Sore throat - risk factors
The throat is like an entrance gate for food and air. Air, which comes through the nose and mouth, must be cleaned of viruses, microbes, impurities, moisturize, warm. Nature provides one of the major "protective structures" in the body. This accumulation of lymphoid tissue - tonsils, which, as it were, are performed on the path of the incoming barrier into the organism of infection. These barriers are known since childhood: tubal and lingual tonsils, adenoids (pharyngeal tonsil) and glands (palatine tonsils).
Tonsils have such an uneven surface, which is streaked with folds and mucosa - crypts and lacunae. Due to these unevennesses, the area of the detoxifying surface increases.
But if the tonsils can not cope with their duties, then the lacuna becomes the most vulnerable place, since the remains of food accumulate in the depressions of the mucous that leads to the development of inflammation.
It is the tonsils that take the first blow at the cold, close themselves in a portable and literally a flow of infected air. In the midst of a cold and flu in the throat, the main infringers are viruses. Having fallen on the pharyngeal mucosa and on the surface of the tonsils, they penetrate into the epithelial cells and then begin their destructive activity.
With viral sore throat in the mirror, you can see small bubbles on the mucous membrane with transparent contents, they seem to look like small droplets of sweat. But rarely the sore throat is caused by a viral lesion, sometimes after a few days, sometimes immediately, to a viral infection, bacteria can join.
In a healthy person, they form dental plaque, lacunae of the tonsils, inhabit interdental spaces. But as soon as they feel a weak spot in the body, a gap in the protective barrier, which is formed by viruses, then the microbes begin to exhibit aggressive properties. Often angina is caused by streptococci. In tonsils with a bacterial infection, plaque can form and there may appear purulent "plugs".
Factors for the infection of the throat by viruses and bacteria can be:
- exposure to substances that irritate the respiratory tract - prolonged smoking,
- overdried air,
- supercooling,
- use of caustic or cold drinks,
- trauma, for example, damage to the throat bone from the fish,
- decrease in the general resistance of the body (with stress, chronic diseases).
Causes of sore throat
The throat hurts, first of all, with tonsillitis (tonsillitis), when the tonsils are inflamed. Very often the palatine tonsils or tonsils are affected. If you open your mouth wide, you can see tonsils, like blazing red fire and greatly increased in size. Depending on what kind of angina you have, the surface of the tonsils can "decorate" a grayish coating, purulent plugs. If the tonsils increased slightly, but the sensation in the mouth, as if after a handful of hot sand, it means that it is an inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa - pharyngitis.
With pharyngitis, the main symptoms may be dryness and burning sensation in the throat, barking cough without sputum, choking in the throat. If you can not talk, do not recognize your voice, then the cause of the sore throat, there may be inflammation of the vocal cords - laryngitis.
You have a few days to play a silent spy to restore your voice and spare the larynx. Such frequent causes of sore throat, and they attack all at once. Sometimes a sore throat deprives a person of appetite, sleep and rest. Increased palatine tonsils can cause vomiting and nausea, making it difficult to swallow. Usually regional lymph nodes enter the process, which are felt under the lower jaw and cause additional pain to the person.
In addition, that the mouth feels uncomfortable, the general condition of the body suffers: joint and muscle pain, sweating, weakness, there is a headache. The companions of the sore throat are the runny nose and otitis (ear inflammation).
Sore throat - diet
Since ancient times, mankind has developed various "combat" tactics for sore throats. We offer several steps that will help to improve health and urgently ease pain.
The first step - soup and porridge, our food
To get well soon, change the diet. You are now contraindicated in any rough food, which, when swallowed, can injure the throat. Your menu should consist of fresh bread, boiled vegetables, borscht, soups, different cereals. Useful for angina in your menu include dishes of pumpkin: pumpkin juice, porridge, steamed into a pumpkin oven. Due to its natural properties, this vegetable can reduce inflammation, can relieve the pain in the throat.
At the time of illness, you need to weaken the control of calories: the food should have a lot of fat that softens the breath, envelops the mucous, contains antioxidants - vitamins A and E, which are important in order to restore the epithelium of the mucosa.
It is necessary to avoid spices and spices, because they irritate the throat. The only exception are garlic and onions, they contain phytoncides and essential oils, have a therapeutic effect with pharyngitis and angina. You need to carefully treat the products that cause allergies - honey, nuts, chocolate, citrus. These treats have a large set of useful properties, but can also contribute to sore throat and coughing. All that you eat, should be warm, too hot or cold can irritate the damaged mucosa. As a therapeutic drink suitable warm milk, compote of dried fruits, tea from cloves, ginger and mint.
