Many are familiar with such a disease as tonsillitis. This disease is quite common among patients of all ages. However, most often this pathology occurs in people under 25-30 years old. Almost 60% of all patients are children. In them, as well as in adults, the disease, which is an infectious process that develops in the tonsils, can take dangerous forms and sometimes be reflected in serious complications. In this regard, the primary task in the event of symptoms of an ailment, also known in medicine as “acute tonsillitis”, is its correct diagnosis, as well as effective treatment.
Definition and routes of infection
The word "angina" came to us from the Latin language, where it means "squeezing", "squeezing". However, such a name cannot be considered accurate. The fact is that the symptoms of angina are not always accompanied by such phenomena. Another thing is a medical term. The name "acute tonsillitis" comes from the word tonsilae, whichstands for tonsils. All this is more suitable for angina, which is an acute infectious disease characterized by inflammation, usually of the palatine, and in some cases, of the nasopharyngeal and lingual tonsils.
Acute tonsillitis is caused by microbes. Most often they are represented by streptococci, less often by staphylococci or pneumococci.
It's not uncommon for germs to be in the throat or mouth before the onset of illness. However, until a certain time they are passive. Pathogenic microorganisms are activated under the influence of some external factors, among which there may be hypothermia or a sharp temperature drop. For some people, eating ice cream, getting their feet wet, or swimming in a pond is enough to get a sore throat.
Infection, which is the cause of the development of symptoms of sore throat, can be brought into the body from the outside. Sometimes its sources are teeth affected by caries. Various irritating substances that systematically enter the throat can also contribute to the development of the disease. It can be dust, including house dust, smoke, alcohol, etc. Sometimes the development of symptoms of angina occurs due to the presence of adenoids or other ailments of the nasopharynx, the result of which is a violation of nasal breathing. It provokes pathology and malnutrition, as well as disturbances in the mode of eating. Most often, people who live in areas with an unfavorable environmental situation get sick with angina. The cause of the development of the disease is a strong overwork and a decreasereactivity and sensitization of the organism.
How does pathogenic microflora get into the oral cavity or nasopharynx? There are the following ways of its penetration:
- Airborne. As a rule, bacteria with angina enter the body in this way.
- Hematogenous. Sometimes microorganisms penetrate the pharynx with blood flow from infectious foci already in the patient's body.
- Enteral. In this case, pathogenic bacteria enter the human body along with food, usually dairy products.
- Endogenous. Quite often, tonsillitis affects people suffering from carious lesions of the teeth, purulent sinusitis, gastroenteritis and other pathologies.
- Artificial. Sometimes infection with acute tonsillitis occurs during surgical interventions performed on the nasopharynx and in the nasal cavity. In such cases, angina is called traumatic.
Main symptoms
Signs of a sore throat may be different. As a rule, they are determined by the type of pathogenic microorganism - the causative agent of the disease, as well as the degree of damage that is characteristic of the tonsils affected by the pathology. Doctors divide the symptoms of angina into general and local. As a rule, a sore throat indicates the onset of the development of the disease. This is a local symptom that is common to all forms of this infectious disease. This pain is very sharp and intense. When swallowed, it intensifies. In addition, angina is often accompanied by inflammation of the cervical upper lymph nodes, which is also called regional lymphadenitis.
Common symptomssore throats (see photo below) are due to the fact that toxic waste products of microbes, as well as biologically active substances, begin to accumulate in large quantities in the focus of inflammation and negatively affect the body. The person has a fever.
It reaches 38-40 degrees and is accompanied by chills. Against this background, general well-being worsens. Headache starts to bother me. There is great weakness. Sometimes pain symptoms appear in the joints, muscles and in the heart area.
Angina is accompanied by acute pharyngitis. This pathology is manifested by perspiration and dryness in the throat, as well as pain when swallowing (especially saliva). The feeling of discomfort at the same time often gives into the ears.
Classic symptoms of angina in adults and children, which is caused by streptococcus, are distinguished by a sudden onset of intoxication, a rapid increase in temperature, accompanied by chills. In this case, there is intense pain in the throat and an increase in the lymph nodes in the neck with the appearance of purulent formations or white plaque on them. Angina in children (symptoms and photo - below) may begin with several other signs. Little patients suffer from vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain.
The above, as well as many other signs of the disease, are also characteristic of its other types.
It should be borne in mind that the symptoms of sore throat and treatment (a photo of the doctor's examination is presented below) are points that must be discussed with a professional. The point is that, according to the signspathology specialist, as a rule, and determines the features of therapy. The first of them begin to manifest themselves after the passage of the incubation period, which lasts from 10 hours to 3 days.
