Acute Pharyngitis in Detail
Pharyngitis is the inflammation or irritation of the pharynx or the throat. Commonly termed as sore throat, it results in the enlargement of tonsils. Mucous follicles might also be visible near tonsils. Tonsils might appear red in color. A few white or yellow spots at the back of tonsils is a common symptom of Pharyngitis.
Acute Pharyngitis: Causes
Acute Pharyngitis is the inflammation of the pharynx that lasts for a short duration of time. However, the infection is severe and the onset is very rapid. The common cause of viral pharyngitis is viral infection. However, this might also be caused by bacterial, fungal infections too. Pollutants and chemicals can even cause pharyngitis.
If you have ha an upper respiratory infection, then it is likely that you may go down with acute pharyngitis. Cough and fever might also be visible in this case. Viral Pharyngitis can be cured with the help of symptomatic treatment. Bacterial Pharyngitis is cured with antibiotics while fungal pharyngitis is cured with anti-fungals.
Adenovirus, Orthomyxoviridae, herpes simplex virus, infectious mono, measles, cold, syncytial virus, rhinovirus, corona virus, parainfluenza virus are a few of the common at causes of this ailment. Streptococcal bacteria cause the bacterial pharyngitis. Fusobacterium necrophorum can also cause this disease. Diptheria, quinsy, Ludwig’s angina and epiglottitis have also proven to be the other causes of this ailment.
Remedies
Remedies for Acute Pharyngitis can be categorized into three types. Symptomatic, remedial and alternative options are available
The symptomatic form of treatment aims at the reduction of pain and discomfort in general. The remedial form of treatment mainly aims at preventing the long term complications that are associated with pharyngitis. Alternate treatments include herbal and natural techniques that help in reducing the infection with time.
Symptomatic treatment constitutes the use of analgesics. NSAIDs and acetaminophen are the common drugs that are used for this treatment. Steroids are used only when the infection is acute in reality. Lidocaine is a drug that is used to numb the membranes of the pharynx and reduce the pain associated with the infection.
Remedial measures constitute the use of anti viral drugs for treating the infection. They are not used for curing the bacterial infection since they prove to be ineffective in those cases.
Alternative treatment involves natural remedies like salt water gargling. Herbal remedies are also available. However, the effectiveness of this treatment is yet to be testified. If in case you have the infection, see your doctor, go through the lab test and get treated on time to avoid secondary complications
4 responses to “Acute Pharyngitis”
I ran out of cough drops the last time I had acute pharyngitis. I found that a spoonful of honey and some warm tea relieves the irritation for me. Of course, I probably should have gone to the doctor for his advise. Maybe next time.
I ran from cough drops the last time I had acute pharyngitis. I located that a spoonful of honey and a few warm tea relieves the irritation for me. Not surprisingly, I probably should have gone towards the medical professional for his advise. Maybe future time.
I possibly must have gone towards the medical specialized for his advise. Maybe foreseeable future time.
i thought it was just a stiff neck at first. then, i thought the pain in the neck was a sign of high blood after eating shrimp at lunch. i was alarmed because the neck pain was so intolerable. cannot even move my head, cannot lie down, swallowing was so difficult. then, i asked to be sent for an emergency in a hospital. there i learned that it was just an acute pharyngitis.