Contents
Angina (or acute tonsillitis) is an infectious disease in which the palatine tonsils become inflamed. Most often, angina is caused by respiratory viruses and group A hemolytic streptococcus, as well as various bacteria and fungi.1.
Doctors distinguish several types of angina: catarrhal, lacunar, follicular, fibrinous and phlegmonous1. They have similar symptoms, and the difference is in the degree of damage to the tonsils and general intoxication of the body.
The main symptoms of angina:
- sore throat that worsens when swallowing and may radiate to the ear;
- headache, general malaise, weakness;
- increase in body temperature up to 37–39˚С, chills;
- cervical and submandibular lymph nodes increase in size and can be painful when pressed;
- enlargement and redness of the palatine tonsils.
If you notice symptoms of the disease, contact your doctor immediately. With seeming “simplicity” angina can lead to very serious complications. Timely treatment will help you cope with the disease in a short time.
Drugs for angina in adults
Treatment of angina is carried out in a complex, most often at home. If the cause of angina is bacteria, antibiotics and local antiseptics are prescribed. If necessary, the doctor can prescribe antipyretics and painkillers. With angina of viral origin, antiviral drugs may be needed
Antibiotics
Antibiotics in the treatment of angina are prescribed only if the cause of the disease is bacteria. With a viral infection, antibiotic therapy will not give any result.2. The choice of drugs depends on the nature of the disease and the intensity of the symptoms.
Penicillin antibiotics
Antibiotics of the penicillin series are prescribed for the treatment of acute tonsillitis caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus.3. The combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid gives the best result. Inexpensive and effective drugs include Ecoclave, Amoxiclav.
Cephalosporin antibiotics
If treatment with penicillin antibiotics does not work, or the patient has developed intolerance to these drugs, the doctor may prescribe cephalosporin antibiotics – based on cefuroxime and cefixime. The most famous representatives are Cefurus, Zinnat and Iksim.
Tetracycline antibiotics
These are broad-spectrum antibiotics that help to quickly stop the reproduction of bacteria and are also quickly excreted from the body. Inexpensive representatives of this series are Tetracycline and Doxycycline.
Macrolides
Macrolides are often prescribed to patients with intolerance to penicillin antibiotics. Macrolides have low toxicity, are well tolerated, and when ingested, they quickly concentrate in the focus of infection. The most commonly used drugs are azithromycin and clarithromycin.
Viral tonsillitis is quite rare and antibiotics are not suitable for its treatment. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the right antiviral drug. With adenovirus angina, Vitaglutam will be effective, with enterovirus – Cycloferon and Interferon. Arbidol and Arpeflu can be used as universal drugs.
Antiseptics
Antiseptics are used for the local treatment of angina in adults. They are available in the form of solutions for rinsing, sprays, lozenges.
Rinsing solutions
One of the best ways to treat a sore throat is to gargle. This simple and effective method helps to clear the source of infection directly. When rinsing (as opposed to using sprays), there is a mechanical “washout” of bacteria and purulent formations from the source of infection.
For rinsing with angina, solutions are used, for example, furacillin or miramistin. Also in pharmacies you can buy special solutions for rinsing based on vegetable raw materials – Rotokan, Chlorophyllipt and others.
You can gargle with sore throat with improvised means. For example, a saline solution with baking soda and a couple of drops of iodine will help replace a pharmacy antiseptic.
Sprays
The use of sprays is very convenient and effective. They perfectly cope with the main symptoms of angina: relieve sore throat, reduce swelling, have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects.
Sprays are handy when you can’t gargle because they can be carried around and used when needed.
Sprays may contain an antimicrobial, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), or an antiseptic. Perhaps the most famous spray with sulfanilamide is Ingalipt, with NSAIDs – Tantum Verde, with an antiseptic – Septolete or Hexoral. The choice of spray depends on the form of angina, and it should be used as directed by a doctor.
Lozenges
Tablets, lozenges and lozenges for sucking are also often prescribed in the treatment of angina. They are easy to use, as they do not require washing down, and have a pleasant taste.
Lozenges may contain anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, decongestant components, as well as antibiotics. The most popular drugs are Septolete, Faringosept, Gramicidin C, Strepsils and others.
It should be noted that lozenges, like sprays, cannot cure angina on their own. They are effective only as an additional remedy in combination with the main treatment, they help relieve pain and sore throat.
inhalation
Another effective method of treating angina in adults is inhalation. Gone are the days of breathing over a pot of freshly boiled potatoes or chopped onions. Now there are special inhalers and nebulizers that produce a finely dispersed air mixture with an admixture of drugs and deliver it directly to the site of infection and inflammation.
