Throat diseases cause a person severe discomfort. They differ in symptoms, causes, and treatments. Inflammation of the throat is one of the common phenomena that may indicate diseases of the upper respiratory tract. It is accompanied by severe pain, cough, fever. See article for symptoms and treatments.
Functions
The vocal cords have elastic muscle structure and connective tissue. Their main function is to create a voice and protect the lungs from the penetration of foreign bodies. When air enters, the ligaments close and open, which causes sounds. With inflammation of the ligaments in a person, the gap between them narrows, and therefore hoarseness or loss of voice appears.
Symptoms
With different forms of the disease, they are different. But still there are common symptoms of sore throat, manifested in all diseases:
- tickle;
- pain;
- dry cough;
- fever;
- weakness;
- muscle pain;
- breathing difficulties;
- headache.
Inflammation may indicate an increase in lymph nodes. However, they may not become inflamed in the upper respiratory tract. The focus may be, for example, near the ears. In the acute course of the disease, cutting pain is observed, while the patient feels hoarseness or loss of voice. If there are such signs of sore throat, you should consult a doctor to prevent the development of pathology.
Reasons
Why does a sore throat happen? The reason may be related to the following factors:
- infection - viral, bacterial;
- non-infectious disease - strain of ligaments, smoking, exposure to harmful components.
All sore throat ailments are similar in symptoms and treatment. But before starting any sessions, it is necessary to establish the area of localization of the focus and perform a clinical examination of the body.
Diseases
The inflammatory process may be a confirmation of some diseases:
- Pharyngitis. With it, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the back wall of the larynx occurs. There is severe and prolonged pain.
- Angina. With this disease, the palatine tonsils are inflamed, there is pain when swallowing. Inflammation enters the palatine arches and uvula, and then the disease is called uvulitis.
- Laryngitis. There is inflammation of the vocal cords, sore throat, hoarseness. Laryngitis appears on the background of colds.
- Inflammation of the thyroid gland. Another disease is calledthyroiditis. The gland becomes inflamed, which causes an increase in its size. Many people have minor deviations, so this usually does not cause discomfort. But unpleasant sensations appear with an enlarged state over a long period.
All of these diseases appear with the penetration of the pathogenic bacterium hemolytic streptococcus into the body. But with pharyngitis, the causative agent is considered a viral infection.
Other reasons
Often inflammation of the tongue in the throat or tonsils is associated with such severe forms of the disease:
- whooping cough;
- pneumonia;
- flu.
With these diseases, therapy is carried out in a different way, in this case a serious medical approach is needed. Thanks to rinsing, warm drinking of he althy herbal decoctions, inhalations and other procedures, pain subsides, breathing is restored, and well-being improves. But before performing any procedures, you should consult a doctor for a comprehensive examination and diagnosis.
According to experts, the risk of inflammation can be increased by some factors, such as smoking, dust inhalation, dry air, weak immunity and allergies. Inflammation of the follicles in the throat leads to a weakening of the immune system, so it is important to follow simple recommendations with medication treatment. It is important to eliminate bad habits, you need to walk in the fresh air for a long time, adhere to proper nutrition and exercise.
Shapes
Inflammation of the tonsils in the throat, tongue or other areas is different. Treatment will also vary depending on the disease. In this case, inflammation comes in different forms:
- Catarrhal. It is a common type. With it, there is perspiration, dry cough, hoarseness, high temperature up to 37.5 degrees, loss of voice.
- Hypertrophic. There is an increase in the number of structural elements of the mucous membrane of the larynx. There is hoarseness. On the ligaments there may be neoplasms in the form of nodules. This confirms the chronic form of the disease.
- Hemorrhagic. Occurs in violation of the function of hematopoiesis, pathologies of the liver, heart and blood vessels. Coughing up bloody sputum. There may be dry mouth, sensation of a lump in the throat.
- Diphtheria. The causative agent of this form of inflammation is considered a bacterial infection. There may be white lumps passing from the tonsils to the larynx. They clog the ligaments, causing breathing difficulties and loss of voice.
- Atrophic. Usually occurs in adults. With this form, thinning of the mucous layer of the larynx is observed. There are frequent bouts of dry cough, often with sputum discharge with blood. Doctors believe that the causative agent is spicy, fatty, s alty foods.
It is important that the muscles of the larynx are in a normal state to perform their functions. Inflammation of the lymph nodes in the throat or tonsils causes discomfort, so treatment is required to eliminate discomfort. Moreover, it eliminates the possibilityoccurrence of severe pathologies.
Treatment
Inflammation of the throat in a child and an adult should be treated after diagnosis. It should be borne in mind that self-medication can cause the development of serious ailments. Accurate diagnosis is performed by a doctor. Tests are required to reveal the entire clinical picture.
According to the results of the examination, the doctor will advise which medicines are best to use. He will also provide recommendations on what procedures are useful for recovery.
Self Help
Treatment of sore throat can be done on your own. To do this, some conditions must be taken into account: if the disease is not bacterial, there will be no complications after self-help, an excellent therapeutic effect is expected.
How to treat sore throat, the doctor should tell. If this is not possible, you need to follow simple rules:
- Need to inhale only through the nose. It moisturizes, cleanses, warms him.
- It is necessary to treat the sinuses and passages. Elimination of adenoids, chronic rhinitis and sinusitis is required. Then the pathogenic microflora passes through the throat.
- It is important to change your toothbrush regularly. Replacement required after past mouth and throat diseases.