The second step is to create a comfortable throat
The atmosphere in the room has a big influence on the well-being. If you inhale dusty and dry air, then the mucous membrane of the pharynx is dehydrated, and therefore its protective properties are reduced. It can strengthen hoarseness of the voice, the pain in the throat will increase, the cough will increase. More often do a wet cleaning, put tanks on the windowsills with water, hang on the radiators of central heating wet towels. For the sore throat, the optimum humidity in the home is 40 to 60%. If you are a person who smokes, you need to reduce the number of smoked cigarettes for the time of illness. The mucous membrane of the throat is irritated and very vulnerable, it is easily damaged by components of tobacco smoke. Excellent help to relieve the symptoms of essential oils, which can be added to the air humidifier, steam inhaler or an aromatic lamp. If this you do not have, then you can add a little oil to the hot water and just breathe over the steam.
Symptoms of sore throat quickly relieve the oils of sage, lavender, mint, fir, eucalyptus. With hoarseness of voice (laryngitis), the main treatment measure is a voice rest. To allow the vocal cords to cope with inflammation, you need to spare them a little. You will have to talk a few days with close and native people in a whisper.
The methods of treatment of pain in the throat
The third step is water procedures
We all know from childhood that a sore throat needs to be rinsed. For rinses, there are many different means, and they all can have the right to exist. And the whole point is that the healing properties of rinsing are in the mechanical simple removal from the surface of the soft palate and tonsils of viruses, microbes and products of their vital activity. When we are thus clearing the throat of the pathogenic "garbage", then we can accelerate the recovery and reduce the pain.
And if you start rinsing it in time it can prevent the development of the disease, and help to defeat the common cold for 1 or 2 days. The throat needs to be rinsed every 2 or 3 hours. The rinse solution needs a warm, only not hot. These "water procedures" need to be done after meals. The composition of many infusions (chlorophyllipt, calendula) includes alcohol, which has an additional tanning and antiseptic effect, it stimulates the renewal of mucous tissues. Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties are eucalyptus, elder, sage, linden, string, calendula, chamomile.
The fourth step is occupational therapy
You probably noticed that after waking up in the morning, the throat most aches. At these moments, it seems as if a barbed wire stuck in my throat, and my voice acquired a male timbre. And all this happens because at night the throat rests from its duties, and in order to recover, it must work. The more you swallow, the more your throat is cleared more actively of mucus and microbes, and inflammation and pain take place faster.
This is the basis for the action of many pastilles and lozenges, when chewing and sucking, a lot of saliva is released, which itself has healing and antiseptic properties. Saliva is swallowed and thus the surface of the mucous throat and the surface of the tonsils are washed. Therefore, you must definitely swallow more, chew, suck and drink a lot.
The choice of tablets, troches, lozenges for resorption with pain in the throat is very large. Their composition includes antiseptics (lysozyme, chlorohexidine and others). Septhotte contains anti-inflammatory ingredients and antiseptic. Anti-inflammatory component is the lollipops with sage. Many are known for the lollies Tunes, Mentos. Falimint, they contain local anesthetics that reduce sore throat, contain cooling and distractions. Anti-Angin contains an antiseptic and an anesthetic. After such funds should not be within 30 minutes to drink liquid and eat, otherwise the effect of drugs will not help.
Sore throat - immediately to the doctor
The fifth step - quickly to the doctor
If within 2 or 3 days of your self-medication efforts did not lead to the desired result, you should always consult a doctor. After all, it is not always a sore throat that is an innocuous malaise. Danger of bacterial infection of the throat. If streptococcal tonsillitis or pharyngitis develops, the disease will go beyond the pharynx and become a systemic disease that affects the entire body. "Under the gun" of streptococci are the heart, kidneys, joints. If the doctor does not contact the doctor in time, it can threaten the development of rheumatic heart defects and other serious diseases.
Unthinking and prolonged self-treatment of sore throat can lead to the development of an abscess (abscess), which will require a surgical dissection. Under the mask of the sore throat can develop dangerous diseases, such as scarlet fever, diphtheria, tularemia, plague and others.
Reasons for an urgent visit to a doctor
- a very strong pain that does not allow you to open your mouth, take food, break sleep,
- high temperature above 38 degrees, chills, sweating, weakness,
- the appearance in the throat of bleeding, purulent plugs, grayish-white films,
- absence of effect from treatment on 2 or 3 day of illness,
- swelling of the face and neck,
- difficulty breathing, a sharp increase in pain in the throat,
- vomiting, nausea,
- soreness and a significant increase in lymph nodes on the neck and under the lower jaw,
- pain in the ears and stuffiness.
If after examination the doctor recommends taking antibiotics, you should not neglect their appointments.
Now we all know and urgently treat a sore throat. You can not run your throat, you should take prescribed by the doctor procedures and medications. Because with angina refusal of timely antibiotic therapy can cost the patient a life or lead in the future to serious health problems.