Cough

How to distinguish a sore throat from pharyngitis in a child. How does pharyngitis differ from laryngitis, tonsillitis and tracheitis? Video: Sore throat and viral pharyngitis

Throat diseases are associated with some monotonous symptoms, which can be misleading and often cause confusion. This is especially true for sore throat and pharyngitis caused by the virus entering the body. Medical assistance can help in this matter; the doctor, based on the examination, test results and complaints provided, will make the correct diagnosis.

But, there are situations when first aid during treatment must be provided even before contacting a doctor, and for this you need to independently figure out what disease you have to fight. After all, treatment methods and first aid can differ radically.

Main differences in symptoms

There are a number of differences between sore throat and pharyngitis:

Symptoms	Pharyngitis	Angina
Inflammation	There is no clear limitation, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed. Characterized by redness of the throat.	Inflammation is localized on the tonsils and palatine arches.
Deterioration in general health	The condition does not deteriorate significantly, intoxication is not pronounced. Body temperature often remains within the normal range. But there are cases of increase to 38°C.	Temperatures are rising rapidly and can reach over 39°C. Symptoms of intoxication include headache, muscle and joint pain. Children also experience nausea and possible vomiting.
Discomfort in the throat	It manifests itself as tolerable pain, soreness, which causes a severe cough.	Sharp, severe pain that intensifies when swallowing.
Runny nose	With pharyngitis, nasal congestion and mucous discharge often appear.	Unlike pharyngitis, it is not accompanied by a runny nose.
Discharge	Mucous or mucopurulent discharge that flows down the back wall.	The tonsils are covered with a white coating. Yellowish or white convex tubercles and purulent plugs are observed.
Bad breath	Not observed.	Inherent in sore throat.
Edema	The back of the throat, palatine arches and uvula may appear small and swollen.	It is characterized by enlargement and swelling of the tonsils, palatine arches and uvula.

Differences in treatment

Treatment of pharyngitis is selected depending on the diagnosed type, which is determined by the nature of the pathogen. While sore throat is treated with a mandatory course of antibiotics related to Penicillins or Cephalosporins.

There are also the following differences in treatment:

Drugs and procedures	Treatment of pharyngitis	Treatment of sore throat
Painkillers	Local antiseptics that contain anesthetics.	Local and systemic painkillers, antipyretics: Ibuprofen, Analgesics.
Rinse	Saline solution, antiseptic solutions, with Rotokan, decoctions of medicinal herbs, 3 to 5 times a day, as directed by the attending physician.	Soda-saline solution, saline solution, Furacilin, Chlorophyllipt, Eludril. For the treatment to be effective, rinsing should be done every hour.
Antiviral	Prescribed to maintain immunity and for viral causes of the disease. In most cases, these are drugs: Amizon, Anaferon, Arbidol.	If a sore throat is accompanied by ARVI, then the appointment will be beneficial. It is also logical to use drugs containing Acyclovir for herpetic sore throat.
Homeopathy	It is used often, especially in cases where medications are not desired. It is better to consult a homeopathic doctor for the selection of remedies; he will prescribe suitable preparations with iron, belladonna, echinacea, iodine and other components.	It is rarely used in treatment, rather, in the process of recovery from illness. For this purpose, the doctor may prescribe Tonsillotren.
Distraction procedures	At a normal temperature and an uncomplicated form of the disease, warming foot baths, compresses on the throat and decoctions of medicinal herbs for gargling and in the form of herbal teas are allowed.	It is better to follow a course of medications during treatment and, under no circumstances, use warming procedures, alcohol rubbing or compresses.
Anti-intoxication measures	Rarely prescribed, according to indications.	Mandatory, suitable for home use: activated carbon, Atoxil, Enterosgel. In a day hospital setting, droppers with Reosorbilact are placed.

