Sore throat: causes, symptoms, types, diagnosis, treatment

Every person experiences a sore throat sooner or later. But this seemingly harmless symptom can cause serious problems.

Acute tonsillitis (tonsillitis) is an infectious disease that causes inflammation of the tonsils. Statistics show that about 15% of children suffer from an acute form of the disease. In the adult population, this figure is lower - 5-10%. But almost every person in large cities suffers from chronic tonsillitis. Why? Let's find out!

The acute form of tonsillitis, which goes away with an increase in body temperature and severe pain in the throat, is more familiar to us as a sore throat. In the chronic form, the patient may not even realize that he has this disease for a long time. A person may feel that periodic sore throats and frequent colds are simply the result of a weakened immune system. Such a careless attitude towards one’s health can cause serious complications and pathologies. To avoid them, it is necessary to diagnose the problem in time: know the first signs, symptoms and treatment.

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Why are tonsils needed?

The tonsils are an integral part of our immune system. And their main purpose is to protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. In total, a person has six of them: palatine and tubal (paired), pharyngeal and lingual. By their names you can roughly understand in which part of the pharynx they are located. Their general arrangement resembles a ring. This ring acts as a kind of barrier for bacteria. When we talk about inflammation of the tonsils, we mean only the palatine tonsils (aka tonsils). Let's look at them in more detail.

If you open your mouth wide, then in the mirror you can easily see two formations that look like almonds - tonsils, these are tonsils. Each tonsil consists of small openings (lacunae) and winding canals (crypts).

Bacteria that enter the air, in contact with the tonsils, are rebuffed and are immediately disposed of, without having time to cause an outbreak of a particular disease. Normally, a healthy person does not even suspect that real fighting is taking place inside him. Now you understand the importance of the mission of the palatine tonsils. Therefore, a good otolaryngologist will never rush to recommend their removal. Although to hear from a doctor, speaking about tonsils: “They need to be removed!” - a common phenomenon in our time. Unfortunately, today not all clinics can offer high-quality treatment for tonsillitis, and sometimes the turnaround rate is off the charts. That is why it is sometimes easier for a doctor to brush it off and refer the patient for surgery.

Types of tonsillitis.

The disease occurs in two forms - acute and chronic. Acute tonsillitis is an illness of an infectious nature and manifests itself in acute inflammation of the tonsil. The cause of exacerbation is staphylococci and streptococci. Acute sore throat in children and adults is also divided into catarrhal, follicular, lacunar, ulcerative-membranous and necrotic.

Chronic tonsillitis is a long-term, persistent inflammatory process in the tonsils. It manifests itself as a consequence of past inflammation, acute respiratory viral infections, dental diseases, and reduced immunity. Chronic exacerbation of the disease in adults and children occurs in three forms: compensated, subcompensated and decompensated. In the compensated form, the disease “dormants”; exacerbation of tonsillitis symptoms occurs infrequently. In the case of a subcompensated form of the disease, exacerbations occur frequently, the disease is severe, and complications are common. The decompensated form is characterized by a long, sluggish course.

Clinical manifestations

The symptoms of tonsillitis depend on its form, which can be simple or toxic-allergic.

Signs of a simple form:

• Exacerbations no more than 1-2 times a year;
• Between exacerbations the general condition is not disturbed;
• There are no systemic manifestations of tonsillitis (no damage to other organs, no intoxication, general condition does not suffer);
• Local manifestations of the inflammatory process.

Signs of the toxic-allergic form are:

• Changes in the blood (they are detected by general clinical, biochemical and immunological analysis);
• Tonsillogenic intoxication;
• Symptoms of damage to internal organs (heart, blood vessels, kidneys, etc.), which are associated with the development of rheumatism, glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, septic endocarditis, etc.

Taking into account the severity of clinical symptoms, the toxic-allergic form can be grade 1 or 2. The differences between them are taken into account by B.S. Preobrazhensky’s classification.

Symptoms of tonsillitis.

A symptom that combines both types is pain in the throat. The pain can be both severe and tolerable. The patient experiences severe discomfort while eating and swallowing.

Sore throat is much more severe than a chronic disease and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• increased body temperature (up to 40°C);
• very severe sore throat;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• accumulations of pus on the tonsils (plaque, pustules);
• enlarged tonsils;
• headache;
• weakness.

