Pharyngotonsillitis – What is it, Causes and Treatments!
Pharyngotonsillitis – What it is, Causes and Treatments best suited to deal with this condition. Also, Pharyngotonsillitis is the acute infection of the pharynx , tonsils , or both. The diagnosis is clinical, complemented by culture or rapid antigenic testing. Symptoms may include sore throat , dysphagia , cervical lymphadenopathy, and fever . And its treatment depends on the symptoms and, in the case of group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, involves antibiotics.
Pharyngotonsillitis can be divided into: acute (almost always related to an acute infectious process); chronic (generally related to obstructive forms due to enlarged tonsils and chronic caseum formation); recurrent (defined as the occurrence of 5 to 7 infections in 1 year or 4 infections per year in 2 consecutive years). So, check out more about Pharyngotonsillitis – What it is, Causes and Treatments:
News of the week:
Causes of Pharyngotonsigadalitis: The main means of acquiring the infection is through contact with the sick individual, since this person eliminates small particles containing the causal agents in the air.
When a healthy person comes into contact with these particles, they are colonized by the agents, which can overcome the body’s natural defense barriers and grow to the point of triggering an inflammatory process.
Contact with objects touched by the individual with pharyngotonsillitis can also be a potential source of transmission, as the habit of scratching the nose or putting the hand in front of the mouth when coughing causes the causative agents to be carried by the contaminated hand to cups, cutlery , dishes or other objects for personal and collective use.
Symptoms of Pharyngotonsillitis: The main symptoms of Pharyngotonsillitis are:
- Sore throat ;
- fever ;
- Body aches;
- Headache ;
- Prostration.
In viral pharyngomydalitis there are other signs not restricted to the tonsils and pharynx, common in respiratory tract infections, such as sneezing, coughing , nasal constipation, conjunctivitis and hoarseness . Another important detail is that in viral infections, although the throat is very inflamed, it is not common to have pus.
On the other hand, tonsillitis caused by bacteria, in addition to not presenting respiratory symptoms, usually causes points of pus on the tonsils and enlargement of the lymph nodes (ganglia) in the neck. Bacterial pharyngitis can also cause swelling of the uvula and petechiae (bleeding spots) on the palate.
In relation to Fever , in bacterial infection it is usually higher than in viral, but this can vary, therefore not being a rule. Presence of pus and enlarged nodes in the neck region is indicative of bacterial pharyngitis . However, some viral infections, such as infectious mononucleosis, can also have these symptoms.
Treatment of Pharyngomygdalitis: In viral diseases, treatment is done with antipyretics, analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, in addition to a lot of hydration. When there is a bacterial infection, antibiotics are associated. In caseous tonsillitis , gargling is oriented to prevent the accumulation of residues in the tonsils.
- Irrigation of the pharynx with warm isotonic saline solution;
- Stimulate the intake of non-acidic and non-carbonated liquids and pasty foods, preferably cold or iced;
- Analgesic and antipyretic;
- Rest in the feverish period.
Useful links:
Surgical treatment (tonsillectomy) may be indicated for some cases of recurrent bacterial tonsillitis , attacks with abscess formation in the throat and caseous tonsillitis that do not improve with preventive measures.