Symptoms of pharyngitis and cough

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on December 06, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pharyngitis is a relatively common otolaryngological disease with various clinical symptoms. Common symptoms include cough, phlegm, sore throat, and a foreign body sensation in the throat. A small number of patients may experience fever, swallowing obstruction, and difficulty breathing. Therefore, it is necessary to visit the otolaryngology department after the onset of symptoms. Routine blood tests and laryngoscopy can be performed to help determine the specific cause and severity of the condition. Targeted treatment can then be administered, generally considering oral medications and possibly complemented with nebulization therapy. Regular follow-ups are necessary during the treatment process to monitor the recovery of the condition.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
55sec home-news-image

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.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
1min 21sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Mao Cai
Otolaryngology
1min 2sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of pharyngitis?

There are many symptoms of pharyngitis, and the specific symptoms can vary from person to person. The most common ones include the following. The first is a foreign body sensation, which is a sensation of a foreign object in the throat, feeling like there is always something that cannot be coughed up or swallowed, which is very typical. Another one is the empty swallow syndrome, meaning that some people feel like there is something that cannot be swallowed when swallowing saliva without food. Empty swallowing refers to just swallowing saliva in this way, feeling more and more like there’s something stuck as one swallows, which is similar to the foreign body sensation and is also a manifestation of the swallowing action. The third symptom is a dry and itchy throat. Some people also experience symptoms such as feeling nauseous and wanting to gag when brushing their teeth in the morning. Therefore, the symptoms of pharyngitis do not manifest exactly the same in everyone; some people may experience several symptoms, while others may have one predominant symptom.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
50sec home-news-image

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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
53sec home-news-image

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.