The symptoms and treatment of chronic tonsillitis are somewhat different from the manifestations of tonsillitis. With a chronic disease, the temperature remains at 37°C. A sore throat, cough, and bad breath are added. There is a white coating on the tonsils. The symptoms are less pronounced, since the course of the disease itself is characterized by remissions and exacerbations. A patient suffering from a chronic form of the disease loses his ability to work, gets tired quickly, and loses his appetite. Often a person suffers from insomnia.

Possible complications.

Both forms of the disease: chronic and acute, can cause serious complications. One of the most severe consequences of the disease is rheumatism. Practice shows that half of the patients suffering from rheumatism had to be treated for chronic tonsillitis or treated for acute conditions a month earlier. The disease itself begins with unbearable joint pain and increased body temperature.

There are frequent cases of heart disease caused by tonsillitis. Patients experience shortness of breath, interruptions in the functioning of the heart muscle, and tachycardia. Myocarditis may develop.

If inflammation spreads to tissues nearby the tonsil, paratonsillitis appears. The patient suffers from a sore throat and fever. If the infection from the tonsils spreads to the lymph nodes, lymphadenitis appears.

Untreated tonsillitis also leads to kidney disease.

Consequences of purulent sore throat

Acute tonsillitis can occur with complications. They are usually divided into local and general.

Local complications:

• paratonsillar abscess - an abscess that forms outside the tonsil when infection penetrates into the surrounding tissue;
• acute otitis media – inflammation of the middle ear;
• acute laryngitis - inflammation of the larynx;
• cervical lymphadenitis – inflammation of the lymph nodes1.

General complications occur more often with streptococcal sore throat4, these include:

• rheumatism;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• myocarditis;
• polyarthritis;
• glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis;
• pneumonia and others1.

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Pregnancy and chronic tonsillitis.

The health of the expectant mother and baby requires close attention. Complications caused by the disease can lead to dangerous consequences, including miscarriage or provoke premature birth. Self-medication in this case is dangerous: it is necessary to undergo treatment with an ENT specialist in the clinic. The doctor will prescribe washing the tonsils, treating them with ultrasound and gargling with antiseptics that are safe for the expectant mother. Physiotherapy is contraindicated for pregnant women.

If you are just planning a pregnancy, it is worth carrying out planned therapy for prevention in order to reduce the negative impact of pathogens on the tonsils. At the planning stage of pregnancy, it is recommended that both parents undergo an examination to reduce the risk of this disease in the child.

Friends! Timely and correct treatment will ensure you a speedy recovery!

Prevention

By paying attention to preventive measures, you can reduce the risk of developing the disease. Effective prevention includes:

• avoiding hypothermia (wearing warm clothes, monitoring microclimatic indicators in the room);
• regular preventative visits to the dentist to identify the early stages of caries and stomatitis;
• giving up bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol);
• moderate physical activity, regular walks in the fresh air;
• normalization of diet, sleep and wakefulness;
• compliance with hygiene standards and requirements, maintaining cleanliness in the home and workplace;
• limiting contacts with unfamiliar people during periods of unfavorable epidemiological conditions.

Strengthening the immune system based on leading a healthy lifestyle helps to avoid infection and make it easier to endure purulent sore throat.

If you have a sore throat, call us and we will definitely help you!

Acute tonsillitis. Treatment.

Self-medication for this disease is unacceptable! To choose an effective method of treatment during exacerbation, it is necessary to treat tonsillitis in children and adults under the supervision of an ENT doctor. It should be remembered that the acute form of the disease is extremely contagious. When the first signs of the disease appear, a number of measures must be taken to promote a speedy recovery of the patient:

• the sick person must be isolated by placing in another room. He must have his own towel, linen and dishes, since the disease is very contagious;
• during the treatment period the patient is prescribed strict bed rest;
• take care of the patient’s nutrition: food should not be solid, so as not to cause unnecessary concern to the sore throat;
• do not forget about drinking plenty of fluids;
• a course of antibacterial therapy is prescribed (Amoxiclav, Azithromycin, etc.). It is necessary to completely drink the entire course of antibiotics, even if the patient feels a noticeable improvement;
• For local treatment, drugs with an antibacterial effect are used;
• when treating a throat with tonsillitis, the drugs “Tantum-verde”, “Inhalipt”,
• rinsing with antiseptics (“Chlorgequidine”, “Furacilin”);
• lubricating the tonsils with Lugol's solution;
• to relieve swelling of the tonsils, you need to take allergy medications;
• If your body temperature is above 38°C, take antipyretics based on ibuprofen or paracetamol.

