Herpes sore throat: treatment, symptoms, complications
The content of the article:
- Causes of herpes sore throat
- Symptoms of herpes sore throat
-
How to treat herpes sore throat
- General recommendations
- What not to do with herpes sore throat
- Prognosis and complications
- Prevention
- Video
Herpes sore throat (herpangina, herpetic sore throat, enteroviral vesicular pharyngitis) is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the throat of a viral nature, which is characterized by the presence of papules on the surface of the tonsils resembling herpes.
Symptoms of viral and bacterial sore throat are different
Herpes sore throat in adults is easier than in children, and after a disease, a stable immunity is formed. Is this disease contagious or not? Yes, this form of pathology is spreading quickly enough, especially in children's groups. A person begins to secrete an infection immediately after the introduction of the virus into the body, before the first signs of the disease appear.
Antibiotics are not used in the treatment of herpes sore throat, so it is very important to establish the correct diagnosis initially.
Causes of herpes sore throat
The most common cause of the development of the disease in both adults and children is the Coxsackie virus of groups A and B. In 4% of cases, enteroviruses become the causative agent of the disease. Very rarely, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus or herpes simplex virus type 6 lead to the development of pathology.
Most often, the pathology is caused by the Coxsackie virus
Pathogenic microorganisms enter the human body in different ways. Most often, infection occurs by airborne droplets, since a large number of viruses are found in the saliva and nasal mucus of an infected person. It begins to release them into the environment during a conversation, sneezing or coughing already during the incubation period, when the symptoms of the disease are still absent or not so pronounced. The patient is the source of infection until recovery.
Also, infection can occur through household contact, the virus is transmitted during kissing or when using shared towels, dishes or toothbrushes.
One of the trigger factors for the development of angina is the use of cold drinks.
There are trigger factors that contribute to the development of the disease:
- regular hypothermia;
- eating cold food or drinks;
- disorders in the immune system;
- chronic diseases of the nose or pharynx, as well as the presence of a source of infection in the mouth;
- frequent stress and overwork;
- tendency to allergies;
- unfavorable environmental conditions;
- work in dusty and gas-polluted rooms.
Symptoms of herpes sore throat
The first symptoms of the disease can appear 7-10 days after infection. During the incubation period, despite the absence of signs of the disease, the person is the source of infection.
The disease usually begins with a sharp rise in body temperature
The disease begins rapidly, within 2–3 hours the patient's body temperature rises to 39–41 ° C. Lethargy, chills appear, in severe cases - confusion and vomiting.
On the second or third day, small red bubbles (in the amount of 6 to 12) appear on the mucous membrane of the larynx, which are filled with serous fluid. Their size can reach 2 mm. Papules cannot be squeezed out, as this brings additional pain to the patient. It is not recommended to damage them, they will disappear on their own within a few days. What herpes sore throat looks like can be seen in the photo of the throat.
During this period, the patient's body temperature drops slightly, but other symptoms join: pain in muscles and joints, upset stools and dyspeptic symptoms. The patient may have a runny nose and dry cough.
Discomfort in the throat is replaced by severe pain, it hurts the patient to swallow food and water. Regional lymph nodes become inflamed, and on palpation they become painful.
Herpetic sore throat is characterized by the appearance of small bubbles, which from red become transparent-whitish
On the 3-4th day, the rash becomes transparent-whitish, and the temperature rises again. The person feels bad, refuses to eat. During this period, the tonsils may increase in size.
Then the body temperature drops again to 37–37.5 ° C. The bubbles break open on their own, leaving little erosion. Approximately on the 5-6th day, the patient begins to feel better, the body temperature returns to normal, the sore throat disappears. Joint and muscle pains disappear.
On the 7-8th day, the crusts, which appeared in the place of the bursting bubbles, disappear along with the signs of the inflammatory process. In the future, the lymph nodes return to normal, although the inflammatory process in them may persist.
One of the signs of the disease is inflamed regional lymph nodes
In people with normal immunity, the condition returns to normal within 10 days. If the immune system is weak, signs of the disease may persist for up to 3 weeks. Herpes sore throat does not become chronic; after recovery, the patient retains strong immunity.
Herpetic sore throat differs from other forms of pathology in the following features:
- the presence of papules of bright red color, which become whitish during the day;
- two peaks of increase in body temperature: on the first and third days of the disease;
- pain in the throat that does not radiate to the ears or temples, as with purulent sore throat, but, nevertheless, tingling is felt constantly.
Since the causative agent of the disease is enteroviruses, herpetic sore throat, unlike other forms of the disease, is often accompanied by disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (nausea, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea). Another characteristic difference is that the peak of herpes sore throat occurs in the summer and early autumn.
How to treat herpes sore throat
It is important to distinguish herpetic sore throat from follicular or lacunar, since these diseases have different principles of therapy.
There are no antiviral drugs that can kill enteroviruses, the immune system must cope with them on its own. It will not be possible to shorten the period of the disease, since the immune response to the virus is developed within 7-10 days.
