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Purulent pharyngitis – This is a disease in which inflammation of the back wall of the throat occurs with the formation of purulent exudate. Most often, this process develops as a result of injury to the throat, or due to the spread of pyogenic microorganisms from nearby foci of infection.
Purulent pharyngitis is severe, accompanied by an increase in body temperature and requires immediate medical attention.
Causes of purulent pharyngitis
The causes of purulent pharyngitis can be identified as follows:
The spread of purulent infection to the mucous membrane of the throat from nearby foci of inflammation. It can be purulent otitis media, purulent sinusitis or rhinitis, tonsillitis, parotitis, mastoiditis.
Acute pharyngitis (viral or bacterial), characterized by a complicated course. In some cases, fungal pharyngitis can lead to suppuration of the mucous membrane of the throat.
Purulent pharyngitis can become a complication of tonsillectomy and adenotomy.
Throat injury is one of the most common causes of purulent pharyngitis. Damage to the mucous membrane can occur with fish bone, coarse or very hot food, and other foreign objects.
Chronic diseases, reduced immunity, diabetes mellitus, HIV infection, a malignant tumor – all these factors increase the risk of developing purulent pharyngitis.
Pharyngitis is complicated by suppuration with regular use of alcoholic beverages, smoking and inhalation of air polluted with smoke, dust, and chemical impurities.
The formation of an ozen in the throat leads to the development of purulent pharyngitis. Most often this occurs in advanced stages of chronic pharyngitis, accompanied by atrophic processes in the mucous membrane of the throat.
Symptoms of purulent pharyngitis
Symptoms of purulent pharyngitis are obvious to the patient, manifested by severe discomfort in the throat, which makes a person seek medical help.
The clinical picture of the disease is characterized by the following features:
Sore throat that gets worse when swallowing.
Congestion in the ears, irradiation of pain in the ears.
Persistent paroxysmal cough, accompanied by the separation of viscous sputum with impurities of pus.
Enlargement and soreness of the cervical and submandibular lymph nodes.
Hyperemia of the mucous membrane of the throat.
Swelling of the tongue, lateral ridges, tonsils.
The presence of a mucopurulent film on the back of the throat, possibly spreading to the tonsils.
Bad smell from the patient’s mouth.
There may be erosions on the back of the throat.
Body temperature with purulent pharyngitis most often increases to high values. Sometimes there is a fever with headache, muscle and joint pain. At the same time, the person’s appetite worsens, weakness and fatigue increase.
Depending on the cause of purulent pharyngitis, the symptoms of the disease will vary somewhat. So, in the presence of ozena, a large fetid ulcer covered with crusts will be visible on the mucous membrane of the throat. With the development of purulent pharyngitis against the background of a chronic focus of infection in the sinuses, there will be symptoms such as difficulty in nasal breathing, pain in the temples, forehead, etc. Tonsils can be riddled with purulent plugs or furrows.
Diagnosis of purulent pharyngitis
Diagnosis of purulent pharyngitis is within the competence of an otolaryngologist. The doctor interrogates the patient, examines him with the obligatory pharyngoscopy. To identify bacterial or viral pathogens of inflammation, it is necessary to conduct a bacterial and virological examination of a swab taken from the throat.
Treatment of purulent pharyngitis
Treatment of purulent pharyngitis is based on the elimination of the cause that led to the development of the disease. Therapy includes local and general procedures. Most often, patients require antibiotics. Their selection is carried out on the basis of which drugs the isolated bacterial flora turned out to be sensitive to. Most often, these are antibiotics of the penicillin series, although cephalosporins and macrolides may be prescribed.
In the presence of high body temperature and severe pain, patients are recommended to take anti-inflammatory drugs, including: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Nimesulide. To relieve edema, you can use hyposensitizing drugs – these are Erius, Erespal, Loratadin.
Local treatment is reduced to regular gargling with a solution of sodium chloride, disinfectant and alkaline compounds. This is necessary to remove purulent mucus, which is the source of infection. Means for local treatment of the throat can be: Chlorophyllipt, Eludril, Stopangin, Yoks. Easy to use throat sprays, they are great for those situations where there is no way to rinse it. For local treatment of purulent pharyngitis, you can use such drugs as: Hexoral, Lugol, Cameton, Ingalipt, Strepsils, Oracept, Tantum Verde, Stopangin, Proposol. You can also use tablets and lozenges for resorption – these are Strepsils, Lizobakt, Doctor Mom, Septolete, etc.
There are certain requirements for the food and liquid that the patient consumes. First, it should not be too hot or cold. Secondly, spicy, sour and salty foods should be abandoned. Thirdly, the diet during an exacerbation of the disease should be based on light foods. It is good if fresh vegetables and fruits, sour-milk drinks are present on the table every day.
If the body temperature is not elevated, then inhalations can be done with a nebulizer. It is best to use alkaline mineral water as a medicinal solution for purulent pharyngitis. Mucolytic drugs (Ambrobene, Ambroxol, Lazolvan, etc.) are used in the presence of viscous sputum that is difficult to separate. These drugs are available in tablet form and in the form of a solution for inhalation.
Comprehensive treatment of purulent pharyngitis with sanitation of all foci of infection allows you to quickly get rid of inflammation and prevent the development of complications. During the treatment of the acute stage of the disease, the patient should stay at home and adhere to bed rest. Hospitalization is usually not required.