Nasopharyngitis: Symptoms, Treatment, Causes

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Nasopharyngitis

The content of the article:

1. Causes and risk factors
2. Forms of the disease
3. Disease stages

4. Nasopharyngitis symptoms

   1. Acute nasopharyngitis
   2. Chronic nasopharyngitis
   3. Allergic nasopharyngitis
5. Features of the course of nasopharyngitis in children
6. Diagnostics

7. Treatment of nasopharyngitis

   1. Treatment of acute nasopharyngitis
   2. Chronic nasopharyngitis treatment
   3. Allergic nasopharyngitis treatment
8. Possible complications and consequences
9. Forecast
10. Prevention
11. Video

Nasopharyngitis is an inflammatory disease of the upper respiratory tract caused by an infection, most of which is viral. In acute nasopharyngitis, catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx develops, as a result of which everyone has experienced more than once symptoms of a cold. This is the most common disease of the respiratory (respiratory) tract, which takes on the nature of an epidemic in the autumn-winter period. It is believed that an adult on average suffers from acute viral nasopharyngitis 2 times a year, and a child - 4-6.

Nasopharyngitis is an inflammation of the lining of the nasopharynx

Symptoms: rhinopharyngitis, rhinonasopharyngitis, rhinovirus infection, epipharyngitis, acute respiratory infections, ARVI. In everyday life, the disease is called a cold.

Acute nasopharyngitis code according to ICD 10 - J100.

Causes and risk factors

The cause of the development of inflammation of the nasopharynx is an infection, most often viral (rhinovirus, adenovirus and others, only about 300 agents), but sometimes bacterial. The path of spread is airborne. A viral infection is usually responsible for acute nasopharyngitis, and a bacterial infection is responsible for chronic. Opportunistic microorganisms, meningococci, staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, etc. can act as bacterial agents. In addition, in immunocompromised people, chronic inflammation of the nasopharynx can be caused by fungi.

Nasopharyngitis can be caused by allergies. In this case, allergens of an animal (pet hair, dust mites, feathers of birds), plant (pollen of flowering plants) or other (medicines, household chemicals) origin act as inflammation agents.

Factors that contribute to the occurrence of nasopharyngitis:

• stay in crowded places during seasonal epidemics;
• decreased immunity (including due to hypothermia, overwork, insufficient balanced nutrition, the presence of concomitant diseases);
• adenoids;
• smoking;
• curvature of the nasal septum;
• stay in places with polluted air.

Forms of the disease

Depending on the origin, nasopharyngitis is isolated:

• viral;
• bacterial;
• fungal;
• allergic.

Depending on the duration and nature of the inflammation:

• acute;
• chronic (hypertrophic, atrophic).

The most common form is acute viral nasopharyngitis.

Disease stages

In the course of acute nasopharyngitis, 4 stages are distinguished:

Stage	Name	Characteristic	Duration
I	Incubation period (latent, or latent stage)	The period from the moment of infection until the first symptoms appear	From a few hours to a week
II	Prodromal period	The first, usually non-specific signs of the disease appear	1-3 days
III	High	Severe symptoms	3-7 days
IV	Exodus	Convalescence, or, in the negative version, chronization (transition to a chronic form).	Recovery takes 2-3 days to a week.

Chronic nasopharyngitis proceeds with alternation of two stages: relative remission is replaced by exacerbation.

Nasopharyngitis symptoms

Acute nasopharyngitis

The first manifestations of the disease are nonspecific, as a rule, it is a general malaise, not too intense headache, discomfort in the throat (scratching pain, soreness when swallowing, dryness, perspiration). These are symptoms of the prodromal period, which with nasopharyngitis lasts from one to three days.

The heat stage is characterized by an increase in temperature, which rarely exceeds subfebrile values, i.e., is in the range from 37 to 38 ° C. A febrile temperature (over 38 ° C) is characteristic of an influenza virus infection.

An increase in temperature is accompanied by an acute rhinitis, which is characterized by sneezing, rhinorrhea with abundant transparent liquid discharge. Due to edema of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages, nasal breathing is disturbed (nasal congestion occurs), the voice becomes nasal, the sense of smell decreases or is completely lost. Rhinorrhea may be accompanied by eye redness and lacrimation.

There is also redness and swelling of the pharyngeal mucosa. The person experiences pain when swallowing, a tickle or sore throat.

The flow of copious nasal discharge along the back of the pharynx leads to a reflex cough. Later, if the larynx, trachea and bronchi are involved in the inflammatory process, a strong unproductive cough appears, which after a few days becomes productive, that is, sputum begins to separate during a cough.

Common symptoms besides fever include headache, feeling fatigued, decreased appetite, and weakness.

The severity of the symptoms of nasopharyngitis, as well as its duration, can be different - from mild malaise with a runny nose for three to four days to an intense illness with a vivid clinical picture, including all the listed manifestations, lasting from a week to two (maximum). However, the temperature with nasopharyngitis usually does not last longer than three days. If, after three days from the onset of the disease, the temperature does not decrease, and also if it has decreased, and then began to rise again, there is reason to assume the development of a complication, usually caused by the addition of a bacterial infection.

Chronic nasopharyngitis

Chronic nasopharyngitis is always preceded by an acute form of the disease, therefore it can be considered as one of the complications of acute nasopharyngitis.

Chronic rhinopharyngitis symptoms are less pronounced. The discharge from the nose, instead of watery, becomes thick, viscous, and can acquire a purulent character (characteristic of a bacterial infection). Soreness when swallowing persists, but becomes less, discomfort, sore throat remains. The body temperature is not elevated. The general condition is usually satisfactory, but the patient has persistent headaches associated with prolonged disturbance of nasal breathing and, as a result, hypoxia. Chronic nasal congestion causes sleep disturbances, which, in turn, negatively affect the general condition.

