Treatment of pharyngitis in adults and children

Almost every one of us is familiar with such a disease as pharyngitis, which in practical medicine means the presence of an acute or chronic inflammatory process in the pharyngeal mucosa. This disease is very common in the cold season, in the period of viral epidemics and, perhaps, is one of the main reasons for going to the doctor, especially in children. Knowledge of the causes that led to the onset of the disease, allows for competent treatment of pharyngitis.

What causes can lead to the development of the inflammatory process in the pharynx?

Acute inflammation of the pharynx often occurs as a result of the penetration of a bacterial or viral infection. Less commonly, pharyngitis can have a fungal etiology. In addition, local damage to the mucous membrane can occur with direct exposure to irritants, tobacco smoke, too cold or, conversely, hot food, alcohol, etc.

What are the main symptoms of the disease?

The main complaints of the patient when referring to a doctor are a feeling of pricking or tingling in the nasopharynx, sore throat, especially when swallowing solid foods. Body temperature, as a rule, remains within the norm, sometimes it can rise to subfebrile. The general state of health remains normal, but there may be a slight malaise and an ache in the body. On examination, you can see the redness and swelling of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, tonsils sometimes appear on the tonsils. Very often, especially in children, nasal breathing is difficult. Proper treatment of pharyngitis at this stage allows you to fully recover and prevent the disease from passing into a chronic form.

Chronic pharyngitis can have several forms. This is catarrhal, atrophic and hypertrophic. Therefore, the treatment of pharyngitis here depends on the form of the disease.

Treatment of pharyngitis in children

In acute disease, the child is most often treated with a local treatment, which consists of repeated irrigation or rinsing of the mouth and throat with solutions of antiseptics. The most commonly used are warm solutions of furacillin or boric acid, preparations "Gramicidin", "Stopangin" or "Geksoral", herbal medicinal herbs. In addition to solutions, you can use resorption tablets with antiseptics. If nasal breathing is disturbed, irrigation of the nasal cavity is performed with a weak saline solution (preferably if it is sea water) and instillation of vasoconstrictive drugs into each nasal passage ("Nazivin", "Otryvin", "Sanorin", etc.). Alkaline inhalation is good. It is very important to drink and drink multivitamins. Treatment of pharyngitis with antibiotics is carried out when the infection spreads lower or when the chronic form of the disease is accompanied by fever. When the plaque on the tonsils occurs, pharyngitis and angina should be differentiated. Outside of illness it is important to carry out hardening measures.

Treatment of pharyngitis in adults

The drug treatment of acute pharyngitis in adults is similar. It is very important to eliminate irritant components. With chronic pharyngitis, the pharynx is treated with Lugol's solution, alkaline inhalations. To strengthen immunity, multivitamin preparations are prescribed. Hypertrophic pharyngitis is treated with a solution of "Collargol" or a solution of silver, which cauterize the lymphoid tissue of the pharynx. With severe mucosal hypertrophy, cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen) is used.

Prevention of pharyngitis is systematic hardening measures, taking multivitamins in the cold season, eliminating irritating agents (tobacco smoke, aggressive food, alcohol, etc.) and sanitation of possible foci of oral infection.