Pharyngitis is referred to as sore throat. It is an inflammation of pharynx portion (area that connects nasal cavity and oral cavity to larynx). This occurs when bacteria or viruses from sinus infection, flu or cold attack throat. This is caused by various microorganisms. In many cases, pharyngitis is due to virus that includes influenza (flu) virus, HIV, adenovirus, common cold virus and other viruses.
Pharyngitis caused by bacteria include Group A streptococcus. This bacteria causes strep throat in about 15% of cases. Strep throat is the most serious cause of pharyngitis. Other bacteria responsible for pharyngitis include Arcanobacterium, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Corynebacterium and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In certain cases, no organism is detected.
Pharyngitis is common during colder months. This mostly spreads among the family members.
Symptoms of Pharyngitis:
Following are some of the symptoms of pharyngitis:
- Viral pharyngitis can be associated with postnasal drip and runny nose.
- Strep throat is associated with headache, fever and swelling in nymph nodes in neck.
- Sore throat
- In serious cases, it may be accompanied by difficulty in swallowing and in rare cases, breathing difficulty.
- Other symptoms depend on the microorganisms responsible for the disease.
Diagnosis for Pharyngitis:
Doctor performs pharynx examination to look for coating or drainage. Eyes, neck nymph and eyes are examined. If health care provider thinks that you might have had strep throat and he might perform throat swab culture or streptococcal screen. Blood tests and other throat cultures are done based on the suspected cause.
Treatment for Pharyngitis:
Treatment depends on underlying cause. Pain relievers, warm salt water gargles and fluids are used to treat viral infections. If strep throat is not diagnosed, antibiotics are used.
In many cases, pharyngitis goes away on its own, without any complications.
1 Comment
chlamydia is so groos, my friend got one last year and it was very nasty