In order to help the body cope with the disease, with reduced immunity, you can take immunostimulants (Cycloferon, Groprinosin, Viferon).
To relieve the symptoms of angina, drugs of the following groups are used:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Nimesulide). They help to lower the body temperature and also have an analgesic effect;
- antiseptics (Strepsils, Septolete, Lizak, Ingalipt, Orasept). In the complex treatment of the disease, aerosols are used for the throat, as well as tablets, lozenges or lozenges for sucking, which help to reduce sore throat and inflammation;
- vitamin complexes (Vitrum, Duovit, Supradin). They help strengthen the immune system. It is especially important to take vitamins in winter and spring.
One of the effective methods of treating herpetic sore throat is rinsing with saline
In order to quickly cope with the disease, moisturize the mucous membrane and reduce the inflammatory process, rinses are used. In addition to solutions of potassium permanganate, Furacilin and Miramistin, the following agents can be used:
- infusion of medicinal herbs: mix the same amount of chamomile flowers, sage and eucalyptus leaves. A teaspoon of the collection is poured into 200 ml of boiling water and let it brew for 40 minutes. Strain and gargle up to 5 times a day;
- saline solution: dissolve one teaspoon of sea salt in 200 ml of warm water. Gargle every two hours. If rinsing causes discomfort, the amount of salt can be reduced. Also, 1/2 teaspoon of soda can be added to the solution, this will avoid the attachment of a fungal infection;
- beet juice: 3 tablespoons of red beet juice is added to 100 ml of warm water. Gargle with such a solution three times a day;
- chamomile infusion: chamomile flowers are brewed with boiling water, and after the infusion has cooled, it is filtered. Gargle with this remedy every two hours.
General recommendations
Patients with herpes sore throat are usually treated at home, and a number of recommendations must be followed.
Bed rest must be observed. Physical and emotional stress should be avoided. Outdoor walks should be short and not too tiring. If the body temperature is high or the weather conditions are not conducive to walking, it is better not to leave the house.
The room needs to maintain optimal temperature and humidity.
The air in the room where the patient is located should be moist and cool. Dry and hot air causes dry mucous membranes, which aggravates the inflammatory process. It is necessary to carry out regular wet cleaning and ventilation in the room.
Drink plenty of fluids. This helps to reduce intoxication. You can drink teas, fruit drinks, mineral water, compotes. The temperature of the drinks should be at room temperature, so the liquid is absorbed faster, and the body does not spend additional energy on warming or cooling.
Food during illness should be grated
Since the disease is accompanied by severe sore throat, which makes it difficult to swallow, special attention is paid to nutrition. You need to eat in small portions, while excluding salty, sour or spicy foods from the diet, which can irritate inflamed mucous membranes. Preference is given to soups or mashed potatoes. The food should not be hot; it should be cooled to room temperature before eating.
What not to do with herpes sore throat
With herpes sore throat, it is not recommended:
- the use of warming compresses, as this can lead to more active reproduction of viruses and an increase in the inflammatory process;
- taking antibiotics. These drugs do not affect viruses, while they can weaken the immune system, allowing the virus to actively multiply;
- reception of Acyclovir (Valvir, Gerpevir). Despite the fact that angina is called herpes, its causative agent is a virus that is insensitive to acyclovir drugs, which are used to fight herpes;
- lubrication of the throat with Lugol's solution. This remedy can cause a burn to the mucous membrane, which will aggravate the condition;
- eating food with severe sore throat or lack of appetite. Sore throat makes it impossible to swallow food normally. With a temporary refusal to eat, the body will spend all its energy on fighting the disease, and not on digesting food. After the illness subsides, the appetite is restored and the patient can gain weight quickly.
Prognosis and complications
With timely treatment and adherence to all the doctor's recommendations, the immune system copes with the disease within 7-10 days. In most cases, the disease goes away without consequences and in the future a strong immunity to the virus is formed.
In very rare cases, immunocompromised patients may experience the following complications:
- meningitis of the serous type;
- pyelonephritis;
- encephalitis;
- myocarditis.
The greatest danger of herpes sore throat is for people with HIV infection. Pregnant women need to take into account that theoretically the virus can penetrate the placenta, but if the expectant mother leads a healthy lifestyle, then her body will cope with the disease without serious consequences for the fetus.
Prevention
Treatment of herpes sore throat is carried out at home. Patients who have concomitant pathologies or suspected complications are subject to hospitalization.
If a family member is infected with the virus, separate dishes and a towel should be provided.
Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene allows you to minimize the risk of getting herpes sore throat
In order to avoid the disease, you must:
- strengthen the immune system, lead a healthy lifestyle and play sports;
- eat right, make sure that the body receives a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals;
- observe the rules of personal hygiene, be sure to wash your hands after visiting public places;
- get rid of bad habits;
- avoid hypothermia, stressful situations;
- timely treat colds;
- do not abuse cold drinks and food.
At the first signs of the disease, you should seek the advice of a therapist or otolaryngologist. If, despite following all the recommendations, no improvement occurs within 5-7 days or additional symptoms appear, the visit to the doctor should be repeated.
Video
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Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
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