Synonyms
Cold, hoarseness, sore throat Patients with sore throat usually complain of an initially rough feeling in the back of the neck and throat. At times, the rough feeling is also accompanied by slight swallowing difficulties with pain. Within a short time, this feeling is then replaced by moderate to severe pain in this area.
Characteristically, the pain occurs only when swallowing. (see: Pain when swallowing) Between the swallowing processes, patients are usually free of pain. Especially the ingestion of food (nutrition), and here rather solid food, causes pain.
Depending on the underlying disease, sore throats are also accompanied by fever, skin rashes, and moderate to severe headaches and aching limbs as well as feelings of weakness and poor general condition. In the case of bacterial infections, white patches on the tonsils can sometimes be detected. In viral infections, these white patches are usually missing.
Sore throat caused by pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat) usually has a spontaneous healing effect. After about 3 days, half of the patients’ sore throats have already subsided and 85% are free of fever. After one week, about 90% of patients no longer complain of sore throat.
The average duration of sore throat was described as 3-5 days. In addition to this rather harmless and frequent course, however, there is also a risk of recurrent complicated courses. In principle, the complications are divided into purulent complications and non-purulent complications.
One of the purulent complications is the peritonsillar abscess. These complications usually announce themselves with strong to severe sore throat when swallowing. In addition, oedematous swellings of the posterior pharynx can be recognized.
The suppository may be displaced to the opposite side due to the swollen masses. The reason for this complication is beta-hemolytic streptococci of the groups A, B, C and G as well as the streptococcus pyogenes causing the so-called GAS pharyngitis. But also anaerobic bacteria can cause such an abscess.
In rare cases, inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media) or inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis) can also accompany a complicated course. Non-purulent complications include acute rheumatic fever and acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Furthermore, it is possible that streptococci can be carried over and spread throughout the body if not treated. In the worst case, this can result in myocarditis. Especially if the patient does not take care of his or her body, the risk of this complicated process increases.
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