Chronic hypertrophic nasopharyngitis is characterized by thickening (hypertrophy) of the nasopharyngeal mucosa due to prolonged inflammation, which is manifested by discomfort in the throat, nasal congestion, and lacrimation. Symptoms are more pronounced in the morning.

Chronic atrophic rhinopharyngitis is accompanied by thinning (atrophy) of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, which is manifested by a feeling of constant dryness in the throat, soreness during swallowing, and bad breath.

Allergic nasopharyngitis

This form of the disease does not depend on seasonal epidemics, however, a connection with a particular season of the year can be traced, for example, if the allergy is caused by plant pollen. In allergic rhinopharyngitis, the incubation and prodromal period is short, and sometimes even absent (pronounced symptoms may appear immediately after contact with the allergen), the general condition usually suffers to a lesser extent, the body temperature does not rise.

Features of the course of nasopharyngitis in children

Due to the peculiarities of the immune system, as well as the structure of the nasopharynx, children are much more prone to inflammation of the upper respiratory tract than adults. However, breastfed babies rarely get sick, since they are protected by the immune factors of breast milk. For the same reason, a nursing mother with acute respiratory infections should not stop breastfeeding, as it will better protect the baby from infection.

The manifestations of acute rhinopharyngitis are similar to those in adults, they are bright, pronounced. Chronic nasopharyngitis in children is rare; adenoids are more often an unfavorable outcome of an acute one.

In young children, the disease is manifested by rhinorrhea, anxiety, moodiness, refusal to eat, an increase in temperature is accompanied by a reddening of the face. Because of a stuffy nose, a child's mouth is constantly open. Sleep is disturbed, in the supine position, a cough is often observed (due to irritation of the pharynx by flowing discharge from the nasal passages).

In children with nasopharyngitis, the mouth is constantly open due to impaired nasal breathing

Due to the proximity of the location, the inflammatory process in the nasopharynx often spreads to adjacent anatomical structures - the Eustachian tube, middle ear, pharyngeal tonsils, larynx, trachea and bronchi.

Diagnostics

In the overwhelming majority of cases, the diagnosis of acute nasopharyngitis is made on the basis of the existing clinical picture, the study of anamnesis and physical examination. When examining the nasopharynx, swelling, hyperemia of the mucous membrane is noted, mucus can be determined on the back of the pharynx. The differential diagnosis is carried out with other forms of acute respiratory infections, as well as with catarrhal angina.

If developing complications are suspected, clinical analysis of blood and urine, x-ray of the nasal sinuses, rhinoscopy, otoscopy can be prescribed.

Diagnosis of chronic nasopharyngitis includes clinical blood and urine tests, mucus examination to identify the pathogen, serological tests if necessary, x-rays or tomography of the paranasal sinuses.

Treatment of nasopharyngitis

Treatment of acute nasopharyngitis

Treatment consists in creating favorable conditions for the body's defenses: rest, bed rest at elevated temperatures, regular ventilation of the room, drinking plenty of fluids, and careful oral hygiene. Drug therapy is symptomatic - if the body temperature rises more than 38.5 ° C, an antipyretic is prescribed, rinsing the throat with a furacilin solution or soda-saline solution (½ tsp. Soda and ½ tsp. Salt in a glass of warm water) is indicated, instillation nose with vasoconstrictor drops (no more than 2-3 times a day) and rinsing with saline solutions (saline, AquaMaris). As a rule, these measures are enough to improve on 3-4 days.

Acute nasopharyngitis is not recommended to be carried on the legs

What not to do when treating acute nasopharyngitis:

1. To carry the disease on the legs.
2. Take an antipyretic if the temperature does not exceed 38 ° C (an exception may be children, they are given antipyretic as prescribed by a pediatrician).
3. Give acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) as an antipyretic to children and adolescents.
4. Take antiviral drugs and immunostimulants, since the vast majority of them have no proven therapeutic effect.
5. Soar your feet, pour dry mustard into socks, do steam inhalations, put cans and mustard plasters. At high temperatures, they can be harmful, in other cases they are useless.

Chronic nasopharyngitis treatment

Anti-infectious therapy is prescribed, the drug is selected after determining the pathogen and its sensitivity. According to indications, steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, a course of physiotherapy can be prescribed.

Allergic nasopharyngitis treatment

Treatment is prescribed by an allergist. Antihistamines (Suprastin, Loratadin, Tavegil), antiallergic nasal sprays (Allergodil), allergen-specific therapy may be prescribed, in severe cases steroid anti-inflammatory drugs are indicated.

Possible complications and consequences

The group at increased risk for complications are children, who often develop the disease, and immunocompromised people. Possible complications are associated with the spread of infectious inflammation to other areas - the development of eustachitis, otitis media, pharyngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, sinusitis. In children, frequent respiratory infections cause enlargement of the nasopharyngeal tonsil (adenoids).

Bronchial asthma can become a serious complication of long-term or frequently developing allergic rhinopharyngitis.

Forecast

The forecast is favorable. In the vast majority of cases, nasopharyngitis passes without any consequences for the body. The chronic form of the disease may require long-term treatment, possibly several courses of therapy.

Prevention

In order to prevent the development of infectious inflammation of the nasopharynx, it is necessary:

1. Avoid crowded places during periods of seasonal epidemics.
2. Ventilate the premises regularly, both work and home.
3. Eat a balanced diet, provide the body with the proper amount of essential nutrients.
4. Maintain a mode of work and rest, be sure to get enough sleep.
5. To refuse from bad habits.

For children who are prone to frequent nasopharyngitis, hardening is recommended, which should be carried out with the approval and supervision of a pediatrician.

Video

We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.

Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author

Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".

The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!