Follicular pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is a chronic or acute form of pathology that affects the mucous membrane of the human pharynx. Follicular pharyngitis is a disease accompanied by the rapid formation of purulent foci in the area of the follicles (otherwise called lymph nodes).

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Causes of Follicular Pharyngitis

Colds are a fairly common pathology that affects every person at least once in their life. It is not that difficult to “catch” it, but still, what are the causes of follicular pharyngitis, which so often affects the throat of an ordinary person?

• This pathology can occur when a person breathes cold air.
• Nicotine and alcoholic drinks, weakening the body, can contribute to the disease.
• Follicular pharyngitis can be caused by a viral infection of the body (for example, various strains of influenza).
• Its appearance and development can be provoked by multiple pathogenic microorganisms: staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci and others.
• The Candida fungus can also become a catalyst.
• In rare cases, it can also provoke an allergic reaction.
• Injury.
• Polluted air.
• Inhalation of chemicals.
• Stressful situations.

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Symptoms of follicular pharyngitis

Almost everyone knows how a cold begins, but it still wouldn’t hurt to once again voice the main symptoms of follicular pharyngitis.

• There is a sore throat and a feeling of a foreign object in the throat.
• Pain begins to be felt in the throat, and in some cases it begins to radiate to the ear.
• Pain may occur throughout the body, especially in the joints.
• The pharynx is clearly hyperemic.
• A wet cough begins.
• Breathing problems begin to arise.
• Ear congestion may occur.
• Changes in the voice are observed, the timbre becomes hoarse.
• The amount of mucus secreted increases, which is the reason that provokes coughing.
• Swelling of the posterior pharyngeal wall.
• An unpleasant, painful sensation is noted when swallowing.

As the purulent process in the follicles progresses, the following are necessarily added:

• The body temperature rises rapidly, reaching dangerous levels for the body – 39 ^° C, or even 40 ^° C.
• Difficulty speaking is observed due to a sore throat.
• Loss of appetite.
• Headache.
• Decreased muscle tone, general weakness appears, the whole body begins to ache.
• The surface of the tongue becomes covered with a greyish, sticky coating.
• There may be an increase in nearby lymph nodes.
• Quite often you can see that the tonsils are covered with white dots.
• Severe forms of the disease are characterized by fever.

Follicular pharyngitis can develop so rapidly that the body's defenses may simply not be enough to fight the "aggressor". And if medication support is not introduced in time, this pathology can lead to a fatal outcome.

Diagnosis of follicular pharyngitis

This disease is often of either viral or bacterial origin.

Follicular pharyngitis of viral lesion is usually the first diagnosis of such diseases as ARI (acute respiratory disease), ARVI (acute respiratory viral infection), flu. In most cases, this type of disease does not occur alone, but is accompanied by other diseases, for example, a runny nose. If nothing else bothers you except the throat, most likely, the cause of the mucous membrane lesion is a pathogenic bacterium. Diagnosis of follicular pharyngitis is relatively simple. The first thing a doctor will do - a therapist or otolaryngologist - is to analyze the patient's complaints and very carefully examine, using special mirrors and a lamp, the oral cavity and pharynx. If necessary, material is collected (a swab is taken from the throat) for further determination of the causative agent of the disease. The patient will have to undergo a general urine and blood test - this will allow the doctor to assess the level of the inflammatory process in the patient's body.

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Treatment of follicular pharyngitis

Any therapeutic actions should be aimed at stopping the root cause of the disease. Therefore, self-medication is not worth it - you need to use the services of emergency medical care or visit your doctor, who will establish the correct diagnosis. Only after this can you begin therapeutic therapy. It is very important during this period, if the patient smokes, to give up nicotine.

If treatment of follicular pharyngitis is started at an early stage of the disease, then the therapy is quite simple and the disease, after relief, does not leave complications. Still, you should not treat this pathology too carelessly - it can lead to blood infection, as well as chronic rheumatic fever, and the brain can also suffer: absent-mindedness, apathy to the environment, inhibition of reactions, and even fainting may occur.