Local therapy in the form of throat irrigation with Bioparox, Ingalipt, Angilex, Orasept or resorption of antiseptic tablets Faringosept, Lizak, Lizobakt, Septefril remains common in the treatment of diseases. You should also follow the general recommendations for throat diseases:

Diet. Remove spicy, sour, salty, hot and cold foods from your diet. Stick to warm, pureed foods that won't irritate your throat.
Bed mode. For angina, bed rest is indicated as a prerequisite; for pharyngitis, it is desirable. But, definitely, rest and the absence of stress on a sick body will not hurt anyone. It will be useful to increase the amount of sleep. The patient's room must be wet cleaned at least once a day and ventilated, provided that the patient is not in the room.
Abundant drink. It is recommended for men to increase the amount of fluid to 3 liters, for women to 2 liters per day. These aggregate figures include drinks and liquid meals.
Hydration air. You can humidify the air with a special device - a humidifier. Also suitable: an aquarium in the room, other containers with water provided, during the heating season, preferably near the radiators.

Or a sore throat?

Having discovered similar symptoms, many people think that they have a sore throat. At the same time, the majority of patients prefer to treat themselves - with the help and sucking of lozenges for a sore throat. Some people feel better after 2-3 days, while others have a sharp rise in temperature, muscle and joint pain. In this case, without urgent medical attention and proper treatment, complications will not develop.

Why do the same treatments help in one case, but are useless in another? In fact, such symptoms as pain, inflammation and discomfort in the throat manifest not only sore throat, but also pharyngitis. And if the latter can be dealt with with the help of rinses and anti-inflammatory aerosols, then with the first diagnosis you cannot do without serious medications. These are completely different diseases: the causes that caused them, the method of treatment and the consequences are radically different.

What kind of diseases are these?

Pharyngitis of a viral nature is successfully combated with the help of gargles, a gentle diet, drinking plenty of fluids, and anti-inflammatory aerosols. Under no circumstances take antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription: they have no effect on viruses, but can harm the body.

Antibiotics and macrolides (vilprafen) may be needed if tests indicate bacteria as the culprit of the disease.

As a rinse, you can use a solution of a teaspoon of salt, soda and a few drops of iodine in a glass of warm water; furatsilin solution. To avoid further irritation to your throat, avoid hot and cold drinks and spicy foods during treatment. Alkaline drinking (mineral water without carbon), warm tea (green, chamomile, mint) will be beneficial.

Sore throat and pharyngitis are diseases of the nasopharynx. To understand how they differ, you need to understand what they are, what their symptoms and dangers are. Some people believe that the difference between pharyngitis and sore throat is insignificant, but this is not so.

What is a sore throat

The medical name for sore throat is tonsillitis. This is an infectious disease that is characterized by inflammation and hyperemia of the palatine tonsils. In addition to the tonsils, the inflammatory process affects the pharyngeal cavity. As a complication, angina can affect the heart, joints, and kidneys.

Reasons

Tonsillitis occurs for the following reasons:

infection with hemolytic streptococci;
when eating, using utensils from which a person with a sore throat ate;
hypothermia of the whole body or specifically the throat. This can happen due to drinking cold drinks or eating ice cream;
smoking and drinking alcohol - they irritate the mucous membranes of the throat;
lack of indoor cleaning, accumulation of house dust;
hazardous production with the release of toxic substances that have a detrimental effect on the respiratory system;
presence of adenoids in the pharynx;
sinusitis or other purulent diseases;
caries and diseases in the oral cavity.

Sore throat is a contagious disease that requires isolation of the patient from other family members. It is transmitted by airborne droplets and through the mouth. You can get it from a sick person if you use his household items.

Thus, small children who have the habit of putting everything in their mouths often get sick. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the hygiene of your baby’s toys and personal items.

Symptoms

This disease has the following symptoms:

increased body temperature, sometimes up to 40 degrees;
sore throat, inability to swallow food normally;
lymph nodes in the neck are enlarged;
general malaise, weakness, fatigue;
redness of the entire throat area in the first days;
pus begins to collect on the tonsils;
An unpleasant, putrid odor appears from the mouth.

Tonsillitis is much worse tolerated than a common cold. It comes in several types and each has its own characteristics. On average, people suffer from tonsillitis for about a week.

