An abscess of the throat often occurs after suffering a disease such as angina. It requires immediate medical and, sometimes, surgical intervention, since purulent processes that are localized in the head are fraught with serious consequences. What the throat abscess looks like in the photo, as well as its symptoms, helps to understand the distinguishing features of the purulent process.
Stages
An abscess of the throat proceeds in the following stages:
- The first stage is characterized by the presence of signs of inflammation, in which purulent accumulations are visible with an abscess of the throat (pictured).
- The second stage has a more pronounced picture of manifestation. At this stage, the cavity with pus reaches maximum voltage and begins to collapse under pressure.
- The third stage is the final stage in which the cavity ruptures with pus.
Location
Depending on the location of the cavity in which the pus is located, abscesses are divided into:
- front - a frequently encountered position, since microbes easily get there and settling on machines, provoke inflammation;
- back - the appearance of an abscess in the cavity near the pharyngeal tonsil;
- lower - an accumulation of pus develops below the palatine tonsil;
- lateral - the most difficult place for the occurrence of an abscess, leading to complications.
Topographic features
Three groups are distinguished by topographic criterion:
- paratonsillar abscess is an inflammation of the areas that are located around the tonsils;
- peritonsillar abscess is an inflammation in the loose tissues of the pharynx;
- retropharyngeal abscess - arising in the pharyngeal space.
Causes of occurrence
Most often, an abscess in the throat occurs when there are such pathogens as streptococcus, staphylococcus, and sometimes Escherichia coli. This condition is usually a secondary manifestation, that is, it is a complication of another disease.
An abscess can cause a complication of a disease such as angina. An infection in the throat gets through the lymph nodes, so they are in an inflamed state.
The main causes of an abscess in the throat:
- Mechanical damage with a solid object when eating. It can be a bone or a foreign object.
- Mucosal injury after examination of the gastrointestinal tract by gastroscopy.
- Injury to the mucosa when taking high percent alcohol or vinegar.
- A throat burn when taking hot drinks or hot food.
- Complications of an untreated sore throat.
- The consequence of the presence of certain sexually transmitted diseases, for example, syphilis and respiratory, tuberculosis.
- The presence of an infectious condition in the oral cavity.
Diseases Affecting Abscess
The following diseases can also accelerate the development of an abscess with angina:
- HIV infection;
- diabetes;
- the presence of malignant tumors;
- any infectious condition that lowers immunity.
Symptoms
Symptoms of an abscess in the throat begin to manifest immediately after the onset of development, in the initial stages. An abscess is characterized by the following symptoms:
- the presence of spreading pain along the branches of the nerve plexus in the ear and the region of the alveolar process;
- a sharp contraction of the masticatory muscles, which leads to difficulties in opening the mouth;
- a feeling of having a foreign body in the throat;
- a feeling of squeezing in the throat, which does not allow you to fully swallow food, and sometimes is the result of excessive salivation;
- swelling and pain when touching the lymph nodes;
- intake of hot food provides discomfort, and cold, on the contrary, reduces symptoms;
- hyperthermia;
- the presence of halitosis;
- the voice falls, takes a gnarly look;
- worsening of well-being, weakness, lethargy and insomnia appear;
- in severe cases, the presence of shortness of breath, which is a consequence of the closure of the larynx for air passage, as well as increased pain when turning or tilting the head;
- the presence of swelling of the paratonsillar region;
- enlarged tonsils.
After the abscess opens, for a while the pain and the feeling of inflammation disappear.
Complications
A complication of a throat abscess occurs with not timely relief from the disease. This is due to the fact that with an abscess, a cavity forms where pus collects. Normally, in this cavity are all pathogenic pathogens and microbes that caused inflammation, they do not spread beyond this area. But sometimes a throat abscess can be complicated by the fact that there is an independent rupture of the cavity where the focus of infection was. The infection is released, and, once on the mucous membrane, is absorbed through the walls of the throat, goes into the general bloodstream, spreads throughout the body with blood or lymph.
This spread of pathogens can lead to the development of a septic state, causing a general disorder of the body. It is necessary to carry out treatment immediately after the detection of signs of rupture and intoxication of the body by pathogens. If measures are not taken, then their distribution can be fatal. The condition is not amenable to self-treatment. With a rupture of the cavity with pus, complications of this can occur within an hour. Therefore, if such a process is detected, you must immediately consult a doctor and be hospitalized.
Diagnostics
A doctor can make an accurate diagnosis of a throat abscess only after finding out the clinical picture of the development of the disease. During the examination, the doctor always pays attention to the condition of the lymph nodes and the presence of swelling of the throat. To do this, he palpates the surface of the throat. He also conducts a visual examination of the larynx for lesions using a laryngoscope. To clarify, the doctor may prescribe the following laboratory tests:
- Blood analysis. With an abscess in the blood, an increased number of white blood cells is detected.
- Examination of the throat smear for the presence of pathogens, which are clearly visible through a microscope. Most often, they look at the presence of streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli.
