Viral and bacterial pharyngitis is one of the common infections. Usually, pharyngitis is caused by an attack by viruses, but sometimes it is caused by bacteria. How to distinguish viral pharyngitis from inflammation caused by bacteria? Check for symptoms.

Pharyngitis: viral or bacterial? How do doctors tell them apart? They have their own methods, although the most reliable is throat swab. Within 24 hours it will be known whether it isbacterial pharyngitisor maybe onlyviral pharyngitis , but in Poland hardly anyone uses it.

Pharyngitis - symptoms

Pharyngitis rarely occurs by itself, usually one of the many symptoms of an infection. His symptoms are:

  • difficulty swallowing
  • baking and scratching
  • pain when talking
  • hoarseness
  • dry throat
  • swelling and congestion

In adults, 90 percent of pharyngitis is caused by a virus. In children - 70 percent.

How to distinguish viral pharyngitis from bacterial?

When you look down the throat and see: red and bloodshot mucosa in the throat and swollen and bloodshot tonsils. You can also see tiny bubbles with liquid on them - this is the so-called serous exudate, characteristic of a viral infection. You can bet on viral pharyngitis with such symptoms.

If you notice a very dark, raspberry discoloration of the throat mucosa, bloodshot tonsils with a creamy-white coating, the uvula - a small piece of soft tissue in the middle of the palate, slightly obscuring the throat, is swollen, and you see a gray coating on your tongue - then you probably have to dealing with bacterial pharyngitis or angina. If the symptoms are accompanied by a high fever above 38 degrees C - that's almost certain.

Viral Pharyngitis - Treatment

In the case of viral pharyngitis, it is enough to take anti-inflammatory drugs, even those containing ibuprofen. Disinfect the throat by rinsing (with a s alt solution, baking soda solution or turmeric infusion) and lozenges that have antiseptic and analgesic properties. There are also aerosol disinfectants and painkillers. The disease lasts 5-7 days.

How to cure bacterialsore throat?

You need to see a doctor with this problem, because treatment of strep throat requires antibiotics. Before making a diagnosis, the doctor will use the so-called the Centor / Mc Isaac scale. It consists in checking five criteria:

  • temperature above 38.5 degrees C
  • no cough
  • enlarged local lymph nodes
  • purulent raid on the tonsils
  • age of the patient: 3-14 years.

If he answers "yes" with four criteria - he can diagnose angina and decide to administer an antibiotic. The disease should be taken seriously because angina causes a number of complications: otitis media, sinusitis, peritonsillar abscess or rheumatic fever. If the symptoms of bacterial pharyngitis do not improve despite the antibiotic treatment, one should perform a throat swab and check what kind of microorganisms are responsible for the disease. It could be mononucleosis, which is a disease caused by a virus and is sometimes confused with angina.

Pharyngitis

How is pharyngitis treated? Listen to our expert.

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