How long will it take for pharyngitis to heal?

Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
Updated on April 08, 2025
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Pharyngitis is a common and frequently occurring disease in daily life, divided into acute pharyngitis and chronic pharyngitis. Patients with acute pharyngitis experience sudden onset, often due to bacterial infection, or triggered by exposure to cold or a cold. The patient's throat will exhibit acute congestion and inflammation, with symptoms primarily including sore throat, dry throat, and a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Usually, after symptomatic treatments such as anti-inflammation, throat clearing, and unblocking orifices, the patient's symptoms can generally be relieved within 5-7 days. On the other hand, patients with chronic pharyngitis are mainly treated through daily protection, avoiding excessive use of the voice, and a comprehensive treatment method that includes quitting smoking and alcohol.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
1min 9sec home-news-image

Does pharyngitis spread?

Pharyngitis refers to the acute and chronic inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa, submucosal tissue, and local lymphatic tissue. Clinically, it mainly presents as a sore throat or a foreign body sensation in the throat, among other discomforts. Acute pharyngitis should be noted for its certain contagiousness, primarily due to viral infections, bacterial infections, or a combination of both, thus it is contagious. Appropriate precautions such as isolation measures, like wearing masks, should be considered. As for chronic pharyngitis, it is not contagious, so special isolation measures are not necessary. Regarding pharyngitis accompanying other diseases, such as reflux pharyngitis which may also involve Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach, some literature reports suggest that Helicobacter pylori can be contagious during chronic pharyngitis, but this has not been fully confirmed and is only based on some reports. In summary, acute pharyngitis is confirmed to be contagious, while chronic pharyngitis is currently not contagious.

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
1min 17sec home-news-image

Does pharyngitis cause a fever?

Pharyngitis generally involves fever symptoms in acute cases. Acute pharyngitis results from a lowered immune and resistance response, leading to viral or bacterial infections that cause both local symptoms in the throat and systemic symptoms. Patients may experience high fever, with body temperatures above 38°C (100.4°F), and severe throat pain, primarily during swallowing, leading to refusal to eat due to intense throat pain. Additionally, patients may feel a blockage or foreign body sensation in the throat. Upon examination with an electronic laryngoscope, the mucous membrane in the throat area can be seen as congested and swollen, especially around the soft palate and uvula. Pus-filled secretions may also be present on the posterior pharyngeal wall. Regarding treatment, if the patient's temperature exceeds 38°C, antipyretic medications are required; if below 38°C, wiping the body with warm water can be used. Anti-inflammatory treatment should also be administered based on symptoms, and recovery can generally be expected within a week. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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How to completely cure chronic pharyngitis?

Chronic pharyngitis currently cannot be completely cured. Generally, the approach is to control symptoms, alleviate the condition, and improve clinical manifestations. With the existing medical methods, whether it is Chinese medicine or Western medicine, the focus is on control, as current measures cannot achieve a complete cure. Chronic pharyngitis is primarily caused by chronic inflammation in the throat area. This disease is a relatively common chronic illness, and the nature of the disease determines its recurrent nature, which may also be accompanied by fluctuations in clinical symptoms. Overall, the treatment mainly involves oral medications, supplemented by nebulization. Lifestyle and dietary adjustments are also necessary. It is a common disease and does not pose a significant risk to overall health. Regular follow-up with laryngoscope examinations generally allows for control and stabilization of the condition.

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Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
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Symptoms of Chronic Pharyngitis

Chronic pharyngitis is a very common disease in otolaryngology, and the symptoms described by patients at the time of consultation are also diverse. The most common symptoms include dry throat, sore throat, and a foreign body sensation in the throat. Many people describe that they can neither cough it out nor swallow it down. Others say there is a feeling of obstruction when swallowing. This sensation of obstruction when swallowing refers to the feeling of blockage when simply swallowing saliva, but there is no problem with eating or drinking water, which is also called a feeling of obstruction during dry swallowing. Some people also experience notable pain, especially during acute episodes of chronic pharyngitis. Additionally, some experience nausea or retching while brushing their teeth in the morning, among other symptoms. Furthermore, pharyngitis often accompanies other primary diseases or symptoms, such as post-nasal drip, vomiting white sticky phlegm, and some people experiencing snoring during sleep, all of which are direct or indirect symptoms of pharyngitis.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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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.