Knowing about the symptoms of the disease (tonsillitis), already at its first manifestations, it is necessary to contact a specialist - a general practitioner, an infectious disease specialist or an otolaryngologist. The doctor, after listening to the patient's complaints and conducting an initial examination, will send him to take urine and blood tests. Laboratory tests are carried out to confirm or refute the diagnosis of acute tonsillitis.
It is worth noting that if the symptoms of a sore throat in an adult (the photo is presented in the article) in the form of a sore throat no longer bother him, this does not mean at all that the person is completely he althy. Acute tonsillitis can affect not only the tonsils, but also the tissues of the larynx. Severe or acute sore throat has a duration, usually about a week. You can get a complete clinical picture only after additional tests, for example, pharyngoscopy. Their results will make sure that the chosen course of therapy is correct.
Types of sore throats
When diagnosing the type of acute tonsillitis, one of the important points is to determine the pathogen that caused the disease. The course of treatment will depend on whether an infectious pathology is caused by a bacterium or a virus. There are a number of signs that indicate the bacterial nature of tonsillitis. Among them:
- light plaque on the mucous membrane of the tonsils;
- soreness and enlargement of the submandibularlymph nodes;
- lack of cough;
- body temperature over 38 degrees.
Such symptoms (signs and treatment of angina, see the article) most often occur not in adults, but in adolescents.
If three of the above manifestations coincide with the development of the disease, then the probability of the bacterial nature of the disease is 50%. In the presence of one or two points of symptoms, the inflammatory process is most likely caused by non-bacterial microorganisms.
Angina has its own classification, which delimits the pathology by intensity and by its nature. So, there are four varieties of it: catarrhal and lacunar, follicular and necrotic. Let's take a closer look at them.
Catarrhal angina
This type of infectious tonsillitis is its mildest form. It is a primary inflammatory process that is associated with damage to the lymphoid ring located in the pharynx. If the disease proceeds in a favorable direction, then the patient will recover after 5-7 days. With reduced body defenses and untimely antibiotic treatment, a person begins to develop purulent inflammation, accompanied by lesions of lacunae and follicles.
Doctors distinguish between primary angina, which is manifested by catarrhal changes, as well as secondary, which occurs in case of acute infections (herpes, measles, scarlet fever, mononucleosis, etc.). Outbreaks of acute tonsillitis of this type are observed, as a rule, in autumn and winter. Moreover, the patients are most often children and persons inunder the age of 30-40 years.
Causes of catarrhal angina
The main factor causing the occurrence of those pathological changes that develop in the tonsils is a viral or bacterial infection. The first of them is represented by enteroviruses and adenoviruses, which infect children under 5 years of age during the epidemic period. Adolescents and adults are overtaken by the disease due to the penetration of influenza, parainfluenza and herpes viruses.
Bacterial pathogens often become group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. Teenagers and adults suffer from catarrhal angina due to the penetration of other types of staphylococci and streptococci into their bodies. Less commonly, the causative agents of such an infectious disease are pneumococci, meningococci, influenza bacillus and moraxella catarrhalis.
The main route of infection is airborne. But at the same time, sometimes the transmission of infection occurs when using objects on which pathogens have settled. The development of acute tonsillitis, as a rule, occurs against the background of a decrease in immunity, hypothermia, as well as chronic pathologies of the nasopharynx.
Signs of catarrhal angina
What development is typical for this type of disease? The first symptoms of catarrhal angina are expressed by the predominance of local manifestations. The onset of the pathology is characterized by an acute form. At the same time, perspiration appears in the pharynx, and when swallowing, a person feels obvious discomfort. What are the symptoms of angina in children and adults? With a temperature rising to 37-38 degrees, with a feeling of lethargy and weakness, alsomild chills are associated with this type of ailment. Examining the pharynx, one can observe isolated foci of reddening of the tonsils. There is no purulent content in them. Another symptom of catarrhal angina is an increase in the lymph nodes. At the same time, their soreness is noted.
If the symptoms of catarrhal angina are detected in a timely manner, its treatment will be started on time. This will allow the patient to undergo etiotropic therapy and prevent the transition of the pathology to the next, more dangerous clinical forms.
