How to diagnose and treat pharyngitis?

In modern medicine, pharyngitis is divided into three types.

1. Fungal. Pharyngomycosis is believed to be caused by yeast fungi Candida. The disease progresses when the immune system is weakened by diabetes mellitus and intestinal dysbacteriosis.

Symptoms of inflammation depend on the severity of the disease. Common signs of laryngeal irritation include a tearing cough, sore throat, and deposits on the back wall.

2. Bacterial. The source of pharyngitis is pathogenic bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci). Cold air, smoking, chemicals and their vapors increase the risk of infection.

The main warning signs are fever, weakness, headaches. Red granules also appear on the oral mucosa.

3. Viral. Throat irritation is caused by various viruses (adenovirus, coronavirus, rhinovirus, and others). The onset of the disease is often associated with hypothermia.

The course of the disease is accompanied by a sore throat, dryness, difficulty breathing, rash, and severe intoxication. It is important to differentiate it from tonsillitis, as it has similar symptoms.

At the first signs of the disease, you should seek help from a doctor. If not treated in a timely manner, pharyngitis can have a number of negative consequences for the body (rheumatism, glomerulonephritis, retropharyngeal abscess, abscess in the peritonsillar tissue).

Diagnostics of the disease is carried out by an ENT doctor. To identify the disease, the doctor performs a number of standard procedures.

• Collecting anamnesis taking into account the patient's complaints.
• Visual examination of the oral cavity for redness, crust formation and enlarged lymph nodes.
• Microbiological examination to determine antibodies (blood test, bacteria test and nasopharyngeal smear).
• Computer tomography of the paranasal sinuses.

When determining the source of inflammation, it is important not to confuse it with tonsillitis. The main difference is the presence of a runny nose and conjunctivitis. To exclude the influence of other ailments, it will not be superfluous to consult a therapist and gastroenterologist.

Treatment of infectious inflammation depends on the type and severity of the disease. Usually, a mild form does not require antibiotics. It is enough to carry out a set of measures aimed at alleviating unpleasant symptoms. With normal immunity, the body will cope with microorganisms itself.

You can speed up recovery by taking warm foot baths, applying warming compresses to the neck. Drinking milk with honey, using inhalations and gargling help well. A mandatory condition for therapy is giving up smoking.

If throat irritation occurs with painful, negative manifestations, you should turn to pharmacotherapy. Almost all drugs for the treatment of pharyngitis include antiseptics, essential oils and anesthetics. Popular medications include "Imudon", "Lysozyme", "Interferon" and others.

At the chronic stage, regular cleansing of the mucous membrane from pathogenic granules is prescribed. This can be done by cauterization, ultrasound, radio wave method or lubrication with antiseptic substances (Lugol's solution, "Iodinol").

During the course of treatment procedures, you should adhere to a gentle diet. Remove hot, sour, salty and spicy foods from the diet. Food should not irritate the inflamed area. You need to drink a lot. You should drink 1.5 - 2 liters of fruit drinks, rosehip broth or green tea per day.

Prevention of the disease consists in strengthening the body's defenses (hardening, physical exercise, eating healthy foods). Do not forget to monitor the condition of your toothbrush, as bactericidal infections accumulate on it. It will also not be superfluous to take vitamins and minerals.