Types of sore throat

Conventionally, tonsillitis is divided into three subtypes - ordinary, symptomatic and specific.

Ordinary tonsillitis is accompanied by damage exclusively to the tonsils, the rest of the pharynx is not affected. Symptomatic, or secondary tonsillitis, is a consequence of such dangerous infectious diseases as diphtheria and scarlet fever. It may also be a consequence of leukemia. Specific sore throat is caused by individual pathogens, for example, fungi.

There are the following types of tonsillitis:

Catarrhal. It occurs most easily, the tonsils are only slightly hyperemic, the body’s reaction is mild, the temperature is subfebrile. If you take treatment, the disease goes away after two days. If left untreated, it goes to the next stage and takes on another form.
Follicular. The follicles are affected, and suppuration in the form of white dots forms on them. Later, the follicles open and pus spreads throughout the tonsil. But it doesn’t go beyond its limits.
Lacunar. Temperatures can rise to 40 degrees. Purulent plaque spreads through the lacunae of the tonsils. It is easily removed, leaving no ulcers or bleeding.
Necrotic. It is difficult, with a high temperature that does not subside when taking antipyretics. May cause vomiting. Blood tests show significant abnormalities. In the area of the tonsils there is a dirty gray coating with fibrin. If it is removed, bleeding appears on the surface of the mucous membranes.

There are also herpetic, diphtheroid, phlegmonous, and ulcerative membranous tonsillitis. They are less common.

The incubation period is short, up to three days. The disease begins acutely, with high fever, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes.

Complications of tonsillitis

If acute tonsillitis is not treated, it can cause the following complications:

inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, sinusitis, otitis media, meningitis;
damage to the heart, kidneys, joints;
bleeding in the throat;
appendicitis;
abscess, sepsis, phlegmon and others.

Tonsillitis is always accompanied by infection. It can spread to any organ in the human body at any time and lead to dangerous consequences.

What is pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the back wall of the throat. May be acute or chronic. It is often a consequence of inflammation in the nasal cavity. The causative agents are influenza viruses and others. It can also be a symptom of scarlet fever, rubella and measles.

Types of pharyngitis and their symptoms

There are several types of pharyngitis:

The third type of pharyngitis is more common in older people and can resolve without fever.

The main symptoms of all pharyngitis are a sore throat, soreness and discomfort in the nasopharynx, enlarged lymph nodes, and possible low fever and cough. If it occurs, it is persistent.

Causes

Pharyngitis can occur for the following reasons:

inhalation of cold air;
cold drink;
tobacco smoke;
exposure to strong alcohol;
microbacteria and viruses;
caries in the oral cavity;
inflammation in the ears.

Based on the type of pathogen, it is divided into viral and bacterial. If left untreated, the infection can spread to other respiratory organs.

What is the difference between pharyngitis and tonsillitis?

As can be seen from the definitions, it is impossible to confuse pharyngitis with a sore throat. An experienced specialist will immediately see that the patient has pharyngitis or tonsillitis.

Here are their distinguishing features:

Pharyngitis differs from tonsillitis in its clinical picture, effect on the body and possible complications.

Sore throat is a serious disease with dangerous consequences. Pharyngitis is an unpleasant disease, easier to tolerate, but also requires treatment.

What do they have in common?

Often these two diseases are present at the same time because they have many similarities:

According to localization, they are located in one place - in the nasopharynx.
They can be caused by the same virus or bacteria.
They may have the same causes - hypothermia, smoking, alcohol, inflammatory processes in neighboring organs.

But their clinical picture is different, so distinguishing a sore throat from pharyngitis is not difficult. However, this must be done by a specialist.

Tonsillitis and pharyngitis occur quite often in people, and it is not difficult to distinguish them. Why the same viruses cause a sore throat in one person and pharyngitis in another is not yet fully understood. Most likely, the reason lies in the immune system and individual characteristics of the body. But only a doctor can make a diagnosis - pharyngitis or tonsillitis.

