Tonsillitis And Tonsillitis: What Is The Difference, Photo, How To Distinguish, Treatment

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

What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis: what is the difference between symptoms and treatment

The content of the article:

1. The reasons for the development of pathology
2. Symptoms of sore throat
3. How to treat a sore throat
4. Video

What is the difference between tonsillitis and tonsillitis? To understand this issue, it is necessary to turn to the etiology of the names of diseases. Tonsillitis comes from the Latin "tonsillae", which means tonsils. The word angina - "ango" - translates as squeeze, squeeze the soul.

Treatment of tonsillitis and tonsillitis should be carried out under medical supervision

Tonsillitis is a sore throat or not, what are the features of these diseases? Similar questions are asked by many people who have a sore throat. Angina is called an acute inflammatory process, the causative agent of which is a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. The term tonsillitis is used to describe chronic inflammation of the tonsils. An exacerbation of this form of the disease is also called angina.

The reasons for the development of pathology

According to the well-known pediatrician E. O. Komarovsky, tonsillitis, unlike angina, develops as a result of infection of the body with viruses, due to which the patient develops reddening of the mucous membrane of the throat, pain when swallowing, runny nose and fever.

The causative agents of sore throat are most often bacteria

The causative agents of sore throats, in turn, are bacteria, usually streptococcus and staphylococcus, which very often affect the tonsils, causing purulent inflammation. In 80% of cases, the disease is provoked by streptococcus bacteria (most often - group A β-hemolytic streptococcus, or pyogenic streptococcus), and only 10% of the disease is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Also, in 10% of patients, both types of bacteria are detected.

It is important to note that angina differs from tonsillitis in that it is an acute disease. It cannot last more than two weeks. You can't get sore throat every month. Hypothermia cannot be the cause of the disease. Angina develops only in cases where streptococcus or staphylococcus has entered the body from the outside.

Infection occurs through contact with a carrier of infection, most often by airborne droplets. The bacteria are excreted along with saliva or mucus and remain in the air for some time. If a person with a weakened immune system inhales them, microbes enter the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and cause an inflammatory process.

With timely treatment of the disease and the implementation of all the doctor's recommendations, angina is successfully treated. But if you start it, then there is a very high probability that the disease will cause complications. Streptococcus is the causative agent of myocarditis, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis or rheumatism.

Often the tonsils become a source of chronic infection in the body. The reason for this may be a decrease in immunity or exposure to domestic factors. With repeated inflammation, they talk about the development of chronic tonsillitis.

The impact on the body of any negative factors, such as hypothermia, colds, stressful situations, leads to the fact that the process is exacerbated, and all the symptoms of angina appear. Chronic tonsillitis often becomes a companion of bronchial asthma.

Tonsillitis can be the result of an allergic reaction. Swelling of the tonsils appears due to the body's immune response to contact with an allergen.

But the exacerbation of the disease does not arise due to the fact that pathogenic microbes have entered the body from the outside. In this case, bacteria constantly living on the tonsils begin to multiply actively.

Symptoms of sore throat

The following symptoms indicate that the patient has developed a sore throat:

• acute onset of the disease, a sharp increase in body temperature up to 39–40 ° C;
• the development of a sore throat, it increases with swallowing and can be given to the ears;
• the appearance of symptoms of acute intoxication, such as weakness, loss of appetite, headache, sweating, chills;
• a rapid increase in the size of the tonsils; the mucous membrane becomes red, a purulent white-yellow plaque appears, with lacunar angina, pus accumulates in the lacunae, and with follicular - on the surface of the tonsils in the form of plugs. This main symptom of sore throat can be seen even in the photo.

With angina, the tonsils increase significantly in size

Another symptom of the disease is inflammation of the lymph nodes under the lower jaw and / or near the ear, they increase in size and become painful.

With an exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis, the patient may experience the same symptoms.

How to treat a sore throat

During the acute period of the disease, until the patient's body temperature returns to normal, he needs bed rest. Physical activity increases the likelihood of complications.

It is important that food during the acute period of the disease does not injure the inflamed tonsils.

The basic rule is to consume enough liquid (water, dried fruit compote, tea). This makes it possible to reduce intoxication. You need to feed the patient according to appetite (do not insist on eating). It is important that food does not injure sore tonsils. The best option would be soup, broth, jelly or mashed potatoes. Food should be at room temperature.

Antibiotics are used to treat angina. In most cases, penicillins are prescribed (Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Augmentin). The drugs must be taken according to the instructions, in adequate doses. You should not stop using these drugs immediately after relieving symptoms of the disease, as this will lead to the development of complications. Medications are taken from 5 to 10 days, depending on the severity of the disease.

In the event that the bacteria that caused the development of the disease are insensitive to penicillins, antibiotics of other groups are prescribed: cephalosporins, macrolides. In severe forms of the disease, drugs are administered parenterally.

In order to relieve a sore throat and lower body temperature, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Nimesulide. They are used 2-3 times a day (depending on the dosage) or as needed.

Antiseptic agents help to reduce pain and eliminate the inflammatory process. They are available as tablets or lozenges for sucking. They contain components that inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, analgesics and plant extracts. Such drugs are used 3 to 8 times a day, depending on the presence of pain.

Also, throat sprays are referred to the group of antiseptic agents that can influence the disease locally. Such drugs with the help of a nebulizer fall on the affected area. They help reduce the manifestations of the disease.

Various gargles do not shorten the period of illness, but help relieve sore throat. Against the background of the use of these funds, the patient's condition improves. At home, salt and soda solutions, decoctions of medicinal herbs or antiseptics are used. You can gargle, depending on the solution used, up to 6 times a day. Do not abuse this method of treatment, as the intense vibration of the tonsils can slow down the recovery process.

With an exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis, the same treatment is carried out as with angina. The patient is prescribed antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain relievers.

Both tonsillitis and chronic tonsillitis can cause complications, so the treatment of the disease should be carried out under the supervision of an otolaryngologist. You should not self-medicate, understand the peculiarities of the course of pathology, determine how to correctly name the disease, and a specialist should prescribe therapy.

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".

Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.