With the onset of cold weather, many of us begin to suffer from colds, the first sign of which, as a rule, is a sore throat. What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? Knowing the differences between these diseases is necessary in order to prescribe the correct therapy. Otherwise, the treatment will be ineffective and may further aggravate the disease. By and large, we are dealing with the same pathology, the only difference is that tonsillitis is its chronic form, and angina is acute. Due to the similarity of symptoms, many often confuse diseases with each other, but in reality, tonsillitis and tonsillitis proceed differently and require different treatment. What is the difference between these diseases?
Description of tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an inflammation that affects the tonsils and the region of the peripharyngeal ring. Its pathogens are bacteria and viruses. Mostly streptococci.
Tonsillitis can occur asin both acute and chronic forms. In most cases, the disease occurs in people with weakened immune systems, as a result of hypothermia, stress and overwork. The inflammatory process can spread to one or more tonsils at the same time, most often palatine. Infection occurs by airborne droplets through sick people and carriers of the disease who do not have pronounced symptoms.
Features of angina
What is the difference between acute tonsillitis and tonsillitis? There is no difference, since angina is tonsillitis, which occurs in an acute form. The disease is infectious in nature and is accompanied by inflammation of the palatine tonsils, the formation of purulent plaque and plugs.
You can get a sore throat both from a sick person, and as a result of infection from other sources. For example, it can be a chronic infection, the focus of which is caries, chronic diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses. If a sore throat is not cured in a timely manner or treated incorrectly, this can lead to serious complications in the form of exacerbations of various systems and organs.
Angina can occur in various forms. Based on the nature of the lesion of the tonsils, catarrhal, follicular, necrotic, herpetic, lacunar, phlegmonous and fibrinous tonsillitis are distinguished.
What is the difference between tonsillitis and chronic tonsillitis?
As mentioned above, tonsillitis can be acute or chronic. An acute form of tonsillitis is a sore throat. Chronictonsillitis is accompanied by a protracted inflammatory process that occurs in the pharyngeal tonsils. The chronic form of tonsillitis is the result of frequently recurring and incompletely treated sore throats.
Distinguish simple and toxic-allergic chronic tonsillitis. For simple chronic tonsillitis, the presence of local symptoms is characteristic, for toxic-allergic - a deterioration in the state of the body as a whole, which is accompanied by lymphadenitis, complications in the heart, kidneys and joints.
Compensated and decompensated chronic tonsillitis are also distinguished. In the first case, the tonsils are still able to cope with the infection and perform their protective functions. In fact, the compensated form of tonsillitis is a kind of "dormant" focus of chronic infection. Often this disease goes unnoticed. It is accompanied by only minor discomfort in the throat and a slight accumulation of pus on the tonsils.
Decompensated chronic tonsillitis is usually accompanied by tonsillitis. In addition, abscesses and inflammatory diseases of the ear and nose often occur.
Tonsillitis symptoms
What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? The signs of both diseases are very similar, but with tonsillitis they are not so pronounced. The main ones are:
- throat discomfort and pain when swallowing;
- bad breath;
- redness and enlargement of the tonsils, the presence of white plaque;
- temperature up to 38°С;
- nasal congestion;
- enlarged cervical lymph nodes.
Symptoms of sore throat
In order to find out what is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis, you need to know the symptoms characteristic of angina. First of all, angina differs from tonsillitis in a more vivid course. The presence of angina can be judged by the following signs:
- acute sharp sore throat and difficulty swallowing;
- body temperature can reach 40°C and is often difficult to lower;
- severe inflammation and enlargement of the tonsils, the appearance of purulent plaque;
- pain in the head and joints;
- increased submandibular lymph nodes;
- shortness of breath;
- no nasal congestion;
- general weakness and malaise.
Depending on the cause of the disease, tonsillitis can both make itself felt in the first days after infection, and manifest itself after five or more days.
Angina and tonsillitis: how to recognize?
Chronic tonsillitis is almost always accompanied by nasal congestion. In the case of angina, such a symptom is absent. The pathologies under consideration are similar to respiratory diseases and influenza. In addition, they often proceed in the same way. And yet, in order to find out how tonsillitis differs from tonsillitis, you need to know their features. The main distinguishing feature of the ailments under consideration is the severity of the symptoms.
What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? What is the difference between diseases? Angina is characterized by acute andsudden onset sore throat, severe headache, aching joints, higher temperature than with tonsillitis, the appearance of purulent foci and plaque. The danger of acute tonsillitis lies in the fact that as a result of the disease, not only the throat suffers, but also other organs. That is why, after the end of the disease, it is recommended to take a urine and blood test, as well as check the work of the heart.
For those who are interested in how tonsillitis differs from tonsillitis, it should be taken into account that tonsillitis is characterized by a sluggish course of inflammatory processes in the larynx. They can fade for a while, and then escalate again. In chronic tonsillitis, fever is not always present, and the plugs are not purulent, but curdled.
Treatment
All chronic ailments, as you know, are not so easy to cure. Therefore, at the first symptoms of a sore throat, you should consult a doctor. Angina or tonsillitis, the main differences, varieties of diseases are well known to a qualified doctor. Having determined the stage and type of pathology, he will prescribe the correct treatment. An accurate diagnosis is necessary because the treatment of tonsillitis and tonsillitis has differences. One way or another, therapy should be based on the elimination of the cause, not the symptoms.
How is angina or acute tonsillitis treated? When is an antibiotic needed? The doctor will tell you about all this. Treatment of the acute form of tonsillitis (tonsillitis) is almost always carried out on an outpatient basis. Only in rare cases do you have to resort to hospitalization andapply surgical treatment. Therapy of angina, as a rule, consists in taking anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antimicrobial drugs. As an addition to medicines, physiotherapy procedures, vitamins and medicinal herbs for rinsing are prescribed. In the most severe cases, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed.
Chronic tonsillitis is treated with antiseptics and immunomodulators. Biostimulants and antihistamines are also used. Antibiotics are drunk if there is a risk of complications.
Consequences of acute and chronic tonsillitis
In the presence of diseases of the throat, it is important to understand that untreated tonsillitis can be very dangerous. First of all, its complications. The biggest threats are:
- endocarditis, which is accompanied by destructive lesions of the inner lining of the heart muscle and valve;
- glomerulonephritis - kidney disease;
- throat swelling;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- abscess;
- otitis media;
- rheumatism of the joints.
It is also extremely important to prevent the infection from spreading through the blood to the brain, which can lead to meningitis. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the meninges. Manifested in the form of general weakness, shortness of breath, severe headaches, fever. The presence of signs of meningitis is a serious reason to call a doctor.
Conclusion
It should be understood that chronic tonsillitis is much more difficult to cure than a sore throat. Therefore, it is so important to prevent the transition of the acute form of the disease into a chronic one and to completely cure the pathology. And in order for the therapy to be carried out as efficiently as possible, it is imperative to contact a medical facility.