In the case of a favorable course of angina, its symptoms will pass within a short period. It will be from 3 to 5 days. With a late visit to the doctor with ignoring the symptoms of catarrhal sore throat, treatment cannot be started in a timely manner. In this case, the development of various complications in the form of chronic tonsillitis is possible. The result of late and ineffective treatment of catarrhal angina are endocarditis and myocarditis. Sometimes glomerulonephritis occurs as a complication of the disease.
Diagnosis of catarrhal tonsillitis
With this type of sore throat, the symptoms in adults and children are similar to a large number of other throat diseases or infectious pathologies. That is why, even when the first signs appear, pathology needs a thorough diagnosis, which should be carried out by specialist doctors (pediatricians and therapists, otolaryngologists and infectious disease specialists). At the same time, the following are carried out:
- Physical examination. It is performed using pharyngoscopy, during whichthe presence of swelling of the tonsils and their increase in size, diffuse hyperemia and the edges of the arches are detected. There is no purulent content in the lacunae and on their surface. There are also no accompanying signs of inflammation on the posterior pharyngeal wall. In some cases, such an examination reveals hypertrophy of regional lymph nodes, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is painful.
- Laboratory research. In order to identify the etiological agent, the doctor prescribes virological or bacteriological tests, for example, a throat swab. How active the degree of inflammation will be determined by general clinical blood and urine tests.
Therapy of catarrhal tonsillitis
After detecting the symptoms of angina, appropriate treatment should be started. It consists in the elimination of the existing pathogen, as well as the speedy elimination of the activity of foci of inflammation and the prevention of possible complications.
In cases where symptoms of bacterial tonsillitis are detected, treatment is usually prescribed with antibiotics of the penicillin series. Viral tonsillitis is eliminated by antiviral drugs. In this case, the appointment of anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, as well as restorative effects and vitamins is indicated.
For such symptoms of sore throat, local treatment is used. In this case, antiseptics are used, with which the patient must gargle. Medications to eliminate or reduce discomfort, such as lozenges and aerosols, are also prescribed.
If symptoms of a sore throat are found,treatment in both adults and children of a disease with catarrhal changes, as a rule, is carried out at home in compliance with bed rest and with the maximum limitation of physical activity. On average, the duration of the pathology is from 4 to 6 days. If complications begin to join the disease, then the patient is referred to the otolaryngology department, including glucocorticosteroid hormones in the course of therapy, as well as drugs to maintain the function of respiration, heart, central nervous system and kidneys. In case of symptoms of purulent tonsillitis, when inflammatory processes affect the surrounding tissues, the patient is shown surgery to open the paratonsillar abscess.
Follicular tonsillitis
This type of acute tonsillitis is understood as an infectious disease, a clear sign of which is inflammation of the palatine tonsils. Such a sore throat occurs due to the penetration of various types of microbes into the body and spreads by airborne droplets, as well as by contact with unwashed food or dirty dishes.
As a rule, the causative agents of the follicular form of the disease are staphylococci and streptococci. Factors contributing to the development of pathology are weakened immunity and hypothermia of the body. If symptoms of angina are detected, treatment should be started in a timely manner. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the follicular form of the disease is acutely contagious. That is why a patient who is at home will need a separate room, and he should use only personal items.
The considered type of angina is distinguished by the presenceinflammatory processes localized in the follicles of the tonsils, where pus is formed. Its foci are translucent through the mucous membrane in the form of yellow-white spots.
Symptoms of purulent tonsillitis change somewhat over time. The foci of inflammation gradually merge with each other. As a result, a purulent plaque forms on the tonsils. It is painted yellow and white. Such abscesses are capable of melting tissues, breaking through into the throat.
Follicular angina has its own symptoms, which appear at the end of the incubation period, which usually lasts no more than one day. Unlike catarrhal tonsillitis, this disease is distinguished by the presence of purulent processes that cause a more serious condition of the patient.
What are the symptoms of follicular tonsillitis? Among them are the following:
- temperature rising to 39-40 degrees;
- chill;
- aches in the joints and lower back;
- weakness;
- loss of appetite;
- increased and sore lymph nodes;
- inflammation and redness of the palatine tonsils, as well as areas around them;
- sharp and severe sore throat that makes swallowing difficult;
- sometimes a severe runny nose, preventing free breathing through the nose and mouth.
In children, follicular tonsillitis, as a rule, begins with severe malaise. First of all, the child complains of a sore throat. The most common symptoms of viral sore throat (treatment in this case should be prescribedcorresponding) are joint pain and headache, nausea up to vomiting, as well as inability to swallow food. Similar symptoms occur against the background of chills and profuse fever, lasting about two hours. After that, the child begins to improve. But at the same time, the body temperature of a small patient rises to the highest numbers.
