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Pharyngitis
Symptoms of acute pharyngitis
The symptoms of acute pharyngitis are quite numerous, mainly due to bacterial infections, which are sudden. This easily leads to sore throat, foreign body sensation, and burning sensation. Some patients may have a severe inflammatory response, causing fever, and possibly even high fever. Due to significant throat swelling and pain, some patients may also experience difficulties in normal breathing and swallowing, leading to shortness of breath and a sensation of swallowing obstruction. Overall, the treatment is primarily focused on anti-infection. In addition, consideration can be given to combining nebulization and traditional Chinese medicine for treatment. The treatment period is about one week, and a bland diet is necessary, avoiding spicy and irritating foods, with regular ENT follow-ups. (For specific medication, please take drugs under the guidance of a professional physician and do not medicate blindly.)
Is acute pharyngitis contagious?
Acute pharyngitis is an acute infectious inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa, submucosal tissue, and local lymphatic tissue. Acute pharyngitis can occur independently or as part of an upper respiratory tract infection. In its early stages, acute pharyngitis is primarily a viral infection, or a mixed infection of viruses and bacteria. In the later stages of acute pharyngitis, bacterial infection often occurs secondarily. Acute pharyngitis is contagious and tends to occur mainly in winter or spring. The contagion is not by reverse transmission but is generally infectious. Wearing masks or avoiding close contact can generally prevent it, and special isolation measures are usually unnecessary for prevention.
The difference between acute pharyngitis and chronic pharyngitis.
The difference between acute pharyngitis and chronic pharyngitis mainly lies in the following aspects: The first is the onset time. Acute pharyngitis generally refers to a sudden inflammatory reaction of the throat, usually lasting for a short duration, about a week, and generally does not exceed a week. Conversely, chronic pharyngitis lasts longer, possibly recurring with repeated throat pain and a foreign body sensation, but the symptoms are generally not very severe, lasting about three months or more, primarily characterized by repeated occurrences. The second aspect is the symptoms, which differ in the mildness of throat pain. Chronic pharyngitis generally involves mild throat pain, and there may also be a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Acute pharyngitis, on the other hand, is mainly characterized by acute throat pain, with relatively short duration but severe symptoms. Third, it can be determined through a routine blood test. Acute pharyngitis often involves acute bacterial or viral infections, possibly with elevated white blood cells. Chronic pharyngitis generally results from non-bacterial, non-viral infections, with blood tests usually being normal. These aspects together can generally provide a basic diagnosis.
How to treat chronic pharyngitis?
Treating chronic pharyngitis is indeed a significant issue, and it's not something that can be explained in just a sentence or two. Some causes of chronic pharyngitis are direct, such as not paying attention to diet, poor sleep, or insufficient rest. Some are secondary pharyngitis, which requires active treatment of the primary disease. To address this issue fundamentally, one should first focus on a light diet, avoid smoking and alcohol, and avoid spicy and irritating foods—these are aspects to be mindful of in daily life. It's also important to pay attention to one's emotions; maintaining a calm demeanor, not rushing, avoiding getting angry easily, and not shouting are crucial. Being in a good mood is very important as it is part of actively treating the primary disease. Some primary diseases, such as chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, can cause pharyngitis. Therefore, to treat chronic pharyngitis, one should first effectively treat these primary diseases, and the chronic pharyngitis will naturally improve. Thus, the treatment of chronic pharyngitis involves a holistic, differentiated, and systematic approach.
Can pharyngitis cause coughing?
Pharyngitis refers to the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx. There are many clinical causes of pharyngitis, such as allergic pharyngitis, reflux pharyngitis, and infectious pharyngitis. Regardless of the type, pharyngitis can lead to clinical symptoms such as coughing and throat clearing actions, especially intense dry coughs in allergic pharyngitis, which tend to last a long time. For infectious pharyngitis, the coughing duration is short and the coughs are less intense. Therefore, it is certain that pharyngitis can cause coughing. Clinically, different types of medication are used to treat coughs caused by different types of pharyngitis. For coughs caused by allergies, anti-allergy treatments are required, and for coughs caused by reflux pharyngitis, medications that suppress stomach acid are needed.
The differences between chronic pharyngitis and acute pharyngitis
There is a fundamental difference between the two; chronic pharyngitis is a chronic inflammatory disease, while acute pharyngitis is an acute inflammatory disease. Furthermore, the symptoms of chronic pharyngitis are not very prominent in clinical settings, presenting only as a foreign body sensation or other discomforts. In contrast, the symptoms of acute pharyngitis are quite significant, such as sore throat, and may even include systemic symptoms like chills and fever. Thirdly, during examination of chronic pharyngitis, one can observe congestion of the pharyngeal mucosa, which is a type of chronic congestion. However, the congestion in acute inflammation is acute and very pronounced. There are also significant differences in treatment. For chronic inflammation, the clinical approach mainly involves administering heat-clearing and detoxifying traditional Chinese medicines, and sometimes no medication is used at all; just focus on hydrating locally without the need for any special medication. In contrast, acute pharyngitis requires medication to manage the acute inflammatory symptoms. In summary, there are fundamental differences between chronic and acute pharyngitis, whether it is in symptoms, treatment, or the pathological state of the mucosa.
How to completely cure chronic pharyngitis?
Chronic pharyngitis is a relatively common otolaryngological disease, and it is still difficult to achieve a complete cure at present. There are various treatment methods, among which oral Chinese patent medicine and nebulization treatment are commonly used. It is also advised to regulate the diet, avoid spicy and irritating foods, refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol, and regularly re-examine the throat with a laryngoscope to observe changes in the condition. However, with the existing medical procedures and treatment plans, it is still hard to completely cure and can be recurrent. Overall, chronic pharyngitis does not pose a significant risk to overall health. It mainly causes discomfort in the throat area, but most cases can be controlled and alleviated with standardized treatment. (Please use medications under the guidance of a professional physician, and do not self-medicate.)
Does acute pharyngitis cause fever?
Acute pharyngitis may cause a fever, but overall, the proportion of cases that develop a fever is relatively small. This is mainly because acute pharyngitis is caused by acute bacterial infections, with a small number of patients possibly experiencing concurrent acute viral infections leading to inflammation. Generally, the common symptoms include sudden onset of sore throat which may affect breathing or swallowing, such as a feeling of obstruction or a foreign body sensation in the throat. Some patients may experience fevers, typically seen in those with more severe inflammatory responses or who have been ill for a longer time without timely treatment. Generally, the fever is mild, though a small number of patients may experience high fever. The main treatment method is anti-infection therapy, and if the body temperature exceeds 38.5°C, it can be combined with antipyretic drugs. (Please consult a professional physician for medication use, and do not medicate blindly.)