What pharyngitis is, its types and symptomes. General treatment principles
Symptoms and treatment of pharyngitis of children and adults
Pharyngitis is an inflammatory process of the pharyngeal mucous membrane characterized by specific symptoms. It can proceed in acute and chronic form and have various types. It is important to know the symptoms of pharyngitis of children and adults in order to timely diagnose the disease and start the treatment.
Main symptoms of pharyngitis
The clearest sign of the disease is pain in the pharynx that becomes particularly intense when swallowing. Other signs noted:
- elevation of body temperature;
- continuous throat irritation;
- increased fatigability and weakness.
Pain and discomfort in the ears often occur. Another important sign is cough with slight expectoration. This symptom is typical for chronic pharingitis, at this, sputum is always present on the posterior pharyngeal wall; a patient swallows it which causes more irritation of the mucous membrane.
During the pharynx check-up a doctor can differentiate the types of inflammatory process:
- granular pharyngitis – small nodes are developed on the posterior pharyngeal wall, the surface of the mucous membrane is red;
- acute – the pharynx is red, there is a slight whitish plaque;
- chronic – the mucous membrane is loose, slightly reddish, there may be sporadic eruptions;
- atrophic – the mucous membrane is thinned, it may be off-white.
Treatment of pharyngitis of children and adults
If the inflammation of the pharynx is mild, and overall health state of a patient remains almost unchanged, minimal therapeutic interventions will be enough. For example, these can be inhalations in case of pharyngitis without elevation of body temperature, gargarism with medicinal plant infusions and baking soda solution.
Recommendations on the treatment of inflammation of the pharynx of various types:
In case of such types of the inflammation there is always elevated body temperature. That is why the symptomatic therapy is applied at first: antifebrile agents, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Simultaneously, the topical treatment is applied: irrigation of the mucous membrane, its lubrication with an antiseptic medicine, gargle.
It always develops aggressively. A patient complains on insupportable pain in the pharynx, paroxysmal coughing, elevated body temperature. In case of such a disease, it is advisable to begin an intensive therapy at once. The only efficient way in case of the acute pharyngitis is to prescribe antibiotics.
Pharmaceutical therapy is prescribed only during the periods of acute exacerbation of the pathology. Within the remission period, a patient should take prophylactic measures, such as periodic gargarism with infusions of chamomile or sage, taking of vitamins, drinking of tea with snowball and raspberry. With proper prophylactic measures, acute exacerbations are rare.
Treatment of children’s pharyngitis does not require the prescription of antibiotics. In such an age an inflammation is acute, but mild. Usual inhalations (in case the body temperature is not elevated), gargle and treatment of the mucous membrane with antiseptic solutions on the second and third day ameliorate the state of a child.
Many people are interested what should be used to treat coughing in adults in case of pharyngitis. This sign often indicates a chronic inflammatory process, so the treatment will last long. The most efficient means are pills and pastilles Faringosept, Strepsils, Septolete. Lugol spray helps to remove pain and relieve coughing.
There are several types of pharyngitis that require treatment in a medical facility. For example, if bacteria caused the inflammation of the pharynx. In this case, a laboratory examination of a smear from the pharyngeal mucosa will be required. It will help to detect the true causative agent of the disease and to prescribe the correct therapy. Medications for the treatment of bacterial pharyngitis are chosen individually. The treatment last 15–21 days. As antimicrobial drugs are used, control of the gut microbiome condition is required.
Possible complications
The most frequent complication is the transformation of the acute pharyngitis into chronic form. However, if the signs of the disease are ignored, and the correct therapy is not applied, the following processes are possible:
- retropharyngeal abscess – it is often diagnosed if the throat has not been treated with antiseptics and there has been no recovery after an acute exacerbation of the disease;
- laryngitis;
- chronic bronchitis;
- joint rheumatism as a complication of the viral pharyngitis;
- tracheitis.
All the information about the types of pharyngeal inflammation process, difference of subatrophic pharyngitis from other types of the disease is available on our website.
Article author: Elena Skorobogatova
Publication date: 03.12.2020
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