Treatment for pharyngitis: symptoms and causes of the disease, effective and quick treatment, medical advice

Today we offer you to discuss a disease called pharyngitis. The treatment of this ailment is quite simple, the main thing is to visit a doctor called an otolaryngologist in time to exclude possible complications.

What does the medical term "pharyngitis" mean? This is an inflammatory process that occurs on the mucous membrane of the pharynx. The disease has rather unpleasant symptoms, among which are discomfort when swallowing and tickling.

To begin with, it is worth noting that three departments can be distinguished in the throat:

• laryngopharynx (lower section);
• oropharynx (middle section);
• nasopharynx (upper section).

This is all reflected in the image above. From the localization of the inflammatory process, you can determine the type of pharyngitis. There are also such cases that the disease occurs very quickly (acute period), then all departments are affected.

Two types of infection stand out:

• viral;
• bacterial.

Regardless of nature, the infection migrates. More often this process is descending (nasopharynx - oropharynx - larynxopharynx). An experienced specialist will be able to find out the severity of the disease by morphological changes in the throat mucosa. And so, move on. In total, two varieties of the disease are distinguished:

• acute pharyngitis;
• chronic pharyngitis.

We will talk about them in more detail in the following sections of the article.

Acute pharyngitis

Before we move on to the question of treatment for pharyngitis, we propose to analyze in more detail each type of this disease. Let's start with the acute form in which the disease progresses rapidly. In this case, a provocateur can be:

• infections
• smoking;
• long stay in the cold;
• irritation of the throat mucosa;
• frequent intake of alcoholic beverages.

In addition, acute pharyngitis can accompany respiratory infections or diseases caused by a violation of the digestive tract.

However, most often the cause of acute pharyngitis is precisely the infection (viruses). In this case, there is swelling of one or two sections of the pharynx. In this case, specialist supervision is necessary (to prevent complications that may affect the auditory tubes).

Fungal infection can also be the causative agent of this disease. In this case, you will have to fight with a pathology that has a fungal nature. The following types of acute pharyngitis exist:

• allergic;
• traumatic.

When acute pharyngitis becomes a constant problem, it can be argued that it has flowed into another form - chronic. More about it in the next section.

Chronic pharyngitis

The treatment of chronic pharyngitis in adults and children we have moved to a separate section. Now we will introduce you to the varieties of the chronic form of the disease. There are three subspecies in total:

• hypertrophic;
• atrophic;
• catarrhal.

You will find more information in the table below.

Antibiotics are used to treat chronic pharyngitis in adults, which prevent complications.

Reasons for the appearance

There are main causes of this disease. These include:

• cold air;
• irritation with chemicals;
• polluted air;
• infection (fungi, viruses, germs);
• smoking;
• nasal congestion;
• poor climate;
• diseases of the digestive tract;
• problems on the part of dentistry;
• alcoholism;
• hormonal failure;
• intake of very cold food (also very hot foods should be excluded) and so on.

Of course, the main reason is prolonged breathing through the mouth in the cold season (in winter). Everything else is a contributing factor.

Why can a chronic form of the disease develop? Now we will briefly discuss this problem. The disease can become chronic if the pharyngitis of another species is improperly treated. In addition, the cause may also be an incorrect diagnosis, when the doctor could not establish the true nature of the disease. Various diseases, also having a chronic form, can serve as provocateurs of the development of chronic pharyngitis. A very common example is tuberculosis.

Symptoms

Separately, it is worthwhile to dwell on the symptoms and treatment of pharyngitis (you already saw a photo of the sore throat mucosa). To begin with, it is worth examining the symptoms of the disease in more detail, because it is not limited to some unpleasant sensations in the throat.

The acute form of the disease is most pronounced with sore throat when swallowing. At the same time, pain is felt stronger if you take an “empty sip”, so dryness irritates the sore throat even more.

Symptoms include:

• increased body temperature;
• general weakness;
• sore throat;
• possible spread of discomfort to the ears.

