Introduction
There are characteristic symptoms of acute and chronic pharyngitis, which partly overlap. In pharyngitis, the mucous membrane in the throat is inflamed. The mucous membrane of the throat can become acutely inflamed, for example as a concomitant symptom of a cold or as part of a flu-like infection. Chronic pharyngitis can be the result of excessive nicotine consumption or radiation therapy.
Typical symptoms of pharyngitis
- Scratching and burning in the throat
- Sore throat
- Possibly radiating the sore throat into the ears
- Pain when swallowing
- Dry, rough feeling in the throat
- Reddened throat mucosa
- Possibly mucous pharyngeal mucosa
- Lump feeling in the neck
- Hoarseness
- Thirsty feeling
- Chesty cough
- Fever
- Headaches
- Increased saliva flow
In a pharyngitis, a scratching and burning sensation often occurs in the throat at the beginning of the inflammation. The scratching usually develops into pronounced pain in the throat and neck. Often the pain in the throat is accompanied by pain when swallowing.
In addition, the sore throat can be accompanied by hoarseness and, depending on the cause of the pharyngitis, symptoms such as coughing, rhinitis, headache or fever can occur. The sore throat is caused by inflammatory processes in the throat and pharynx, often caused by viruses or bacteria. The mucous membranes in the throat become red, swell and cause pain.
In the context of a pharyngitis, clearly perceptible larynx pain can occur in addition to the sore throat. Not everyone can localize laryngeal pain well, often this pain is equated with sore throat. The larynx can become inflamed and cause pain when the pharyngitis spreads.
If one suffers from pain in the larynx, hoarseness is also present in most cases. Hoarseness is a characteristic symptom of an inflammation of the larynx. Headaches can occur as an accompanying symptom of acute pharyngitis and manifest themselves in very different ways.
Headaches begin either gradually or suddenly. They can be dull, stabbing, very severe or hardly noticeable. The headache may become better when resting or lying down or stronger when moving.
If the throat is severely swollen and inflamed during a pharyngitis, increased salivation (hypersalivation) may occur. This means that the salivary glands in the mouth produce excessive saliva. A healthy person produces 1.5 liters of saliva per day.
Increased salivation is any amount well over 1.5 liters of saliva per day. Excessive salivation can be accompanied by uncontrolled salivation from the mouth (sialorrhea). Sialorrhea can manifest itself in the form of “drooling” or moist pronunciation.
Typical symptoms of a swallowing disorder are a lump feeling in the throat, increased salivary production and difficulty or pain in eating. Sometimes a gag reflex occurs during swallowing, a regurgitation of already swallowed food or coughing while eating. Many different (physical) causes can trigger swallowing difficulties, pharyngitis and tonsillitis are common causes.
In the context of inflammatory pharyngitis, pain is often the main problem of swallowing difficulties. The inflamed pharyngeal mucosa is irritated when food is swallowed, causing pain. Many people tend to eat soup when their throat is inflamed, as it is easier and less painful to take.
A pharyngitis often occurs in connection with a flu-like infection or a cold. Viruses are therefore mainly responsible for the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat. More rarely, bacteria are the cause of pharyngitis.
Many bacterial pharyngitis is caused by streptococci. A bacterial inflammation is recognized by accumulations of pus in the throat, which are visible white-yellowish coatings (pustule). Bacterial pharyngitis is usually more serious than viral inflammation and is accompanied by fever.
If you notice pus in the throat, you should see an ear, nose and throat doctor. If you have pus in your throat, fever can be a symptom of an acute pharyngitis. Fever occurs in the context of a pharyngitis, especially if, in addition to viruses, bacteria also colonize the inflamed pharyngeal mucosa.
This is called a bacterial superinfection. Fever is understood to be an increase in body temperature of 38°C or more.The body increases the body temperature to a newly set “target value” to ward off harmful influences. As fever can be dangerous for the person affected, a doctor should be consulted if there is a fever in connection with an acute pharyngitis and the fever should be lowered.
Mucus is often present in chronic pharyngitis. Those affected have a dry throat, a lump feeling in the throat and usually a chesty cough. Coughing causes the thick mucus to dissolve.
Mucolytic agents and plenty of tea help to reduce the viscous mucus. In order to permanently relieve the formation of mucus and symptoms such as chesty cough, it is important to find out the cause of the pharyngitis and treat it specifically. When the pharyngeal mucosa heals and is able to fulfill its tasks again, the formation of mucus also decreases.
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