Pharyngitis; The pharynx (pharynx) is a region located behind the oral cavity and behind the soft palate, through which food, liquids and air pass.
What are the Symptoms of Pharyngitis?
During swallowing, solid and liquid foods pass from the pharynx into the esophagus and from there into the stomach.
Pharyngitis is inflammation of the pharyngeal tissues;
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Redness
- It is characterized by difficulty swallowing.
Tonsillitis can also be counted among pharyngitis. In addition to acute pharyngitis, there is also a disease picture defined as chronic pharyngitis,
In chronic pharyngitis ;
- There is no fever or malaise,
- Difficulty swallowing,
- tickling cough
- Burning, stretching,
- There is a sensation as if a foreign body is lodged and there is a frequent desire to clear the throat.
Infection is also a factor.
For example
- Air pollution,
- Smoking ,
- Alcohol,
- Hot and spicy foods,
- A factor that irritates the throat, such as very hot-cold drinks-foods,
- Constant mouth breathing due to nasal congestion plays a bigger role in chronic pharyngitis.
Acute pharyngitis can turn into chronic pharyngitis if it recurs frequently.
What are the risk factors for pharyngitis?
Many microorganisms can cause pharyngitis.
90% of adult pharyngitis and 60-75% of pediatric pharyngitis are caused by viral agents. Viruses that cause the common cold can also cause pharyngitis as they affect the upper respiratory tract. Bacteria are responsible for 25% of all tonsillopharyngitis.
The risk factors for viral upper respiratory tract infections can also be mentioned here.
These are:
- Crowded environments (kindergarten, classroom)
- Cigarette,
- Nutritional deficiency,
- Chronic diseases,
- Inadequate sleep ,
- Factors such as stress.
What are the Prevention Methods for Pharyngitis?
The microorganisms that cause pharyngitis are transmitted through the respiratory tract, transmission can occur through droplet infection (sneezing and coughing from a sick person).stage, adhering to microparticles in the air and remaining suspended there and then transmitted to the non-infected person through respiratory tract), direct contact and indirect contact (spread from the infected person into the environment and spread over a period of time on the surface of objects).re contact with viable microorganisms and their transmission through the nose, mouth or eyes), for protection it is necessary to take into account the routes of transmission, avoid close contact with the infected personIt is necessary to avoid being in stuffy and crowded environments, to wash hands frequently with soap for 20 seconds, including between fingers and wrists, not to smoke, not to be exposed to cigarette smoke, to pay attention to nutrition and adequate sleep.
How is pharyngitis treated?
- Antibiotics are not used in acute pharyngitis caused by viruses. However, antibiotics may be recommended in severe infections or in cases where the immune system is very weak.
- In addition to antibiotics, painkillers, antipyretics, antihistamines in patients with allergies, nasal sprays, cough suppressants and mouthwashes with salty carbonated water can be used.
- Lozenges are usually useless.
Chronic pharyngitis is very difficult to treat. Both the doctor should apply treatment and the patient should pay attention to certain conditions. However, chronic pharyngitis often cannot be completely eliminated. In order to determine the treatment, it should be investigated whether there is another factor that causes chronic pharyngitis. If this is found, it must be treated first.
Antibiotics are usually useless. Diseases such as allergy, curvature of the nasal bone or hypertrophy of the turbinates in the nose, sinusitis, reflux should be corrected appropriately, if necessary with surgery.
