Pharyngitis is an inflammation behind the throat, known as pharynx. Usually causes sore throat and fever. Other symptoms may include a watery nose, cough, headache, hoarseness. Symptoms usually last three to five days. Complications may include sinusitis and acute otitis media. Pharyngitis is usually a type of respiratory tract infection.
Most cases are caused by a viral infection. Strep throat, a bacterial infection, is the cause in about 25% of children and 10% of adults. Common causes include other bacteria such as gonorrhea, fungi, irritants such as smoke, allergies, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Special testing is not recommended in people who have symptoms of a clear viral infection such as a cold. Otherwise, rapid antigen detection (RAPD) or throat swab tests are recommended. Other conditions that can produce similar symptoms include epiglottitis, thyroiditis, retropharyngeal abscess, and sometimes heart disease.
NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, can be used to aid pain. Topical lidocaine can also help. Strep throat is usually treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin or amoxicillin. It is unclear whether steroids are useful in acute pharyngitis, other than likely in severe cases.
Approximately 7.5% of people experience a sore throat within a period of three months. Two to three episodes in a year is not unusual. This resulted in 15 million doctor visits in the United States in 2007. Pharyngitis is the most common cause of sore throat. The word comes from the Greek word pharynx which means "throat" and the suffix -itis which means "inflammation".
Video Pharyngitis
Classification
Pharyngitis is a type of inflammation, most commonly caused by upper respiratory tract infections. These can be classified as acute or chronic. Acute pharyngitis may be catarrhal, purulent or ulcerative, depending on the causative agent and immune capacity of the affected individual. Chronic pharyngitis may be catarrhal, hypertrophic or atrophy.
Tonsillitis is a sub type of pharyngitis. If inflammation includes the tonsils and other parts of the throat, it can be called pharyngotonsillitis. Another sub classification is nasopharyngitis (common cold).
Maps Pharyngitis
Cause
Most cases are caused by infectious organisms obtained from close contact with infected individuals.
Viral
It consists of about 40-80% of all cases of infection and can be characteristic of various types of viral infections.
- Adenovirus - the most common cause of viruses. Normally the level of neck lymph node enlargement is simple and the throat often does not look red, although it is painful.
- Orthomyxoviridae that causes influenza - comes with high-temperature onset, headaches and generalized pain are rapid. Sore throat may be related.
- Infectious mononucleosis ("glandular fever") caused by Epstein-Barr virus. This can cause significant lymph node swelling and exudative tonsillitis with redness and swelling of the throat. Heterophile tests can be used if suspected.
- Herpes simplex virus can cause multiple mouth ulcers.
- Measles Common flu: rhinovirus, coronavirus, syncytial respiratory virus, parainfluenza virus can cause infections of the throat, ears, and lungs causing symptoms such as standard cold and often painful.
Bacteria
A number of different bacteria can infect the human throat. The most common are group A streptococci, but others include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella pertussis Bacillus anthracis >, Corynebacterium diphtheriae , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Chlamydophila pneumoniae , and Mycoplasma pneumoniae .
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- Streptococcal pharyngitis
Streptococcal or strep throat pharyngitis is caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS). This is the most common cause of bacteria from cases of pharyngitis (15-30%). Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and large lymph nodes. It is an infectious infection, spread by close contact with an infected individual. The exact diagnosis is based on the results of a throat culture. Antibiotics are useful to prevent complications and speed recovery.
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- Fusobacterium necrophorum
Fusobacterium necrophorum is a normal inhabitant of oropharyngeal flora and can sometimes cause peritonsillar abscess. In 1 of 400 untreated cases, Lemierre's syndrome occurs.
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- Diphtheria
Diphtheria is a potentially life-threatening upper respiratory infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae that has been widely eradicated in the developed world since the introduction of childhood vaccination programs, but is still reported in the Third World and increasingly in some areas of Europe East. Antibiotics are effective in the early stages, but recovery is generally slow.
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- More
Some other causes are rare, but may be fatal, and include parapharyngeal space infections: peritonsillar abscesses ("quinsy"), submandibular space infections (Ludwig's angina), and epiglottitis.
Mushroom
Some cases of pharyngitis are caused by fungal infections such as Candida albicans that cause canker sores.
Not contagious
Pharyngitis can also be caused by mechanical, chemical or thermal irritants, such as cold air or acid reflux. Some drugs can cause pharyngitis such as pramipeksole and antipsychotics.
Diagnostic approach
It is difficult to distinguish between viruses and bacterial causes of sore throats based on symptoms alone. Thus often throat swabs are performed to rule out the cause of bacteria.
Modified Centor Criteria can be used to determine the management of people with pharyngitis. Based on 5 clinical criteria, this indicates a possible streptococcal infection.
One point is given for each of the criteria:
- Lack of cough
- cervical lymph nodes are swollen and soft
- Temperature & gt; 38.0Ã, Â ° C (100,4Ã, Â ° F)
- Exudate or swelling of the tonsils
- Age less than 15 (one point minus if age & gt; 44)
McIsaac Criteria adds Centor:
- Ages less than 15: add a point
- Age over 45: reduce a point
However, the Infectious Disease Society of America recommends empirical treatment and considers antibiotics only appropriate after positive testing. Tests are not required in children under three because of streptic fever and group rheumatic fever are rare, unless they have siblings with the disease.
Management
The majority of symptomatic treatment time. Special treatments are effective for bacterial, fungal, and herpes simplex infections.
Drugs
- Pain medications such as NSAIDs and acetaminophen (paracetamol) can help relieve pain associated with sore throat. Aspirin can be used in adults but is not recommended in children because of the risk of Reye's syndrome.
- Steroids (such as dexamethasone) may be useful for severe pharyngitis. But their general use is not well supported.
- Lidocaine thickens the pain by turning off the mucous membrane.
- Antibiotics are useful if a bacterial infection is the cause of a sore throat. For viral infections, antibiotics have no effect. In the United States they are used in 25% of people before a bacterial infection has been detected.
- Oral analgesic solution, the active ingredient is usually phenol, but also less commonly benzocaine, cetylpyridinium chloride and/or menthol. Chloraseptic and C? Pacol are two examples of this type of analgesic brand.
Alternative
Salt water gargling is often recommended but the evidence sees its utility insufficient. Alternative medicines are promoted and used for the treatment of sore throats. However, they are less supported by evidence.
Epidemiology
Acute pharyngitis is the most common cause of sore throat and, along with cough, it is diagnosed at over 1.9 million people per year in the United States.
References
External links
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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