Treatment of follicular pharyngitis is carried out in a complex manner. It is customary to combine antibiotics and traditional medicine. This therapy has two directions - the elimination of local symptoms and unpleasant sensations in the throat, as well as direct effective action on the cause that provoked the disease. In this case, the patient is necessarily prescribed antibacterial therapy, drugs that relieve pain symptoms, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic drugs.

For local effects, patients suffering from purulent pharyngitis are usually prescribed drugs that eliminate dry throat and promote the return of lost sensitivity of nerve endings. During treatment, it is necessary to drink a lot of liquid: these can be juices, broths, warm herbal teas and teas with lemon, viburnum and raspberries, fruit drinks, milk. Drinking plenty of fluids helps to reduce the temperature, restore the water-salt balance of the body, and makes it possible to reduce the general intoxication of the patient's body.

Multiple recipes of traditional medicine are also connected. After recovery, it will not be superfluous for the purposes of rehabilitation and strengthening of immunity, as well as for further treatment of chronic forms of the disease (but not during the period of exacerbation) to turn to climatic therapy, visiting mountainous regions with their healing air or the sea coast.

Treatment of follicular pharyngitis with medications

If the disease is accompanied by high temperature and bright pathological symptoms, then the patient is prescribed bed rest, since any, even minor load can complicate the course of the disease. Treatment of follicular pharyngitis with drugs is complex, allowing not only to remove uncomfortable symptoms, but also to destroy pathogenic microflora. And along with anti-inflammatory drugs, antibacterial, antiseptic and analgesic drugs are necessarily prescribed.

Antibiotics are prescribed. Penicillin groups - ampicillin, amoxiclav:

• Augmentin

The dosage of the drug is strictly individual and is prescribed depending on the sensitivity of the bacteria affecting the body, the patient's age and the severity of the disease. Do not use the drug for more than two weeks without reviewing the dosage.

For infants under one year of age, the medicine is given in drops: for newborns up to three months, the amount of the drug is indicated by the figure of 0.75 ml, and for those over three but not more than 12 months - 1.25 ml. In especially severe cases, a dose of 30 ml per kilogram of the baby's weight, administered intravenously, is allowed. The medicine is given to children every six to eight hours.

Children aged 7 to 12 years are prescribed a syrup form - 10 ml of augmentin with a concentration of 0.156 g of the active substance per 5 ml of the drug. If the concentration is twice as high, half the dose of the drug is taken. Children from two to seven - 5 ml of the main concentration. For patients aged nine months to two years, 2.5 ml of syrup is prescribed, taken three times a day. In a severe clinical situation, the dosage of the drug can be doubled. Patients over 12 years of age are prescribed 0.375 g of augmentin, which corresponds to one tablet. The dose is taken three times a day. If the degree of damage to the body is severe enough, the dose can be doubled.

Augmentin should not be prescribed to patients suffering from hypersensitivity to the components of the drug, in the presence of pregnancy and breastfeeding. It should be taken with caution if the patient has a history of liver dysfunction, a tendency to allergies, urticaria.

• Ampiox

The medicine is administered orally. The dosage for adult patients and adolescents over 14 years of age is 0.5 - 1 g taken four times a day. For children from three to seven years old, the daily dose is calculated at 0.05 g per kilogram of the child's weight. For children from 7 to 14 years old, the calculation is based on a dosage of 0.1 g per kilogram of the patient's weight. The duration of treatment is from five days to two weeks. The daily amount of the drug must be divided into four to six doses.

This medication should not be prescribed if the patient is prone to toxic-allergic reactions.