Inhalers and nebulizers differ in the mechanism of mixture formation (compression, ultrasonic, steam, etc.), they can be portable (you can carry it with you) and stationary, etc.
Inhalers help reduce the acute phase of the disease, relieve swelling and sore throat, and accelerate the healing of damaged tissues. Before using the inhaler, you should consult your doctor. You also need to remember that inhalation is prohibited at temperatures above 37,5 degrees.
Spectral and polarizing lamps
The use of quartz or polarizing lamps is an outdated method of treating angina. If earlier in each polyclinic it was possible to meet the device “Tubus-quartz”, today these devices have become portable and affordable for home treatment.
However, the question of the effectiveness of such treatment is still controversial among doctors. In addition, if the quartz lamp is mishandled, you can get a mucosal burn. Now there are devices of polarized light (for example, Bioptron). These lamps, like quartz lamps, can be used as maintenance therapy, but do not replace the main treatment.
Washing the palatine tonsils with angina in adults
Washing the tonsils is more often used in the treatment of tonsillitis caused by an exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis. In chronic tonsillitis, purulent contents accumulate in the recesses (lacunae) on the surface of the tonsils, in which pathogenic bacteria multiply.
Washing the tonsils with angina is carried out by an ENT doctor using special equipment. The washing procedure is unpleasant, but effective. Often, washing is combined with vacuum and ultrasonic exposure, which helps to remove purulent “plugs” in the tonsils.
Folk remedies for angina
Traditional medicine offers many ways to treat sore throats and sore throats. Sometimes (for example, with the onset of catarrhal sore throat), they give a good result, but they cannot replace drug therapy.
So, for example, chewing honey in combs, gargling with a mixture of beet juice and vinegar will help relieve pain and irritation. An “antianginal” remedy is an infusion of spicy cloves or dill. It is recommended to rinse with diluted Kalanchoe juice, infusion of chamomile or sage. Before using any folk remedy, be sure to consult your doctor. Do not forget, self-medication can lead to a complication of the process.
Diet for angina in adults
In the early days of a sore throat, you need to follow a sparing diet. It will help support the body with calories and vitamins and will not hurt a sore throat.
Eating should be fractional: 5-6 times a day in small portions. You can eat slimy cereals, soft bread without crusts, pasta, dairy and sour-milk products, boiled meat, broths, lean fish. Vegetables can be eaten boiled or baked. Coarse cereals, fatty meat and milk, spices, sour and spicy foods should be excluded from the diet.
It is also necessary to drink plenty of water (up to 2 liters per day). Do not drink coffee and alcoholic beverages.
Prevention of angina in adults at home
All preventive measures can be divided into two groups: general strengthening of the body and prevention of infection4.
Measures to strengthen the body include personal hygiene, a good healthy diet, regular intake of vitamins, prevention of hypothermia, hardening and giving up bad habits. It is necessary to treat chronic diseases in time, get rid of caries and other foci of infection in the body4.
If someone in your family has a sore throat, isolate them and provide them with separate utensils. Humidify and ventilate the room regularly, avoid unnecessary contact with the patient.
Popular questions and answers
Treatment and prevention of angina are of great interest among readers. We asked our expert to answer the most popular questions general practitioner Mikhail Lystsov.
How many, on average, do adults get angina?
Why is angina dangerous in adults?
How to relieve a sore throat with angina for an adult at home?
Sources:
- Angina: diagnosis and treatment. Kunelskaya N.L., Turovsky A.B., Kudryavtseva Yu.S. Russian Medical Journal, 2010. Vol. 18, No. 7. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/anginy-diagnostika-i-lechenie
- Angina throat. Preobrazhensky N. A., Kodolova I. M. Great medical encyclopedia. https://xn--90aw5c.xn--c1avg/index.php/%D0%90%D0%9D%D0%93%D0%98%D0%9D%D0%90
- Acute tonsillopharyngitis: a modern view on treatment. Atanesyan A.G., Tsagolova K.S., Kosyakov S.Ya. CONSILIUM MEDICUM, Vol. 16, No. 3. 2014. https://consilium.orscience.ru/2075-1753/article/view/94058
- Angina and chronic tonsillitis. Chistyakova V.R. Bulletin of Otorhinolaryngology, 77 (No. 1), 2012. https://www.mediasphera.ru/issues/vestnik-otorinolaringologii/2012/1/030042-46682012122