Inflammation in the throat is a disease characterized by the presence of inflammatory processes in the area of the pharyngeal mucosa. The inflammation in the throat is divided clinically into an acute and a chronic form. Both forms of pharyngitis have different causes and require different treatment.
Especially in children, throat inflammation is one of the most common diseases. It can be assumed that out of every 1000 patients who visit a doctor, about 200 patients show the symptoms of pharyngitis. For this reason, pharyngitis is one of the most common reasons for consultation in a general practice.
Causes
Depending on the course of the inflammation in the throat, different causes may be possible. In the majority of cases, acute inflammation of the throat is accompanied by a simple cold or flu-like infection. For this reason, the typical viral pathogens of respiratory diseases are usually responsible for the development of the inflammation in the throat.
The most common viral pathogens include adeno- and influenza viruses as well as parainfluenza viruses. In addition, viruses that mainly lead to general diseases can be responsible for the occurrence of an inflammation in the throat. In this context, Epstein-Barr- (pathogen of whistling glandular fever), measles and rubella viruses play a decisive role.
As the immune system becomes increasingly weakened in the course of the viral infection, bacterial pathogens can also spread in the nasopharynx. This phenomenon is referred to as a so-called bacterial superinfection. Especially in children, the acute course of the inflammation in the throat is often caused by beta-hemolytic Group A Streptococci.
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- Causes of sore throat
- Symptoms of laryngitis
If the inflammatory processes are present for a period of more than three months, it is a so-called chronic inflammation of the throat. In contrast to the acute form, chronic pharyngitis is not caused by germs, but by long-lasting irritation of the pharyngeal mucosa. These irritations can be provoked by various factors.
Above all, excessive nicotine and/or alcohol consumption are considered to be the most frequent causes of inflammation in the throat. In addition, inflammatory processes in the throat area can be caused by frequent acidic belching of stomach acid (so-called acid reflux) and particularly dry room air in overheated rooms. In addition, chronic inflammation of the throat is often provoked by chemical air pollution or dust at the workplace.
Since it is not possible to ensure adequate cleaning and humidification of the respiratory air in patients with severely impaired nasal breathing (e.g. due to a curved nasal septum wall or repeated sinusitis), inflammation of the throat is particularly common in affected patients. Inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx can also occur during radiotherapy of the head or as a result of hormonal changes during menopause (climacteric). The reason for this is that both factors have an inhibitory effect on the production of secretions and therefore dry out the pharyngeal mucosa.
Inflammations in the throat, which are caused by an allergic disease, are counted as chronic pharyngitis. In the case of an allergy, the body reacts more strongly to foreign substances than it normally should. This leads to an overreaction of the immune system.
The immune system is regularly boosted by permanent or recurrent exposure to the allergen. This can cause chronic inflammation. Especially allergies that affect the respiratory tract can cause chronic inflammation in the bronchial system as well as in the throat.
- Symptoms of allergy
- Sore throat due to an allergy
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