Pharyngitis, or angina

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Angina is characterized by a sudden sore throat, high fever, and general weakness. If you notice any typical symptoms of pharyngitis, see your doctor immediately. Untreated angina can cause very serious complications.

Angina is the body’s reaction to the presence of bacteria in the throat. Its characteristic symptoms can be noticed with the naked eye – redness, enlargement and sometimes fibrin deposits within the tonsils of the throat. Angina should not be taken lightly as it can cause very serious complications. Find out how to recognize strep throat and what to do if you suspect it’s developing.

Bacterial angina

Angina is a highly contagious disease. It becomes infected by droplets, through direct contact with a sick person and by eating and / or drinking together. The incubation period is approx. 24-72 hours. The peak incidence is observed in autumn, late winter and early spring. Children 5-10 years old are more prone to contracting the disease than young children or adults.

The etiology of angina is diverse:

– bacteria are the most common cause – usually group A streptococci – Streptococcus pyogenes – pyogenic streptococcus (the name streptococcus comes from the form in which bacteria settle under a microscope),

Usually, angina is preceded by systemic symptoms of infection, i.e. high fever, chills (with increasing fever) and general malaise.

Irrespective of the type of pathogen, angina is characterized by sudden onset of symptoms. It is accompanied by the characteristic “raspberry” appearance of the tonsils and the pharyngeal arches (redness resulting from hyperemia). The essence of angina is the enlargement of the Waldeyer’s pharyngeal ring (it includes pharyngeal and lingual tonsils, trumpet and palatine tonsils, and individual lymph nodes located in the pharyngeal mucosa). Fibrinous exudate appears in the crypts (cavities) of the tonsils, and the lymph nodes in the neck area are enlarged and often painful to touch. For comparison, in the case of the common acute pharyngitis, the disease does not have such a high reaction in the lymph nodes, nor does it cause such a high fever.

Symptoms that are most troublesome during an infection are:

– sharp sore throat, which increases with swallowing and may radiate into the ear; a sore throat usually appears 1-2 days after the first symptoms of the disease and subsides by day 5;

– pain, congestion, swelling (enlargement) of the tonsils, fibrous (yellowish) exudate on their surface;

– inflammation of the cervical nodes, sometimes making it difficult to move the neck.

For throat inflammations, it is worth using the convenient fix FOR THROAT tea from the Herbapol brand in Krakow. You can buy it on Medonet Market at a favorable price.

In the case of angina (regardless of the type of bacteria), the onset of the disease is rapid. It is not preceded by a runny nose or a cough. The fever ranges from 38,5 to 40^oC. There may be headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. Due to a sore throat and difficulty swallowing, reluctance to eat, including loss of appetite, appears.

Streptococcal toxins cause diffuse, vivid red (raspberry) congestion of the mucosa of the palatine arches, the back wall of the pharynx, and palatine tonsils. In as many as 2/3 of cases, streptococcal angina can proceed without purulent or fibrinous exudate on the tonsils.

If the strep throat is caused by coryneform diphtheria (diphtheria), there is a white-grayish coating on the tonsils. When trying to separate it, there is quite profuse bleeding.

In the case of Plaut-Vincent angina, anaerobic spindle mucus is the etiological factor. Then only one tonsil is enlarged and there is a gray (giving the impression of “dirty”) coating on its surface.

You can now check for yourself whether the symptoms that bother you are actually symptoms of angina. At Medonet Market, buy Angina Home Test – ANGINA STREP A.

If you have pharyngitis, use chamomile tea as an adjuvant in the treatment.

When to see a doctor?

Consult a physician for any upper respiratory infection accompanied by fever. On the basis of the clinical picture and, in case of doubt, appropriate tests, he will be able to make an appropriate diagnosis and initiate the necessary treatment. In the case of viral angina, it is mainly symptomatic – painkillers, antipyretics. However, if angina is caused by bacteria, antibiotic therapy is used – penicillins, cephalosporins, or in case of intolerance – macrolides. For anaerobic bacteria, clindamycin, metronidazole or amoxicillin with clavulanic acid are used. A sick person is considered to stop infecting 24 hours after taking the first dose of an antibiotic.

Properly treated angina should not keep you at home for more than 7-10 days. Penicillin antibiotic therapy lasts 10 days. If you do not feel better within 2-3 days of starting treatment with bacterial angina, you should see your doctor again – it is possible that the bacterial strains are resistant to the antibiotic you are taking.

In about 30% of cases, the disease recurs – usually when antibiotic therapy was not initiated early enough or was not applied strictly according to the doctor’s recommendations.

As an aid in the treatment of angina, use Marshmallow Root, which moisturizes the throat, helps to get rid of secretions and has a soothing effect.

Health-threatening complications?

In most cases, streptococcal angina is a disease of relatively short duration, amenable to antibiotic therapy and disappears without a trace. However, if not treated properly, it can lead to serious complications. They are divided into two groups: systemic and local. The first includes:

– rheumatic fever (due to the more common and effective use of antibiotics, this complication is observed less and less);

– sepsis – most often in infants and young children and people with impaired function of the immune system (eg AIDS);

– many forms of arthritis;

– glomerulopathies (diseases of the glomeruli of the kidney, often the first symptom of which is blood or haematuria).

The most common local complication of angina is infiltration and peritonsillar abscess. It is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, severe sore throat, difficulty swallowing. It can even change the timbre of the voice. The soft palate is asymmetrical, convex on one side (the site of infiltration, abscess formation). It is necessary to use antibiotics, and in some cases even to incision the lesion and perform a trial puncture.

Parapharyngeal phlegmon occurs when infection from the tonsils spreads to the muscles and other tissues in the throat. The general condition is usually severe, with severe pain in the neck, making it even impossible to move it. Sometimes there is even trismus. Treatment must be carried out in a hospital (intravenous administration of drugs and, sometimes, drainage of phlegmon is necessary).

Most often, a posterior pharyngeal abscess occurs in young children. It develops as an inflammation of the lymph nodes between the pharyngeal fascia and the pre-vertebral fascia of the back of the pharynx (the so-called Gilette’s nodes). There is a feeling of “stuffy” nose and the so-called nasal speech. If there is swelling at the lower back of the throat, shortness of breath may occur. The child then characteristically tilts its head back. Treatment consists in simultaneous drainage of the abscess and the use of antibiotics.

Angina Ludovichi (phlegmon of the floor of the mouth) – occurs most often in infants and young children. It is manifested by inflammation of the tissues in the submandibular and sublingual area. Requires administration of an antibiotic.

Antibiotic therapy is effective, but has side effects: it upsets the balance of the intestinal flora responsible for immunity. When prescribing an antibiotic, your doctor usually recommends a probiotic as well. Below are some examples of products that will help rebuild a healthy microbiome. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking them or giving them to your child.

1. Probiotic in sachets for children and infants (check the offer)
2. Probiotic in capsules containing 10 strains of bacteria (check the offer)
3. Probiotic in sachets with vitamin C (check the offer)

Do you know that…:

Increasingly, in doctor’s offices, you can perform the so-called Strep A Test, which is a quick test, which allows you to find out within 5 minutes whether angina is caused by group A pyogenic streptococcus. The test consists in detecting the antigen of this bacterium in a swab taken from the throat.

See Immunity Secrets