Macrolide groups - azicin, clarithromycin:

• Sumamed

This drug is taken once a day, observing the condition of taking: an hour before a meal or two hours after its completion. Adult dosage is 0.5 g for three days. For children, 10 mg per kilogram of the baby's weight, taken for three days in a row. Contraindications for this drug include: individual intolerance to the components of the drug, in case of renal and hepatic insufficiency, the likelihood of an allergic reaction.

Cephalosporin groups - cefotiam cephalexin, cefazolin:

• Cefuroxime

The route of administration of the drug is intravenous and intramuscular. For newborns, this dose is from 30 to 60 mg per kilogram of body weight of the infant, administered every six to eight hours. For children from one year and older, the amount of the drug is calculated from the equality of 30 - 100 mg per kilogram of body weight of the small patient, divided into the same six to eight injections. Adults receive cefuroxime from 0.75 to 1.0 g and divide it into eight doses. In case of severe pathology, the dosage can be increased to 3 - 6 g of the drug per day, and the interval between doses should be reduced to six hours. This drug has no special contraindications, except for hypersensitivity of the patient's body to the components of the drug.

If necessary, the attending physician will prescribe antipyretic drugs - efferalgan, paracetamol:

• Nurofen

The drug is prescribed orally to adults in a dose of 0.2-0.8 g, taken three to four times a day. If clinical effectiveness is observed, the daily dosage is reduced to 0.6-0.8 g. Nurofen is recommended to be taken after meals, washed down with plenty of liquid (milk or water).

Nurofen is contraindicated for patients with the following concomitant diseases: ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, decreased hematopoiesis, insufficient work of the heart muscle, pathology of the optic nerve, arterial hypertension, pregnancy.

Aspirin is not usually prescribed due to the increased risk of causing bleeding. These drugs usually have minor pain-relieving properties.

Antiseptics are also actively used:

Sprays for throat irrigation - Aqua Maris, Stopangin, Givalex, Ingalipt:

• Yox

The drug in the form of an aerosol is sprayed in the oral cavity, capturing the pharynx two to four times a day. If necessary, spraying is carried out every four hours. The drug is contraindicated for use in case of hypersensitivity to its components, in case of hyperthyroidism, during pregnancy and lactation, with decompensated heart failure, renal dysfunction and children under six years of age.

Lozenges - septolete, faringosept, decatilen strepsils:

• Trachisan

The method of using the drug is quite simple - you need to dissolve one tablet every two hours, and do not take more than six tablets per day - this is the dosage for patients aged 12 years and older. The recommended duration of administration is two to three days. If after five days of taking the drug there is no therapeutic effect, you should consult your doctor.

It is not recommended to take the drug for patients with hypersensitivity to the component composition, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for children under four years of age, since they do not yet know how to dissolve it.

Antiseptic mouthwashes - soda solutions, furacilin solution, hydrogen peroxide, stomatidin:

• Rivanol

The drug is diluted to proportions from 0.05% to 0.2% and the throat is gargled with the freshly prepared composition. Rivanol should not be used if the patient has kidney pathology.

In the treatment of follicular pharyngitis with medications, herbal medicines (lozenges and sprays) are also used - isla, camphomen:

• Doctor Mom

The syrup is given to children from three to five years old in the amount of half a teaspoon three times a day. For children from six to 14 years old, the dosage increases from half to a whole teaspoon of the drug, taken three times a day. The duration of treatment is two to three weeks. For patients over 14 years old (including adult patients), 5 to 10 ml is prescribed, taken three times a day. The duration of the course of therapy should be monitored by the attending physician. Contraindications include only hypersensitivity to the component composition of the drug.

These herbal preparations make the cough softer, and some of them also have a mild analgesic effect.

Folk treatment of follicular pharyngitis

We should not reject the wisdom of our ancestors, who over many centuries have learned to cope with this pathology using improvised means. But it should be noted that folk treatment of follicular pharyngitis is only accompanying help. Self-medication is not worth it, but, after consulting with a doctor, it is necessary to introduce it into your treatment therapy.

