Acute pharyngitis is common in the changing seasons

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Le Van Quang - Ear, Nose Throat Doctor - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital. BSCKI. Le Van Quang is an expert in the field of ENT with 15 years of experience.

Acute pharyngitis is a common disease, occurs in all ages and is easy to catch when the weather changes seasons. If not treated in time, the disease will turn chronic and can cause many unpredictable complications.

Acute pharyngitis is inflammation of the pharynx that lasts no more than 4 weeks. This is a common disease, occurring all year round, but often appears when the weather changes seasons. The disease is common in children, co-occurring with other diseases such as VA, tonsillitis.
The cause of the disease may be bacteria (pneumococcus, streptococcus or other bacteria present in the throat) or influenza virus, measles,... Other factors such as polluted environment, smoke, tobacco , erratic weather changes, ... also increase the risk of disease.
Acute pharyngitis in children often has a sudden onset. Pharyngitis causes high fever 39 - 40°C, sore throat, difficulty swallowing and painful swallowing. Initially, the patient felt dry and hot in the throat, gradually becoming a burning pain, pain increased when swallowing, coughing and talking. Patients with acute pharyngitis also have pain spreading to the ear and sharp pain when swallowing. Accompanying symptoms are nasal congestion, runny nose, hoarseness, dry cough, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Acute pharyngitis when the weather changes seasons usually takes place within 3-4 days. If the patient's resistance is good, the disease will gradually recede, the symptoms will disappear quickly. However, if the patient's resistance is weak, the disease will develop more complicatedly, which can cause many unpredictable complications.

Acute pharyngitis can cause many dangerous complications:
Complications of acute glomerulonephritis: A diffuse inflammation without pus in the glomeruli of the 2 kidneys. The disease has an acute course, with edema, hypertension, hematuria and proteinuria. The disease symptoms are quite typical, so they can be detected easily and completely cured after 6 weeks of treatment; Acute rheumatic complications: Acute inflammation of the large joints (knees, ankles, wrists and elbows), occurring after a streptococcal infection. Inflamed joints are swollen, hot, red, and painful. If this complication is not treated, it can damage the joint membrane, affecting the movement function later on; Rheumatic heart disease: Inflammation of the heart occurs in the endocardium, myocardium, pericardium, or total heart inflammation. This complication can damage the heart valve, pericardium, leading to a series of cardiovascular problems later on such as heart valve regurgitation, stenosis, endocarditis,... patient network;

Local complications: Including abscess or inflammation around the throat, inflammation around the tonsils, abscesses of the pharynx (in young children); Proximal complications: Rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis media. In addition, acute pharyngitis can spread down the larynx, causing laryngitis or tracheobronchitis, bronchiolitis or pneumonia.

Clean teeth, nose and throat regularly and every day. Need to brush teeth after eating, before and after waking up; Gargle with physiological saline or mouth and throat antiseptic solutions according to the doctor's instructions; Should take a bath with warm water, especially for people with recurrent sore throat. After bathing, it is necessary to dry the body before putting on clean clothes; Pay attention not to sit in front of a fan or in an air-conditioned room after taking a shower; Keep warm when the weather turns cold, especially when going out in the evening or early morning. For children, it is necessary to keep important positions warm such as feet, hands, neck, chest, head,...; Do not contact people with flu symptoms, respiratory infections, people who are smoking; Drink warm water, limit eating too cold foods such as ice cream, ice,... Enhance nutrition with a balanced menu of nutrient groups such as: starch, fat, protein and vegetables, tubers and fruits; Fully supplemented with vitamins and minerals; Vaccination against diseases; When suffering from acute pharyngitis, the patient should eat soft, easy-to-swallow foods, eat more vegetables and fruits, rest more, keep the body warm, bathe with warm water in a well-ventilated room, and clean the body. will and keep a distance from others, avoid spreading the disease. Pharyngitis is a common disease in all ages, especially young children, the elderly and people with weak resistance. The disease usually heals on its own and causes few complications. However, patients should not be subjective when suffering from acute pharyngitis because if the infection is severe, it can lead to many dangerous complications. Therefore, when you have a sore throat, you should go to an ENT specialist immediately to quickly identify the disease and treat it early to avoid complications.