Symptoms of pharyngitis are very similar to other infectious diseases:

• measles;
• scarlet fever;
• rubella.

It is for this reason that it is necessary to seek medical help in order to exclude more serious diseases.

What are the symptoms of the chronic form of the disease? These include:

• lump in throat;
• cough (it occurs due to the desire to remove a lump);
• general malaise;
• fever.

The most important symptom is a cough, which has the following symptoms:

1. dryness;
2. special emphasis on the throat when coughing.

During pharyngitis, mucus is constantly formed on the back of the larynx , which a person is forced to swallow, which causes a lot of inconvenience during sleep and wakefulness. Due to a violation of the quality of life, a person becomes irritable and nervous.

It is important to note the fact that pharyngitis (as an independent disease) occurs extremely rarely, as a rule, this disease accompanies more serious problems of the body. It is necessary to conduct a full examination before treatment for pharyngitis. At home, this is impossible to do, a comprehensive examination by a specialist is necessary. If the following problems are found - cholecystitis, pancreatitis or gastritis, then the fight against sore throat will be useless. After all, it is precisely the problems with the gastrointestinal tract that will provoke relapses. Pharyngitis will remain your life partner as long as there is an affected area in the body.

Complications

Before figuring out how to treat pharyngitis in adults at home, let's briefly talk about possible complications. What will happen if you throw the disease on its own? Complications include:

• transformation of the disease into a chronic form;
• tracheitis;
• laryngitis;
• lymphadenitis (neck);
• pharyngeal or peritonsillar abscess;
• ear infection;
• rheumatism;
• sialadenitis;
• chronic bronchitis and so on.

Complications can occur with improper treatment or its complete absence. Therefore, pain and sore throat is a serious reason to contact a therapist (pediatrician) for medical help.

Diagnostics

Before starting treatment for pharyngitis at home, quickly go to the doctor, who is called an otolaryngologist (ENT). Only this specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment.

The doctor will necessarily examine the patient's pharynx to assess the condition of the oral mucosa. It may prescribe several procedures:

• pharyngoscopy;
• microbiological blood test for the study of antibodies of streptococcal bacteria.

ENT must definitely exclude acute tonsillitis, because the symptoms of these diseases are very similar.

Treatment

What determines the effectiveness of the treatment of pharyngitis? As with other diseases of this type, complex therapy is needed. If the disease is local in nature and the patient’s well-being is not noticed, then it’s enough to remove the symptoms (i.e. symptomatic therapy).

Symptomatic therapy includes:

• diet;
• compresses on the neck and legs;
• inhalation;
• the use of warm milk;
• gargling;
• pharynx irrigation.

This treatment will be sufficient only if it is an uncomplicated pharyngitis. In this case, antibacterial treatment is not required. Antimicrobials are often prescribed (lozenges, lozenges, and so on).

Preparations

How is the medical treatment of pharyngitis in adults carried out? The photo above shows what the most common sore throat medicines look like.

As already mentioned more than once, a specialist consultation is necessary, but treatment is carried out at home. However, there are a number of cases when the therapy should be carried out in a medical institution. These include:

1. inability to swallow saliva due to very severe pain (it arises from the mouth);
2. whistling is heard during breathing, due to severe swelling of the throat there is a lack of air.

Treatment of pharyngitis should be comprehensive. Directions for medical treatment:

1. elimination of the root cause of the disease;
2. elimination of symptoms;
3. reception of fortifying agents.

Lollipops that are prescribed to eliminate sore throat:

• Septolete;
• "Faringosept";
• "Neo-angina" and others.

Also used are preparations containing iodine, for example, Yoks. In addition, the "Ingalipt" (sulfonamides) is effective.

With advanced cases or with complications, antibiotics are prescribed (penicillins, cephalosporins). It is extremely rare to resort to tetracycline antibiotics, they are used only if the body has a pronounced resistance to other antibacterial agents.

