Plaque on the tonsils can be a symptom of tonsillitis or diphtheria, and the second disease is more dangerous: it proceeds with complications and in some cases ends in death.
Plaque on the tonsils, diagnosis
Angina refers to infectious diseases, it is manifested by a white coating on the tonsils and a sore throat. The route of transmission of the infection is airborne, the causative agent is streptococcus, in some cases the cause of the development of the pathological process can be staphylococci and pneumococci. Inflammation of the tonsils is characterized by fever, headache, sharp pain when swallowing. Catarrhal tonsillitis is accompanied by reddening of the tonsils, follicular – by the appearance of yellow-white pustules that grow and open over time.
The appearance of white plaque accompanies lacunar tonsillitis. At the initial stage, the spots are limited, over time they grow and cover most of the tonsils. The cause of the appearance of white dots on the surface of the tonsils can also be diphtheria. This disease is caused by a diphtheria bacillus, it is acute and is considered the most dangerous. A distinctive feature of diphtheria is a more extensive swelling of the tonsils, in addition, the whole palate is covered with a white coating. Pus and plaque can form only on one of the tonsils. Angina appears exclusively on the tonsils.
The plaque on the tonsils with angina has a yellowish tint, with diphtheria it is light gray and has a dirty tint. Plaque with angina is easily removed with an ordinary spoon, with diphtheria, plaque, when trying to remove it with a spoon, leaves a bleeding mark. Pain when swallowing is also more characteristic of angina. With diphtheria, the cervical lymph nodes enlarge and become painful, the neck swells. After a couple of days, the symptoms of angina begin to subside, while with diphtheria there is an increase in body temperature, a deterioration in the general condition.
Plaque on the tonsils, treatment
If the doctor detects plaque on the tonsils, treatment is carried out after an accurate diagnosis. Despite the fact that angina is not as severe as diphtheria, it still requires medical treatment, which helps to avoid dangerous complications. Treatment of tonsils requires hourly gargling using antiseptic solutions. As a result of this procedure, pus and microorganisms are washed off. After treating the mucous membranes, it is recommended to lubricate the tonsils with Lugol’s solution if the patient is not allergic to iodine. In most cases, the treatment of tonsils is not complete without the appointment of antibiotics, most often drugs from the macrolide group are used. The course of treatment in this case is 7-10 days. It is important to remember that antibacterial drugs do not help to cope with a fungal and viral infection.