause of persistent pain
Mononucleosis is a viral disease characterized by severe sore throat, fever, inflammatory lesion of the pharynx, and inflammation of the lymph nodes. With mononucleosis, internal organs also suffer - in particular, the spleen and liver. The disease can develop both in adulthood and in adolescence.
Why does the throat constantly hurt and does not go away? If at the same time the temperature rises, there is heaviness in the right hypochondrium, then the cause may be mononucleosis. How to distinguish angina from mononucleosis? An experienced otorhinolaryngologist will first of all assess the condition of the patient’s mucosa: with angina, granular lesions are characteristic, and with mononucleosis, hyperplasia of the pharyngeal mucosa. Therapy of mononucleosis involves an integrated approach. It is not enough just to drink an antibiotic for several days - as a rule, the duration of treatment is delayed for many months.
Pharyngitis as a cause of severe sore throat
If the nose is blocked, the throat is constantly sore and nothing helps, then the patient is likely to have pharyngitis. This disease is an inflammatory process in the area of both the nasopharynx and throat. Symptoms that suggest with high probability that the patient has pharyngitis:
- increase in body temperature;
- pain in the area of the protrusion of the larynx;
- a feeling of dry mucosa in the larynx;
- burning in the nasopharynx;
- symptoms characteristic of chronic sinusitis;
- pulling pain in the neck;
- pain in the nose;
- sputum with pus in the composition;
- swelling of the sky;
- in the late stages of pharyngitis - difficulty breathing.
Classification of pharyngitis in otorhinolaryngology:
- viral pharyngitis (rhinovirus, usually provoked by coronoviruses);
- infectious pharyngitis (about 90% of cases occur in this type of disease);
- pharyngitis of fungal nature, provoked by the pathological activity of fungi;
- radiation pharyngitis develops in patients forced to undergo chemotherapy;
- allergic pharyngitis develops as a response of the immune system to an irritant.
It should be noted that pharyngitis usually develops against a background of reduced immunity. Dry throat with pharyngitis is often characteristic of patients suffering from dehydration. That is, in cases where the patient suffers from autoimmune diseases, kidney dysfunction, eats poorly and poorly, abuses alcohol, etc.
Localization and nature of pain with tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an inflammatory process in the tonsils. An inexperienced person can easily confuse the symptoms of this disease with those of a sore throat, pharyngitis. The tonsils are a special organ located in the throat that is responsible for the immune response to the invasion of infection. If the body’s resources are not enough to normalize the functioning of the tonsils, then inflammation develops in them.
The main symptom is a very sore throat both when swallowing and outside it. However, most throat pills with an antibiotic (Grammidin, etc.) do not have a high-quality therapeutic effect. The fact is that with tonsillitis it is necessary to select an antibiotic that would have high activity against exactly the infection that provoked the defeat of the tonsils.
A complicated form of tonsillitis is dangerous for the development of an abscess, which is an extensive purulent lesion, resulting in severe swelling. It is optimal to seek the advice of an otorhinolaryngologist at the first stage of the disease - in this case, treatment can be quick and effective.
Diagnosis of throat diseases
Diagnostics is both instrumental, and visual, and laboratory methods. Here is a list of the most commonly used:
- visual examination of the nasal cavity, mouth, and also the mucous membrane of the throat;
- the degree of swelling of the pharyngeal ring and pharyngeal wall is assessed;
- laryngoscopy - an endoscopic research method that eliminates severe pathologies of the pharynx and larynx;
- general blood analysis;
- taking smears from the mucous membrane of the larynx, nose.
Best Throat Disorders
The most effective methods of treating the throat should be highlighted (often it is necessary to use not one method, but several at once):
- inhalation (using a nebulizer either in the clinic or at home);
- the use of pharmacological agents (tablets with and without antibiotic, lozenges, homeopathic or antibiotic sprays, rinse formulations);
- a course of injection of antibiotic drugs;
- flushing the throat at the ENT (ENT specialist) at the reception - is a special procedure for deep and prolonged exposure to a medicinal solution.
Use of inhalation for the throat
One of the best and safest methods of therapy is inhalation for throat diseases. The drug in a sprayed state during inhalation enters the mucous membrane of the throat, bypassing the systemic circulation. Inhalations are carried out using a special device - a nebulizer. The treatment is suitable for both children and adults.
How to choose a nebulizer for home use? In total, there are three varieties of such devices:
- compressor nebulizers are effective due to the creation of a large aerosol cloud;
- ultrasonic nebulizers act with ultrasonic flow on the drug solution;
- electron-mesh nebulizers work due to the activity of a vibrating membrane.
Using a nebulizer for children
Inhalations as a method of treating throat diseases are good for their versatility. An aerosol cloud can be made with different concentrations of the drug. So the inhalation method is suitable for treating children, you only need to correctly select the amount of medicine for the preparation of an aerosol. How to choose a nebulizer for home use if you have to use it for a child?
Of course, the best option is an electronic mesh nebulizer. This type of inhaler is good because it combines all the best qualities of compression and ultrasound devices.
Electronic mesh nebulizers are suitable for any treatment solution without restrictions, are absolutely silent and are suitable for inhalation in any position of the body (even in a dream). Inhalation can be performed at any angle of the nebulizer chamber, which makes these devices indispensable for the treatment of infants and obstinate kindergartens who do not want to sit still and inhale a medical aerosol.
Pharmacological treatments for throat
The most effective pharmacological drugs to get rid of sore throat:
- Tablets, lozenges for resorption and chewing have anti-inflammatory, emollient, mild analgesic effects. This is Faringosept, Strepsils. There are also chewable tablets with an antibiotic in the composition, the most popular drug in this class is Grammidin.
- Solutions for spraying on the laryngeal cavity "Miramistin", "Hexoral" have a disinfecting effect, which prevents the further multiplication of the infection, which in most cases is the cause of the development of inflammatory diseases of the throat.
- Antibacterial aerosols. The main indication for their appointment is the presence of signs of a bacterial lesion of the ENT organs. The most popular drug of this pharmacological group is Bioparox.