Inflammation of the pharynx is called Pharyngitis. A sore Throat is the discomfort, pain, scratchiness or irritation in the throat which is the primary symptom of pharyngitis. A sore throat is very common in children and teens.
Why Does Pharyngitis Occurs?
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Pharyngitis?
- The main symptom is a sore throat.
- Swallowing Difficulty or, difficulty speaking
- Tender and swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Fever
- A headache
- Earache
- Joint and muscle pain
- Skin rashes
When to make an appointment with a doctor?
Call a doctor for advice if the following symptoms are present-
- A sore throat that does not go away after several days
- A high fever (101 F or more)
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck
- Rash
- A severe sore throat, but no significant cough
- Associated vomiting, headache or, abdominal pain
- Unable to sleep due to pain
- Pain that is not relieved by over-the-counter medicine
Go to a hospital's Emergency Department immediately in the following situations-
- Trouble breathing
- Significant dehydration associated with the inability to drink fluids
- Drooling
How can Pharyngitis be Diagnosed?
The doctor will perform a physical examination and look for signs of pharyngitis. He will look at your throat, ears and nasal passages using a lighted instrument. Then, he will look at the lymph nodes in the jaw and neck to find out swell.
The doctor may suggest diagnostic tests that will look for strep infection. A rapid strep test with a swab specimen from the back of the throat may be performed by a doctor or his assistant immediately. But, it does not confirm that you don’t have a strep infection. So, he may send the throat swab to a laboratory for a strep culture. You may have to wait typically 24-48 hours to get the result.
If epiglottitis or occasionally croup is suspected, he may suggest performing a neck X-rays. If mononucleosis is suspected, a blood count and antibody test may be helpful to confirm the diagnosis.
What are the Complications of Pharyngitis?
Pharyngitis usually doesn’t cause complications. But, sometimes the following complications may occur-
- The spread of the infection leads to ear infection, sinusitis, mastoiditis or chest infection
- Peritonsillar abscess
- Rheumatic fever
- Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis
What is the way of Pharyngitis Prevention?
Pharyngitis is contagious. pharyngitis spread from person to person by contact. So, preventive measures are-
- Practicing good hygiene - Being vigilant about hand washing, washing hands thoroughly and frequently using soap and water and/or hand sanitizer
- Avoiding prolonged contact with ill people
- Not sharing drinking and eating utensils with people
- Coughing or sneezing into a tissue
- Washing hands after coughing or sneezing
- Wearing a filtering mask during cleaning to avoid inhaling dust or airborne particles from cleaning products
- Quit smoking
- Avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke
- Humidify your home if the air is dry.
- Not touching public phone
- Cleaning telephones, TV remotes, and computer keyboards with sanitizing cleanser regularly
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