A sore throat is a common symptom of upper respiratory tract infections. It often appears in the company of other ailments, and the sum of all, after a thorough examination of the patient, makes up the diagnosis of the disease.
The sore throat can be very severe, making it difficult to swallow and speak. Sometimes it radiates to the ear area. Most often it is a symptom of pharyngitis with or without inflammation of the palatine tonsils in the course of various types of viral and bacterial infections.
Among viral infections, sore throat is very common in the course of flu and colds, but also in infections with Herpes and Coxsackie viruses. One should also not forget about mononucleosis – sometimes confusingly resembling angina – caused by the Ebstein-Barr virus. Pharyngitis symptoms also occur in primary HIV infection.
Among bacterial infections, streptococcal angina is the most common cause of severe sore throat. A sore throat is caused by an increased purulent inflammation of the throat, also affecting the palatine tonsils. However, apart from group A streptococci, the cause of sore throat and inflammation may also be infections with bacteria of other groups, e.g. Mycoplasma sp. Or Chlamydophila sp. Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish a viral throat infection from an inflammation caused by bacteria, based on the image of the throat itself and the concomitant symptoms. Hence, all over the world (and more and more often in Poland), rapid tests detecting the presence of streptococcal antigen are available, which can facilitate and accelerate diagnosis.
Symptomatic treatment of sore throat is mainly based on the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which also have an analgesic effect. In the case of viral infections, where it is not possible to combat the virus causing inflammation itself, local disinfectant and anti-inflammatory drugs can be used, primarily preventing secondary bacterial contamination. Here, over-the-counter sprays and mouthwashes containing benzydamine or chlorhexidine are used. There are also many lozenges available in pharmacies with various anti-inflammatory, analgesic and disinfecting properties. However, medicine does not have hard evidence for their effectiveness and there is no good clinical research showing the reduction of the duration of the disease thanks to their use. In the case of bacterial infections, they constitute a bridge until the antibiotic destroys pathogenic pathogens. However, in the case of viral diseases, they are designed to reduce the severity of symptoms until our body deals with the virus.
Read also: Angina and its complications