• Sea salt with iodine works great. Add two or three drops of iodine and half a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water, dissolve well and gargle with this solution every 30 minutes. You should not drip more iodine than recommended, it will not have a significant effect, and you can burn your larynx. Try not to swallow the mixture while gargling.
• Freshly squeezed potato juice has proven to be excellent and is also used to gargle.
• A decoction is prepared from blueberry berries and leaves and drunk warm throughout the day (five to seven times).
• Inhalations done in the morning and at night with oils such as peach, rose, olive or menthol are excellent. Take ten drops of the preparation per glass of boiling water and breathe for ten minutes.
• The following herbal infusions are perfect for inhalations: horsetail, immortelle, raspberry leaves. Pour one tablespoon of the infusion with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for about two hours. After straining, you can drink this infusion, you can also gargle with it.
• Gargling with soda will help relieve throat irritation. To do this, dissolve a teaspoon of soda in 200 ml of warm water.
• Don't forget about such a gift of nature as propolis. 40-50 g of the product should be cut as finely as possible. Carefully add about 100 grams of flavored oil to the resulting powder. Less expensive and more common vegetable or butter oil will do, but a greater effect can still be achieved by adding peach, olive or any other oil with antiseptic properties. This composition should be left for a week in a warm place, shaking lightly every day. After seven days, strain the solution and use the resulting liquid for inhalation. This procedure is done twice a day (morning and evening) for two months. This medicinal composition can be prepared in advance and stored in a cool place, using as directed during the illness.
• Decoctions for gargling from herbs such as chamomile, eucalyptus, sage and calendula have proven themselves to be excellent. These herbs are used both separately and in the form of collections. To prepare a solution, add one tablespoon of any of these herbs to a glass of boiling water. Boil the composition for 15 minutes in a steam bath and insist for 45 at room temperature. Then strain the liquid and use it for gargling.

It is also important to remember that it is strictly forbidden to do this during any form of viral, cold or fungal infection of the throat, including follicular pharyngitis.

• It is strictly forbidden to drink and eat hot food. Food should be warm.
• You can't steam your throat.
• You shouldn't eat food that is too cold either.
• During the illness, remove spicy and hot foods from your diet. If, however, you cannot live without spicy food, then before eating it, you should swallow a little butter, holding it in your mouth, and after eating, rinse your throat well with herbal infusion. Otherwise, all treatment may go down the drain.

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Prevention of follicular pharyngitis

Any sensible person understands that it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it, fearing complications. Therefore, prevention of follicular pharyngitis is quite relevant for everyone and general advice will be very appropriate.

• If possible, try to breathe through your nose, avoiding mouth breathing.
• The room in which a person lives or works should be ventilated more often, letting in fresh air.
• Regular wet cleaning is a must. It will reduce the risk of allergic irritation of the larynx, which is an excellent breeding ground for viral infections.
• The air in living and working areas must be humid.
• It is necessary to maintain oral hygiene by treating teeth in a timely manner.
• It is also necessary to monitor your general health, maintaining your immune system at the proper level.
• Hardening, walks in the fresh air.
• Rational nutrition, filled with vitamins and microelements.

Prognosis of follicular pharyngitis

This disease is not particularly dangerous for humans, but only if the patient undergoes adequate treatment. If you ignore acute symptoms, the situation will begin to unfold according to an unpleasant scenario: purulent lesion - intoxication of the body - death. If the diagnosis is made in time and the patient begins the necessary treatment in a timely manner, the prognosis for follicular pharyngitis is quite favorable. Therefore, you should not self-medicate, wasting time, you should immediately consult a doctor and begin treatment.

There is probably no person on Earth who has never had a cold. During this time, humanity has learned to stop this disease - multiple medications and folk remedies are now put in place to protect our health, but the percentage of the population's morbidity has not decreased. Naturally, it is better to prevent follicular pharyngitis, but if infection has already occurred, then you should not hesitate. The sooner you start treatment, the better and faster the result can be.

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