Diseases that develop in the oropharynx have similar symptoms, so it is almost impossible to distinguish a sore throat from pharyngitis without the help of a doctor. But many people refuse medical help, trying to independently analyze symptoms, make a diagnosis and select medications. This approach leads to complications.

Sore throat (tonsillitis) and pharyngitis - features of development, distribution and localization in the throat

And these are two pathologies that are localized in close proximity to each other. This arrangement leads to difficulties in diagnosis, but an experienced specialist can easily identify the type of disease by visual examination and patient complaints.

Distinctive features of sore throat and pharyngitis

Acute tonsillitis or - a severe inflammatory process that affects the tonsils and, in rare cases, the palatine arches. It is by the localization of the pathological process that one can distinguish a sore throat from pharyngitis. Inflammation of the tonsils occurs as a result of a bacterial infection, even if the disease is caused by viruses; as the pathology progresses, rapid proliferation of bacteria begins, leading to the characteristic signs of a sore throat.

When the back wall of the pharynx becomes inflamed, it is diagnosed. This is a localized disease that, over a long period of time, affects not only the mucous epithelium, but also soft and lymphatic tissues. Upon examination, a clear area of hyperemia and swelling is visible, allowing an accurate diagnosis.

Attention! Localization of inflammation in the area of the tonsils and pharynx is called pharyngotonsillitis.

Differences in the causes of diseases

Sore throat occurs when bacteria penetrate the palatine tonsils. The most common and dangerous pathogens are hemolytic streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus.

The main causes of sore throat:

diphtheria;
frontal sinusitis;
bronchitis;
scarlet fever.

The causes of pharyngitis are predominantly viral infections, that is, inflammation in the throat almost always develops as a secondary disease with herpes infection. Inflammation of the pharynx is caused by bad habits, spicy foods, mechanical damage, food allergies and other irritating factors.

Common causes of sore throat and pharyngitis can be identified:

hay fever;
polyps in the nasopharynx;
furunculosis;
caries, pulpitis.

Sore throat and pharyngitis are provoked by a decrease in immunity, in which bacteria located in the oropharynx are activated and begin to multiply rapidly. This is facilitated by hypothermia, exacerbation of chronic infections, vitamin deficiency, hormonal disorders and other reasons leading to dysfunction of the immune system.

How can you become infected with sore throat and pharyngitis, routes of infection

Sore throat and pharyngitis are very contagious diseases that are transmitted through the air, through saliva, shared utensils and hygiene items. The causative agents of sore throat can survive for a long time in the external environment, so a sick person should use only personal belongings so as not to spread the infection.

It is more common due to the prevalence of viral infections, but it is mass infection of sore throat that occurs within a small group or within one family. This is due to the fact that tonsillitis has a higher degree of contact - that is, it is more contagious.

Distinctive symptoms and manifestations of sore throat and pharyngitis in acute form

The symptoms characteristic of these pathologies are very similar, especially in the first stages of development. As the process progresses, differences appear, but still a person without a medical education will not be able to make a correct diagnosis. Symptoms of tonsillitis are more pronounced and more disturbing to the patient.

The main clinical signs can be identified:

thickening of the tonsils;
enlarged lymph nodes;
acute sore throat, constant burning sensation;
the formation of purulent plaque on the tonsils;
high body temperature;
muscle and joint pain;
purulent odor from the mouth;
general malaise.

Sore throat is characterized by pronounced signs of intoxication - severe weakness, excruciating pain in the head, dizziness. Many patients complain of abdominal discomfort and nausea.

Symptoms of acute pharyngitis:

hyperemia and swelling of the back of the throat;
transillumination of blood vessels through the mucous membrane;
sore and dry throat;
dry cough;
sensation of a lump in the throat;
pain when swallowing;
increase in temperature;
weakness in the body.

Sore throat is characterized by high body temperature, which ranges from 39-40°C, which makes it possible to distinguish tonsillitis from inflammation of the larynx. Acute pharyngitis is also accompanied by an increase in temperature, but it rarely rises above 38°C.

There are differences between sore throat with tonsillitis and pharyngitis. From the first day of inflammation of the tonsils, severe pain is observed, which interferes with eating, as the painful sensations become stronger.