Using traditional methods

It is possible to cure purulent sore throat with folk remedies when it is not yet very advanced. This therapy also works well as an adjunct to drug treatment.

Compress recipes

Alcohol compress.

1. Dilute medical alcohol (70%) in warm water in a 1:1 ratio.
2. Add a few drops of orange and lavender essential oil.
3. Soak the gauze in the prepared solution and use it as a compress to the throat (apply for 1–2 hours). People with sensitive skin need to hold the compress for no longer than 30 minutes.

Potato compress

1. Boil a few potatoes with their skins.
2. Mash the finished potatoes and add five drops of iodine and a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
3. Place the finished mixture in a gauze bag.
4. Apply the compress to your throat for 40 minutes.

Raw potato compress

1. Grate four medium potatoes on a fine grater.
2. Pour in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
3. Mix everything well and place in a gauze bag.
4. Apply to the throat for 2 hours.

Cabbage compress

1. Pour boiling water over a few raw cabbage leaves.
2. Leave for a few minutes until the leaves soften.
3. Remove the leaves from the water and wipe it dry.
4. Lubricate with honey and apply to a sore throat.
5. Wrap film on top.
6. Leave for 2 hours, then remove the compress and wrap your throat with a warm wool towel.

Recipes for inhalations

1. Boil a few potatoes. Cut and place in a deep bowl. Breathe hot steam from the potatoes, covering your head with a towel.
2. Mix a spoonful of honey with five drops of orange essential oil. Inhale the aroma for at least 10 minutes.
3. Brew cool black tea. Add a tablespoon of mint to it. Use for inhalation.
4. Take sage, mint, thyme, pine buds and elecampane roots in equal proportions. Brew these herbs in a liter of water. Breathe the steam from the decoction.

Garlic remedies

1. Peel two heads of garlic and chop the cloves. Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to them. Leave for 12 hours. Then add a spoonful of honey to the product. Take half a teaspoon of this mixture daily.
2. Squeeze juice from carrots. Add two chopped garlic cloves to it. Drink this remedy before meals, 2 times a day, a tablespoon.
3. Squeeze the juice from peeled garlic. Drink a few drops of juice a day. The product will help cure purulent sore throat very quickly.

Rinse recipes

1. Take two tablespoons of dry chamomile and one spoon of linden flowers. Pour boiling water (1 liter). Strain and gargle 5 times a day.
2. Infuse five tablespoons of horsetail in 500 ml of boiling water for an hour. Then strain and gargle with it at least 3 times a day.
3. Pour two tablespoons of raspberry leaves with a glass of boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes for the product to infuse and cool. Use for rinsing.
4. Grate the red beets and squeeze the juice out of them. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to one glass of juice. Mix everything and use as a gargle twice a day.
5. Pour four fresh plantain leaves into a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour.
6. Mix half a glass of lemon juice with 200 ml of warm water. Use for rinsing.
7. Mix dry chamomile and calendula in a ratio of 1:3. Boil in a liter of water. Leave for 2 hours. Cool and gargle with the prepared product.
8. Take calendula and chamomile flowers, wormwood and plantain in equal proportions. Boil the herbs in a liter of water. After this, let it brew for 2 hours. Strain and use for rinsing.
9. Take a teaspoon of dry sage and a tablespoon of chamomile. Pour the mixture with 500 ml of boiling water and leave it for 24 hours. Strain. Gargle at least 3 times a day.

It is also important to take enough fluid (at least 2 liters of water or compote per day). In addition, the patient must follow a diet. In order for the body to have enough strength to fight infection, it must receive the required amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements every day

It is best to eat cereals, vegetable purees, broths and fermented milk products during this period. This food will not cause severe pain when swallowing and will be able to saturate the body well.

Treatment of chronic tonsillitis.

When treating this disease, the rule applies: exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis should be treated in combination with the treatment of concomitant diseases of the nose and nasopharynx. Inflammation of the glands can be treated, but, for example, mucus constantly flowing down the wall of the pharynx due to constant inflammation of the inferior turbinates will provoke new inflammation.

