Page contents
- What is pharyngitis and tonsillitis
- symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
Pharyngitis and tonsillitis causes many cases of the disease during childhood as well as in adulthood.
This disease is considered a rare bacterial infection in boys under the age of two years.
Symptoms of pharyngitis and tonsillitis
Patients with infection of the pharynx and tonsils complain of the following symptoms:
- Pain in the pharynx.
- Pain while swallowing.
- fever.
- headache.
- frequent vomiting;
- Abdominal pain.
Causes and risk factors for pharyngitis and tonsillitis
There are many causes and factors that lead to pharyngitis and tonsillitis.
1. Causes of pharyngitis and tonsillitis
There are two main causes of pharyngitis and tonsillitis:
- viral infection
Most cases of tonsillitis and pharyngitis are caused by a viral infection, so treatment with antibiotics is not helpful.
Viruses that cause tonsillitis and pharyngitis are:
- Epstein Bar virus.
- Herpes simplex virus.
- Adenovirus (Adenovirus).
- Enteroviruses.
- Influenza viruses.
- Corona virus.
- Parainfluenza viruses.
- Rhinoviruses and other viruses.
- bacteria infection
Streptococcus A is the main bacteria responsible for tonsillitis and pharyngitis, responsible for 15%-20% of pharyngitis and tonsillitis cases.
Streptococcus A is a gram-positive bacterium. The wall of the bacteria contains different (antigens) by which streptococcus A bacteria can be classified into groups. For example, after exposure to Streptococcus A, antibody appears in the body. Specific to a specific type of M protein, but these antibodies cannot prevent infection with streptococcus bacteria that have a different M protein, so it is possible that tonsillitis and pharyngitis will recur several times during life, and these infections are caused by infection with different strains of Streptococcus bacteria a.
2. Risk factors
Among the main risk factors are the following:
- Age: It is mainly spread among boys aged 5-15 years.
- Severe exposure to the pathogen: by being inside the nursery, for example.
Complications of pharyngitis and tonsillitis
Infection with the germ can lead to complications, such as:
- Abscess in the tonsils.
- Inflammation of the middle ear.
- Sinusitis.
- Acute rheumatic fever.
- Pericarditis.
- Myocarditis.
- Endocarditis.
- Glomerulonephritis.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents.
Diagnosis of pharyngitis and tonsillitis
The diagnosis is made as follows:
1. Physical examination
The diagnosis is made through enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck, or diffuse redness in the pharynx, or inflammation of the tonsils with the appearance of white or yellow spots in the case of bacterial infection.
2. Laboratory tests
It is very important to diagnose the pathogen in the laboratory based on culture, in most cases it is also possible to rely on a quick examination for the presence of streptococcal antigens, in order to avoid antibiotic treatment, which is not needed when it is talking about an infection that is not caused by infection with Streptococcus A.
- Pharyngitis and tonsillitis treatment
Pharyngitis tonsillitis is treated as follows:
1. Treatment of viral tonsillitis
Usually, the patient is not given a treatment to eliminate the virus, only the symptoms he complains of are treated.
2. Treatment of bacterial tonsillitis
Treating contamination caused by streptococcus A infection with antibiotics contributes to shortening the duration of the disease, preventing local complications, and reducing the likelihood of developing rheumatic fever, as well as reducing the time during which the patient can transmit the infection to those around him.
- Initial treatment of primary tonsillopharyngitis
All types of Streptococcus A viruses are sensitive to penicillin, and therefore penicillin is the drug of choice for the treatment of children and adults infected with infection caused by Streptococcus A, but despite the agreement in various parts of the world that Streptococcus A bacteria are sensitive to penicillin, there are reports indicating Penicillin has failed to treat streptococcal tonsillitis in 10% - 25% of patients.
These results are explained by the presence of bacteria that produce the enzyme Beta-lactamase, and these bacteria are: Streptococcus aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenza.
The production of beta-lactamase by these bacteria leads to the breakdown of penicillin, and thus to the survival of Streptococcus A bacteria, so there are those who treat recurrent tonsil infections caused by Streptococcus A by other drugs, such as: second-generation cephalosporins (Cephalosporin), or Clindamycin, or other drugs Of the family of macrolides.
- Secondary treatment of pharyngitis and tonsillitis
If the patient has an increased sensitivity to penicillin, it can be replaced with drugs, such as: Erythromycin and Azithromycin.
Streptococcal pharyngitis is treated with penicillin for 10 days, and then azithromycin for 3 or 5 days.
In 5% - 10% of cases, there were bacteria resistant to antibiotics from the family of macrolides, such as: erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin.
3. Tonsillectomy
Recurrent tonsillitis is widespread, and treating it is a challenge for doctors.
In the past, these recurrent infections were treated with long-term treatment, and by surgical operations to remove the tonsils.
But all of these treatment methods failed, as the presence of the germ in the pharynx was diagnosed in 15% - 30% of patients after the end of treatment, the reason for the failure of treatment could be due to the patient not responding adequately to treatment, or dismantling some germs in the mouth that produce beta-lactamase of penicillin, or due to infection with another type of bacteria.
In the event of recurrent infections in the pharynx, a culture examination should be performed for family members and their treatment, or the possibility of tonsillectomy should be considered.
Prevention of pharyngitis and tonsillitis
To prevent pharyngitis and tonsillitis, you must adhere to the following:
- Wash hands well with soap and water.
- Do not share private tools with others.
- Replacing a toothbrush after a previous infection with tonsillitis.
smilesإخفاء