With the onset of cold weather, many of us begin to suffer from colds, the first sign of which, as a rule, is sore throat. What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? To know the differences between these diseases is necessary in order to prescribe the correct therapy. Otherwise, treatment will be ineffective and may further aggravate the disease. By and large, we are dealing with the same pathology, the only difference is that tonsillitis is its chronic form, and tonsillitis is acute. Due to the similarity of symptoms, many often confuse diseases with each other, however, in reality, tonsillitis and tonsillitis proceed differently and require different treatment. What is the difference between these diseases?
Description of tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an inflammation that affects the tonsils and the area of the near-pharyngeal ring. Its causative agents are bacteria and viruses. This is mainly streptococci.
Tonsillitis can occur both in acute and in chronic form. In most cases, the disease occurs in people with weakened immune systems, as a result of hypothermia, stress and overwork. The inflammatory process can spread to one or several tonsils at the same time, most often palatine. Infection occurs by airborne droplets through sick people and carriers of the disease, in which there is no pronounced symptoms.
Features of angina
What is the difference between acute tonsillitis and tonsillitis? There is no difference, since angina is tonsillitis, which proceeds in an acute form. The disease is infectious and is accompanied by inflammation of the tonsils, the formation of purulent plaque and plugs.
You can get sore throat both from a sick person, and as a result of infection from other sources. For example, it can be a chronic infection, the focus of which is caries, chronic diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses. If you do not cure a sore throat in a timely manner or treat it incorrectly, this can lead to serious complications in the form of exacerbations of various systems and organs.
Angina can occur in various forms. Based on the nature of the defeat of the tonsils, catarrhal, follicular, necrotic, herpetic, lacunar, phlegmonous and fibrinous tonsillitis are distinguished.
What is the difference between angina and chronic tonsillitis?
As mentioned above, tonsillitis is acute and chronic. The acute form of tonsillitis - this is angina. Chronic tonsillitis is accompanied by a protracted inflammatory process that occurs in the pharyngeal tonsils. The chronic form of tonsillitis is a consequence of the often recurring and untreated completely sore throats.
Distinguish between simple and toxic-allergic chronic tonsillitis. For simple chronic tonsillitis, the presence of local symptoms is characteristic, for a toxic-allergic one - a deterioration in the state of the body as a whole, which is accompanied by lymphadenitis, complications in the heart, kidneys and joints.
Compensated and decompensated chronic tonsillitis is also distinguished. In the first case, the tonsils are still able to cope with the infection and perform their protective functions. In fact, the compensated form of tonsillitis is a kind of “dormant” focus of chronic infection. Often such a disease goes unnoticed. It is accompanied by only slight discomfort in the throat and a small accumulation of pus on the tonsils.
Decompensated chronic tonsillitis is usually accompanied by tonsillitis . In addition, abscesses and inflammatory diseases of the ear and nose often occur.
Symptoms of tonsillitis
What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? The signs of both diseases are very similar, but with tonsillitis they are not so pronounced. The main ones are:
- discomfort in the throat and pain when swallowing;
- bad breath;
- redness and enlargement of the tonsils, the presence of white plaque;
- temperature up to 38 ° ;
- nasal congestion;
- enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes.
Symptoms of a sore throat
In order to find out what is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis, it is necessary to know the symptoms characteristic of angina. First of all, tonsillitis differs from tonsillitis in a brighter course. The presence of a sore throat can be judged by the following signs:
- acute sharp sore throat and difficulty swallowing;
- body temperature can reach 40 ° C and is often difficult to reduce;
- severe inflammation and enlargement of the tonsils, the appearance of purulent plaque;
- pain in the head and joints;
- enlarged submandibular lymph nodes;
- labored breathing;
- lack of nasal congestion;
- general weakness and malaise.
Depending on the cause of the disease, angina can both make itself felt in the first days after infection, and manifest itself in five or more days.
Angina and tonsillitis: how to recognize?
The chronic form of tonsillitis is almost always accompanied by nasal congestion. In the case of angina, such a symptom is absent. The pathologies under consideration are similar to respiratory diseases and influenza. In addition, they often proceed the same way. And yet, in order to find out the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis, you need to know their features. The main distinguishing feature of the ailments considered is the severity of symptoms.
What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? What is the difference between diseases? For sore throat, acute and suddenly appearing sore throat, severe headache, aching joints, higher than with tonsillitis, fever, the appearance of purulent foci and plaque are characteristic. The danger of acute tonsillitis is that as a result of the disease, not only the throat, but also other organs suffer. That is why, after the end of the disease, it is recommended to take a urine and blood test, as well as check the heart.
For those who are interested in how tonsillitis differs from tonsillitis, it should be taken into account that tonsillitis is characterized by a sluggish course of inflammatory processes in the larynx. They can fade for a while, and then become aggravated again. In chronic tonsillitis, an elevated temperature is not always present, and corks are not purulent, but curdled in nature.
Treatment
As you know, all chronic ailments are not so easy to cure. Therefore, with the first symptoms of a throat disease, you should consult a doctor. Angina or tonsillitis, the main differences, types of diseases are well known to a qualified doctor. Having determined the stage and type of pathology, he will prescribe the correct treatment. An accurate diagnosis is necessary because the treatment of tonsillitis and tonsillitis has differences. One way or another, therapy should be based on eliminating the cause, not the symptoms.
How is tonsillitis or acute tonsillitis treated? When is an antibiotic needed? The doctor will tell about all this. Treatment of acute tonsillitis (tonsillitis) is almost always carried out on an outpatient basis. Only in rare cases, one has to resort to hospitalization and apply surgical treatment. Therapy of angina, as a rule, consists in taking anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimicrobial drugs. Physiotherapeutic procedures, vitamins and medicinal herbs for rinsing are prescribed as additions to medicines. In the most severe cases, antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action are prescribed.
Chronic tonsillitis is treated with antiseptics and immunomodulators. Biostimulants and antihistamines are also used. Antibiotics are drunk if there is a risk of complications.
The consequences of acute and chronic tonsillitis
In the presence of throat diseases, it is important to understand that untreated tonsillitis can be very dangerous. First of all, with its complications. The greatest threats are:
- endocarditis, which is accompanied by destructive lesions of the inner lining of the heart muscle and valve;
- glomerulonephritis - a kidney disease;
- swelling of the throat;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- abscess;
- otitis;
- rheumatism of the joints.
It is also extremely important to prevent the spread of infection along with blood to the brain, which can lead to meningitis. For this ailment, inflammation of the meninges is characteristic. It manifests itself in the form of general weakness, shortness of breath, severe headaches, fever. The presence of signs of meningitis is a serious reason to call a doctor.
Conclusion
It should be understood that chronic tonsillitis is much more difficult to cure than tonsillitis. Therefore, it is so important to prevent the transition of the acute form of the disease to chronic and completely cure the pathology. And in order for the therapy to be carried out as efficiently as possible, you must necessarily go to a medical institution.