- A study of the reaction of bacteria in the smear to antibiotics.
- Tests for turbbeculosis and syphilis.
- Examination of urine for pus.
- Analysis of sputum for dangerous pathogens.
Additional research
Also, the doctor may prescribe the following instrumental studies below along with laboratory tests:
- Ultrasound of the paranasal sinuses;
- otoscopy;
- rhinoscopy;
- maxillary sinus x-ray;
- X-ray of the cervical spine.
After conducting the necessary studies, establishing symptoms and treating an abscess of the throat in adults, they proceed directly to therapy.
Surgery
An abscess operation in the throat is usually performed by excision of the abscess and suturing. The choice of surgical incision method will depend on the localization of the inflammatory process. This surgery is carried out under local freezing. With a front abscess, the incision is performed in two ways: through the palatine-lingual arch or at the site of the maximum accumulation of pus.
The posterior abscess is recommended to be cut when using drainage through the posterior palatine arch at a distance of half a centimeter from its edge. When cutting the lower abscess, the tissue section is carried out through the cavity in the lower part of the palatine-lingual arch.
The incision technique should be shaped so that the tissues surrounding the abscess receive abundant blood supply. It is especially important not to damage large vessels, for this it is recommended that tissue dissection be carried out along the course of the vessels and to a shallow depth, and then, pushing them apart with clamps, open the abscesses. The use of clamps is necessary so as not to damage the tissue with an operating tool.
After opening with the help of antiseptics ("Furatsilin", "Rivanol", "Chlorhexidine", etc.) rinse the throat. This is to prevent the absorption of pus through the walls of the pharynx. It is recommended to carry out a secondary opening of the sides of the incision due to the fact that on the first day after opening the abscess, the pus can again accumulate in the cavity, and the edges of the cut mucous membrane immediately begin to recover. After drainage of the abscess cavity, the inflammatory processes in the pharynx decrease, the temperature normalizes, pain when swallowing disappears, and the general condition improves.
Medication for throat abscess
At the initial stages of the development of the abscess or after its removal, various antibiotics are prescribed. To start drug treatment, it is necessary to examine pus for the presence of a type of pathogen, and by the type of pathogen, a type of antibiotic is selected that would effectively act on them. There are several ways to take antibiotics in the presence of an abscess:
- oral administration of antibiotics (tablets, capsules);
- local application (ointment), is used for the treatment and prevention of abscesses, for example with angina;
- injection of drugs directly into the place of the abscess, most often used for severe inflammation.
Most often, treatment for an abscess of any stage is carried out with penicillin antibiotics:
- Amoxicillin;
- Cephalexin;
- "Carbenicillin";
- "Oxacillin";
- "Piperacillin."
Prescribe the above antibiotics for ten days. If the patient is allergic to this series of antibiotics, then macrolides are prescribed antibiotics:
- Erythromycin;
- Clarithromycin;
- "Oleandomycin";
- "Azithromycin";
- Josamycin;
- "Midecamycin."
The above macrolides are prescribed for ten days. Ointments for topical topical application are also prescribed. When applied, the result of treatment occurs in a week. The advantage of such an ointment is that antibiotics, almost without getting into the general bloodstream, act on the affected area. For example, use drugs such as:
- Levomekol;
- "Vishnevsky ointment".
If a person, in addition to an abscess, has diabetes, then drugs that stabilize metabolism are additionally prescribed, for example:
- sugar reducing;
- insulin;
- lipid-lowering drugs.
Alternative treatment
Treatment of a throat abscess at home consists in the treatment of different compounds, which are described below:
- Onions with milk. When taking onions with milk, there may be a positive trend in reducing the size of the abscess. To prepare this composition, it is necessary to peel the onion, grind it and add it to milk. Then put this mixture to boil for five minutes. Having evaporated the milk a little, it is necessary to achieve a viscous structure. The resulting product is taken in a teaspoon every 3 hours. After several doses, you will receive a significant reduction in symptoms of sore throat.
- Burdock root. Chew burdock root throughout the day. This root has pronounced antibacterial properties that help to defeat inflammation. Repeat every six hours.
- Eucalyptus. Helps to get rid of unpleasant symptoms in the form of bad breath. For cooking, take leaves and brew in a pan with water. Then inhalation is carried out, breathing fumes. Best repeated in the morning and evening.
- Eucalyptus broth. More effective than inhalation itself to treat an abscess will be the use of a decoction of eucalyptus. Brew leaves and gargle with a decoction.
- Garlic. Garlic with an abscess must be eaten raw, seized with bread. Try to use five cloves of garlic a day with milk. Garlic is a traditional and ubiquitous remedy for the treatment of any bacterial lesions in China.
- Kalanchoe. For cooking, squeeze the juice from the leaves of the flower and mix with lemon juice. For best effect, add honey to this mixture. Take half a teaspoon about five times a day and use until the throat discomfort from the presence of an abscess.
- Propolis. It is used to rinse. Dilute 10 ml of alcohol tincture of propolis in 100 ml of warm water, gargle for a day.