Acute pharyngitis is a fairly common disease that most people have at some point in their lives. The cause of the disease can be caused by different viruses and bacteria. Improper treatment not only does not help reduce the symptoms of the disease, but can even lead to dangerous complications. Therefore, experts recommend that people with acute pharyngitis should not self-treat at home.
1. Causes of acute pharyngitis
Acute pharyngitis is an inflammation of the pharynx mucosa that occurs suddenly by:
Bacteria: Pneumococcal. Staphylococci Haemophilus Influenzae .... Viruses include: Influenza virus . Measles virus Adenovirus .... Among the causes of acute pharyngitis, the most dangerous is group A hemolytic streptococci. This is the culprit causing dangerous complications such as acute arthritis, progressive rheumatic heart disease. development, acute glomerulonephritis.
In addition to the above causes, there are also risk factors for acute pharyngitis, such as:
Change in weather, too cold, too humid. Dust, industrial dust Smoke: cigarette smoke, pipe tobacco, coal stove smoke, firewood, straw Alcohol
Tụ cầu khuẩn là một trong nhiều nguyên nhân khác nhau gây viêm họng cấp
2. Manifestations of acute pharyngitis
Acute pharyngitis usually starts suddenly, the patient has a high fever of 39 - 40 degrees Celsius, sore throat, painful swallowing. At first, the patient feels dry and hot in the throat, gradually feels a burning pain, pain increases when swallowing, coughing and even speaking. Patients may experience pain in the ear, sharp pain when swallowing.
Accompanying symptoms are sniffling, stuffy nose, runny nose, hoarse voice, dry cough. When examining, the doctor can see two large inflamed tonsils, the surface has clear mucus, sometimes there is a white layer like porridge covered, the neck lymph nodes are swollen and painful.
In case of acute pharyngitis caused by influenza virus, the symptoms can be severe such as: severe headache, sore throat, bleeding in the back of the throat. If caused by APC virus (Adeno - Pharyngo - Conjunctival), the patient has nasal discharge, red throat mucosa, conjunctivitis, swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Acute pharyngitis usually appears when the weather changes seasons, the disease usually lasts for 3-4 days. If the patient's resistance is good, the disease will gradually recede, the symptoms will disappear quickly. But if the resistance is weak, especially in children and the elderly, the disease can become more complicated, more severe and can cause complications such as ear infections, bronchitis or chronic pharyngitis. , or more dangerously acute arthritis, progressive rheumatic fever and acute glomerulonephritis,...
Người bệnh bị sốt cao do viêm họng cấp gây ra
3. Dangerous complications of acute pharyngitis
Complications in the throat such as: abscess, inflammation around the tonsils, inflammation around the throat, abscess in the back of the throat. Complications in neighboring organs such as sinusitis, rhinitis, otitis media, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia. Complications in organs far from the throat such as: arthritis, glomerulonephritis, pericarditis,... 3.1 With complications of otitis media, acute pharyngitis can easily lead to bacterial ear infections that can be passed through the respiratory tract. pharynx to the eustachian tube and middle ear to cause ear disease. Children are more susceptible to this condition due to their weak immune systems and soft eustachian tubes. Children with otitis media often cry, stop feeding, have a fever, tilt their head and put their hands in their ears. When bathing or accidentally bumping into the ear, the baby will cry out. At that time, parents need to take the child to the doctor immediately.
3.2 With pneumonia complications Due to not keeping, the patient is infected with cold, the germs from the upper respiratory tract will quickly spread to the bronchi, lungs and cause disease. Then the symptoms will be more severe and treatment will also be more difficult.
3.3 With complications in joints, heart and kidneys Caused by group A hemolytic streptococci (Streptococcus A). The shell of this bacterium is similar in structure to the heart muscle, kidneys and joints. Therefore, when it enters the body, the body's immune system will create antibodies to attack bacteria, but inadvertently attack the endothelial cells of the heart, causing rheumatic heart disease, heart valve disease.
This phenomenon also occurs in the kidneys and joints. After suffering from pharyngitis for 2-3 weeks, the patient has arthritis of the joints such as elbows, ankles, knees,... the pain lasts 5-7 days. However, when the disease recurs many times, it will damage the heart valves, make the valves thicken and harden, can cause mitral stenosis, aortic regurgitation, .. Sore throat you should not self-treat at home, but visit a specialist to find out the cause and have the most appropriate treatment.
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4. Treatment of acute pharyngitis
The principle of treatment is to be based on the cause of the disease, because if the cause is viral, antibiotics will not work. If it is caused by bacteria, determining the type of bacteria causing the disease and having the results of the antibiogram should choose an appropriate antibiotic for treatment. The use of drugs must comply with the doctor's prescription, do not arbitrarily buy drugs to treat at home.
Besides, the patient needs rehydration and electrolyte replacement because high fever causes dehydration and electrolyte loss. It is best to use Oresol , mixed according to the ratio instructions on the product packaging.
Eating is also extremely important, ensuring adequate nutrition for the body to have the strength to fight disease. Should eat soft, puree, easy to swallow, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits.
At the same time, the patient needs to rest and keep the body warm, especially the neck, chest and soles of the feet. Need to clean throat and mouth by brushing teeth after eating, before and after waking up; Gargle with mild salt water.
5. Prevention of acute pharyngitis
Measures to prevent acute pharyngitis include:
Regular oral, throat and nose hygiene. Do not drink cold water, especially those who often have sore throats. Should take a bath with warm water, especially those who often have sore throat. After bathing, you need to dry yourself before putting on clothes. Do not sit in front of a fan or in an air-conditioned room right after taking a shower. When going out, wear a mask to avoid dust and polluted air. Acute pharyngitis, if not properly treated, can lead to dangerous complications such as arthritis, rheumatism, and kidney inflammation. Therefore, when suffering from acute pharyngitis, you should not self-treat at home, but should go to the doctor for examination and appropriate treatment advice.
If you have a need for consultation and examination at the Hospitals of the National Health System, please book an appointment on the website for service.
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