Tonsillitis treatment clinics offer two treatment options: conservative and surgical. For compensated and subcompensated forms, conservative therapy is prescribed. In the decompensated form, when all conservative methods of therapy have been tried and they have not brought results, they resort to removing the tonsils. But by losing them, a person loses his natural protective barrier, so the surgical method should be considered as a last resort.

Drug therapy for the chronic form of the disease includes:

• treatment with antibiotics prescribed by an otolaryngologist;
• use of antiseptics (“Miramistin”, “Octenisept”);
• antihistamines to relieve swelling of the tonsils;
• immunomodulators to stimulate weakened immunity (for example, Imudon);
• homeopathic remedies (“Tonsilgon”, “Tonsillotren”)
• herbal decoctions: chamomile, sage, string;
• if necessary, prescribe painkillers;
• adherence to a diet (no solid food, very cold or hot, alcohol, coffee and carbonated drinks are excluded).

Washing the tonsils.

The procedure for washing the tonsils has a great positive effect, as a result of which pus is released from the lacunae and the medicine is administered. There are several ways to carry out the procedure.

The oldest, so to speak, ancient method is sanitation with a syringe. It is used quite rarely due to its low efficiency and traumatic nature, compared to the advent of more modern methods. The syringe is used when the patient has a strong gag reflex or very loose tonsils.

In other cases, a more effective method is used - vacuum rinsing with a special attachment of the Tonzillor apparatus.

But it is not without its drawbacks:

• the container into which the purulent contents of the tonsils are “pumped out” is opaque, and the doctor cannot see whether the rinsing is complete;
• The design feature of the nozzle is such that when the pressure necessary for complete rinsing is reached, the nozzle can injure the tonsils.

Our clinic for the treatment of tonsillitis offers its patients an alternative painless option for washing the tonsils using the improved “Tonsillor” nozzle - this is the “know-how” of our clinic. There are no analogues of our nozzle in other medical institutions in Moscow. It eliminates the disadvantages of a conventional nozzle: the rinsing container, which is suctioned to the tonsil, has transparent walls, and the otorhinolaryngologist can see what “comes out” of the tonsils. This eliminates unnecessary manipulations. The nozzle itself is non-traumatic and can be used even by children of school age.

Complex therapy of chronic tonsillitis at the ENT Clinic of Doctor Zaitsev.

The method of complex treatment of the disease did not appear immediately. Our specialists have tried various methods of treating tonsillitis in practice. As a result of many years of experience in the study and treatment of chronic tonsillitis, this technique has taken root and is the most effective. It includes several stages.

The first stage is anesthesia of the tonsils. The tonsil is lubricated with lidocaine. The second stage is vacuum washing of the tonsils from caseous masses. The third stage is medicinal treatment of the tonsils using ultrasound. The fourth stage is irrigation of the tonsils with an antiseptic.

Stage five - lubricating the surface of the tonsils with Lugol's antiseptic solution. The sixth stage is physical therapy using a laser - this procedure relieves swelling and inflammation of the tonsils. The next stage is a vibroacoustic effect on the tonsils, due to which the blood flow rushes directly to the tonsils, and pathogenic substances are removed with it. The final stage of complex treatment is a session of ultraviolet irradiation, which heals the tonsils and fights pathogens.

The entire session takes about twenty minutes. To achieve a positive result, the patient usually needs five complex procedures.

Features of the spray angle

The quality of spraying the drug is no less important, as it allows you to evenly apply the product to the mucous membrane of the throat and tonsils. With this method, it becomes possible to cover all foci of inflammation, which, otherwise, can increase in area and cover healthy areas. The optimal requirements for spray quality are the following:

• drip type,
• uniformity of irrigation,
• wide spray angle.

Taken together, these characteristics make it possible to apply the drug evenly over the maximum area and avoid a situation where some areas of the mucous membrane are treated with the drug and others are not.

Treatment of tonsillitis in Moscow

Chronic tonsillitis in Moscow, in fact, like the acute form of the disease, should be treated only by an otolaryngologist. The main thing is to choose the right medical institution where you will receive qualified assistance. Treating tonsillitis at the Doctor Zaitsev clinic means entrusting your health to professionals. Modern equipment and patented treatment methods allow us to provide the most effective care to patients. Our prices remain one of the best in Moscow, since our price list remained at the 2013 level. You can sign up for the clinic by calling the reception desk daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. or through the online registration form on the website. Come, we will be glad to help you!