Attention! Hot drinks can provoke the growth of bacteria and worsen the course of the disease.

Characteristic differences - with pharyngitis, warm drinks are included in the treatment regimen - relief occurs after warm tea, but not for long, so the patient constantly experiences dryness in the throat, leading to thirst.

With tonsillitis, the pain intensifies in the second half of the day and makes it difficult to fall asleep; with pharyngitis, the most unpleasant sensations are observed after waking up due to the drying out of the pharyngeal mucosa.

Chronic pathologies have mild symptoms, in which the body temperature rarely rises. Painful sensations practically do not bother, but in both cases the immune system suffers - the body becomes more susceptible to infections.

Differences in diagnosis

Before starting treatment, you must visit a doctor to identify the location of the inflammatory process and determine the type of disease. Diseases refer to inflammatory processes that can spread significantly and affect neighboring tissues. Therefore, during diagnosis, an important role is given to collecting anamnesis and identifying factors that precede the disease.

In general, diagnosis goes through several stages:

patient interview;
visual examination of the larynx;
general blood test;
culture for microflora;
determination of sensitivity to drugs.

Sore throat requires more attention, therefore, to exclude the presence of systemic complications. The patient must have an ECG to make sure that the infection has not affected the heart. A blood test for antistreptolysin, rheumatoid factor and C-reactive protein is required. If the sore throat occurs with complications, the patient is referred for consultation to a rheumatologist.

For pharyngitis, blood is taken for antistreptolysin if culture reveals the presence of streptococcal infection. If the patient has a history of allergies, he is referred to an allergist and tests are prescribed for the level of immunoglobulins and allergy tests.

Treatment of sore throat and pharyngitis, what is the difference?

The treatment tactics for patients with acute tonsillitis and pharyngitis differ in many ways, but there are general rules of therapy - bed rest, room ventilation, good nutrition and limiting vocal stress.

Immunostimulating drugs are also mainly used to treat pharyngitis:

Amiksin.

Tonsillitis requires antibacterial treatment for at least 10 days. Drugs are selected based on tests to identify the pathogen and its sensitivity to antibiotics.

How to treat a bacterial infection:

Flemoclav.
Suprax.

These drugs can be prescribed for bacterial pharyngitis, but the duration of therapy does not exceed 5-7 days. And with a mild course of the disease, you can get by with local antiseptic drugs. For tonsillitis, systemic antibacterial treatment is always combined with local therapy.

Important! Tablets for tonsillitis and pharyngitis, containing, are prescribed if it is impossible to inject the medicine.

There are medications that are used for both pathologies:

Sprays – Miramistin, Bioparox, Ingalipt.
For resorption - Strepsils, Gramicidin, Lizobakt, Faringosept.
Gargles - Miramistin, Furacilin, Chlorophyllipt, OKI, Lugol. You can gargle with a solution of soda with iodine or decoctions of medicinal plants.
To cope with pain and bring down the temperature - Aspirin, Mig.

In case of severe tonsillitis and in order to avoid transition to a chronic form, the treatment includes washing the tonsils, which is carried out by a specialist in the treatment room. Washing is carried out with a syringe, Tonzillor or UZOL devices.

Treatment of sore throat and pharyngitis may include inhalations. But the difference is that for tonsillitis, only antiseptic solutions are used, which are sprayed using a compression inhaler - Miramistin, Chlorophyllipt, Furacilin, Tonsilgon, Dioxidin or Fluimucil. And for pharyngitis - inhalations with alkaline mineral waters to soften the pharyngeal mucosa or cough solutions - Lazolvan For streptococcal sore throat, bacteria are able to penetrate the systemic bloodstream, causing rheumatic lesions of internal organs. These include scleroderma, myocarditis, endocarditis, glomerulonephritis, polyarthritis, osteomyelitis and other complications.

Such pathologies significantly affect the patient’s condition, causing impairment, leading to disability. The same complications are characteristic of bacterial pharyngitis, but since the disease is most often caused by viruses, they occur extremely rarely.