In acute bacterial pharyngitis, the doctor prescribes Imudon, and Hexoral is used to rinse the throat. The latter can significantly reduce sore throat.

Traditional medicine and useful tips

To treat pharyngitis at home in adults more effective, you can use folk remedies in addition to the main therapy.

Gargling (every three hours):

• chamomile, calendula, sage, yarrow (1 tablespoon is poured with a glass of boiling water, infused and filtered);
• soda with salt (1 teaspoon of soda and salt dissolved in a glass of warm water);
• propolis tincture (30% propolis tincture is taken at the rate of 30 drops per 100 milliliters of water).

Herbal Inhalations:

• chamomile;
• calendula;
• eucalyptus;
• sage;
• Linden.

The following specialist tips contribute to the rapid treatment of pharyngitis:

1. exclusion of oral breathing;
2. exclusion of overvoltage of the vocal cords;
3. smoking cessation (do not stay near smokers);
4. dieting;
5. the use of a large amount of warm liquid;
6. airing and wet cleaning in the room.

Diet

Treatment of pharyngitis at home implies that you have to adhere to a special diet. For the period of treatment of the disease, it is worth strictly controlling the temperature of the consumed products. The food should be warm, but in no case hot or cold.

Avoid solid foods, which can lead to mechanical damage to the mucosa, they will irritate the sore throat even more. Everything you eat needs to be thoroughly chewed. The longer you do this, the more food will be safe for your throat (this applies to temperature and consistency).

Refuse from:

• fried;
• acute;
• salty;
• smoked;
• sour;
• bitter;
• carbonated drinks;
• alcohol.

To avoid exacerbation, quit smoking and do not stay near smoking people. The room where you spend time should be ventilated and clean.

Pharyngitis in a child

Treatment of pharyngitis (a photo of how the sore throat looks above is present) has its own characteristics if the disease appears in a child. The pathology in young patients is much more complicated. This is primarily due to difficulties in diagnosing. In children, the main symptoms of pharyngitis are connected:

• runny nose;
• wheezing
• severe dry cough.

Often this disease in children is confused with bronchial asthma, so you should consult a doctor on time for a more accurate diagnosis of the problem.

When prescribing treatment, it is worth considering the characteristics of the child's body, many preparations are completely prohibited for crumbs. It is very important that irrigation of the throat with aerosols is strictly prohibited until the age of two. This procedure can trigger a spasm, which entails respiratory arrest.

Pharyngitis during pregnancy

As a rule, the treatment of pharyngitis affects locally (that is, the absorption of any substances into the blood does not occur). Which absolutely does not harm the baby in the womb. For this reason, there are no specific instructions for the treatment of pharyngitis in pregnant women.

Particular attention should be paid to cases when it is necessary to use antibiotics that are prohibited for use during pregnancy. The advisability of using antibacterial agents should be determined by the attending physician. He will determine the ratio of the effect of a particular drug and the potential risk for the future baby.

Disease prevention

We talked a little about the treatment of pharyngitis, now we will pay attention to an equally important issue - prevention. Now we give a list of measures taken.

1. Limitation of contact with patients.
2. Subcooling is unacceptable.
3. Transition to a healthy lifestyle (refusal from smoking and alcohol).
4. Restrictions on the use of food that can irritate the mucous membrane of the throat (these products were mentioned earlier).
5. Avoid exposure to irritating substances (tobacco smoke, chemicals, dust, etc.).
6. Do not let the respiratory system diseases drift.
7. Strengthening immunity.

Do not self-medicate, if the throat hurts, then you should consult a specialist. He can accurately diagnose the disease and prescribe adequate treatment. Eat more vitamins (vegetables, fruits, berries). You can also ask your therapist to pick you a vitamin complex. It is very useful to breathe in pairs of iodine, try to travel to the sea more often. Hardening does not interfere with raising immunity. The main thing in this matter is to start the procedures in the warm season.