- It is important to limit sweets. Carbohydrates are able to maintain a nutrient medium for pathogenic microflora.
- You need to put less strain on your vocal cords as this only makes matters worse.
- Useful gargling with the help of folkfunds. An excellent effect is observed from the use of a solution of s alt, soda with iodine, herbs.
- You need to drink more fluids. At the same time, drinks should be dark, otherwise you can only worsen the condition.
- Smoking can be the main cause of a sore throat.
- Indoor humidity should be maintained at 60%. This rate is valid for winter, when the air dries out because of the batteries.
- Allergens need to be eliminated. Irritants include dust, animal hair, plant pollen, aerosols, cosmetics, toothpaste. Often household chemicals and medicines lead to allergies.
Medicines
Sore throat can be treated with medication. But before that, you need to see a doctor. If the inflammation is severe, then local remedies will not completely eliminate the problem. In this case, you need to take antibiotics. They can be administered intramuscularly as injections, as well as in the form of tablets. Antibiotics are prescribed only after examination by a doctor.
The most effective medicines include:
- Grammidin. This is an antibacterial agent that has an anti-inflammatory effect in the oral cavity and pharynx. With it, there is practically no habituation of microflora, besides, the oral cavity is perfectly cleaned due to increased salivation. The instructions indicate that the drug should not be used during pregnancy.
- Bioparox. The drug is presented in the form of an aerosol having a metered injection. It is used for rhinitis, tonsillitis, tracheitis, laryngitis. The drug is not used by children under 3 years of age and women during breastfeeding. After ingestion, there is a feeling of unpleasant aftertaste, burning, dryness, coughing in the mouth. After a while, the reaction disappears.
- "Stomangin". The medicine has a double effect, since it contains an antibiotic and an antiseptic. It is used for various bacterial lesions of the throat mucosa. Should not be taken only during pregnancy, lactation and allergies.
- "Septolete". An antiseptic drug used for symptomatic relief. They are treated for inflammation of the tonsils in the throat. It is effective during the initial stages of angina, inflammation of the gums, oral mucosa. It is undesirable to take up to 4 years.
- "Sebidin". The medicine acts on almost all microbes of the respiratory system. It is used for infectious lesions of the mucosa. Because of taking the drug, nausea, abdominal pain, taste disturbance appear. Prolonged use will discolor fillings and dentures.
- "Laripront". The drug has antiviral, mucolytic, antimicrobial, fungistatic, anti-inflammatory action. It is taken during pregnancy. The remedy eliminates the painful flora and hoarseness of the voice. The average cost of the drug is 200 rubles.
Rinses
How to gargle with inflammation? The safest are the collections of herbs from which decoctions are created. They are prepared on their own. An excellent effect comes from the use of chamomile, calendula and eucalyptus. The mixture should be poured with boiling water and strained. After cooling, you need to gargle several times a day. St. John's wort, wormwood, plantain, calendula also help.
In addition to folk remedies, there are also pharmacy ones:
- "Furacilin". Has an antiseptic effect. It can be used at any age. Recovery is expected even after severe forms of illness.
- Miramistin. It is available in the form of a solution or spray. It has a pronounced antibacterial effect, but it is advisable to use it after consulting a doctor.
- Malavit. Suitable for children, a few drops are dissolved in water. The medicine has an antiseptic effect.
- "Chlorophyllipt". On sale there is a solution for rinsing, which has a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effect. The medicine can be used at any age, as it is created on a natural basis.
If there is no way to see a doctor, what should I do?
At the first manifestations of the disease, inhalations should be performed. This is a proven and effective method of eliminating inflammation of the respiratory system. Almost any solution with an antiseptic effect is suitable for this. You just need to read the instructions.
It is preferable to carry out events with a special apparatus. With it, the right amount of medicine is delivered to the respiratory tract. In the absence of such a device, a teapot for tea leaves is suitable, through the spout of which you can inhale vapors. The duration of the procedure is at least 10 minutes. But such sessions are forbidden in case of fever.
If the throat is often sore, and the problem persists after various methods of treatment, it is necessary to consult a doctor again. Then more research is being done toestablishing the cause and replacing the therapeutic effect.
Prevention
Timely prevention of the risk of illness does not allow discomfort in the throat. To do this, you must follow simple rules:
- The diet should include foods enriched with vitamin C. These include citrus fruits, kiwi, rosehip infusion. As a preventive measure, you should eat 1 clove of garlic a day and drink lingonberry and cranberry fruit drinks.
- The menu should consist of different foods that saturate the body with valuable vitamins and minerals.
- Eat honey every day (1 tbsp each).
- Strengthens the immune system walking in the fresh air. It is important not to overcool.
- Antivirals and multivitamins should be taken.
- It is important to observe personal hygiene, as it serves as a preventive measure for many ailments.
- Need a full sleep, which is considered an excellent stimulant of good condition. A day for rest should be given 8 hours.
- In the morning it is useful to exercise. It not only invigorates, but also strengthens the immune system.
- Respiratory protection must be worn when interacting with chemicals.
- It is important to stop smoking.
- The air in the house in winter must be humidified. During the drying of the nasal mucosa, the body is most vulnerable to infections.
- You need to take time to rest, eliminate stress.
- Throat should be gargled in autumn and winter.
Conclusion
So inflammation can be due to various reasons. Prevention measures will keep your throat he althy. But if inflammation does appear, proven treatments should be used.