Similar symptoms in a sick child last for almost two days. During this time, the disease reaches its peak. The baby's condition is accompanied by swelling of the neck and throat, rhinitis and cough, rashes, stomach pain and conjunctivitis, as well as swollen lymph nodes.
Follicular tonsillitis is dangerous with severe complications. The disease negatively affects the joints, blood vessels and heart, kidneys and urinary organs. Sometimes such a pathology becomes chronic, weakening the work of the immune system. That is why it is so important to recognize the symptoms of angina in time. Treatment for both adults and children should be started immediately.
To prescribe the most effective course of therapy, a swab is taken from the tonsils. It will allow you to determine the causative agent of the disease, as well as its sensitivity to antibiotics.
Most often, protected penicillins are used for angina follicularis. In case of intolerance to such antibiotics, they are replaced by 2nd generation cephalosporins. The dosage is individually prescribed by the doctor, based on the age of the patient and the severity of the course of the disease. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory sprays will help reduce irritation. They relieve pain by making it easier to swallow. Can beVarious lozenges have also been used. Also, a person should spend more time at rest. The patient is recommended frequent and plentiful warm drinking and gargling.
Lacunar angina
What is the difference between this form of tonsillitis? This clinical form got its name due to the fact that the inflammatory process is localized in the lacunae of the tonsils of the palate. This is the main difference between this pathology and follicular. At the same time, only some follicles begin to inflame, which look like small pustules located on the surface of the lymph nodes.
Lacunar tonsillitis begins to show its symptoms after an incubation period of 1 to 2 days. In the future, its signs develop so rapidly that they sometimes begin to disturb a person in just a couple of hours. Sore throat symptoms appear in adults with temperatures up to 38, 5-40 degrees and include in their list:
- general manifestations of the infectious process in the form of headache, fatigue, malaise and weakness;
- periodic chills (most common in children);
- severe sore throat;
- increased submandibular lymph nodes;
- joint pain.
The inflammatory process can be observed on one or two tonsils. The duration of the illness is 5-9 days. In children, the course of lacunar angina is more severe. Little patients suffer from choking attacks, abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, and diarrhea.
With further spread of the infection, the conditionthe patient is deteriorating. Sometimes bronchitis or pneumonia joins the sore throat. With the wrong treatment, a chronic form of tonsillitis appears. In addition, bacteria spread throughout the body, settling in the bones, lungs and heart. The consequences of this disease are very dangerous and threaten with inflammation of the kidneys, arthritis, rheumatism, myocarditis, sepsis, lymph node damage and meningitis.
Antibiotics are also used in the treatment of this type of sore throat. If symptoms of sore throat occur without fever, then such funds are sufficient. Otherwise, antipyretics are recommended. It is very important for the patient to gargle with antiseptic solutions. This procedure is especially relevant in the first two days of illness. Drinking plenty of fluids is also essential to avoid dehydration.
Necrotic angina
This form of pathology is extremely rare and is also characterized by inflammatory processes on the palatine tonsils. The key difference between necrotic tonsillitis and other types is the destruction of the diseased surface. As a rule, in this case, the symptoms of angina without fever occur in a child and in an adult. The patient's condition remains almost the same, in addition to the formation of a white plaque of a dense consistency.
Symptoms of angina without fever should be recognized as early as possible. This will allow timely treatment of a disease that is considered highly contagious.
Necrotic angina is almost never found in children. This is due to the lack of teeth in babies, which are a common cause of throat infection. However, whenas the child grows older, the risk of such a disease increases significantly. When a pathology occurs, the baby feels a sore throat with a violation of the swallowing reflex. In rare cases, body temperature may rise. The baby's tonsils are covered with a dense white coating.
Symptoms of a sore throat in an adult without fever are accompanied by the following symptoms:
- acute sore throat;
- formation on the tonsils of gray-yellow plaque;
- discomfort while swallowing.
There are also secondary signs of pathology. These include:
- serious intoxication;
- increased salivation;
- bad breath;
- increase in size of lymph nodes;
- reddening of the tonsils.
In case of timely detection of the disease and effective therapy, necrotic tonsillitis disappears without any complications. After recovery, the tonsils fully restore their functions.
The doctor chooses the tactics of treatment. As a rule, it consists in performing several procedures during the day, involving the lubrication of the tonsils with a solution of furacilin, hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate. In addition, necrotic angina requires the use of antibiotics. In particularly difficult cases, they must be injected.
