Granular pharyngitis
Granular pharyngitis is an inflammation of the lining of the throat, accompanied by the accumulation of lymphoid tissue in large, bright red grains called granules. The disease is characterized by a long course, prone to frequent relapses and most often refers to the chronic forms of pharyngitis. Nevertheless, the formation of granules on the back wall of the throat and with acute pharyngitis is not excluded, but as a rule, later it turns out that the patient has had chronic sluggish pharyngitis for a long time with scant symptoms.
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Content:
- Causes of granular pharyngitis
- Granular pharyngitis symptoms
- Diagnostics of the granular pharyngitis
- Treatment of granular pharyngitis
Video: what is pharyngitis and how to treat it?
Causes of granular pharyngitis
The reasons for granular pharyngitis are as follows:
- Chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses - frontal sinusitis, sinusitis, or another type of sinusitis.
- Frequent exacerbations of chronic catarrhal pharyngitis.
- The presence of bad habits - smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Gastroesophageal reflux in which acidic gastric contents are thrown into the esophagus. Also, the cause of granular pharyngitis can be a hernia of the sphincter of the inlet of the stomach.
- Unfavorable ecological situation in the area of residence. First of all, this concerns the air that a person breathes. The presence of gases, dust and other irritating chemicals in it has a negative effect. This problem is especially relevant for people working in hot shops, chemical plants, etc.
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Injuries to the mucous membrane of the throat of any genesis. Mechanical, chemical and thermal damage is a hazard. If children most often receive mechanical injuries to the throat as a result of swallowing sharp, stabbing or cutting objects, then thermal burns occur due to the ingress of very hot liquid or steam on the mucous membrane. Also, mechanical injury can be inflicted during surgery, and chemical burns are the result of alkalis and acids, chlorine and ammonia vapors getting inside.
- Propensity for allergic reactions.
- Lack of nasal breathing due to anomalies in the development of the nasal septum or after its injury.
- Tonsillitis, adenoiditis, laryngitis.
- Frequent viral infections of the upper respiratory tract.
- The presence of a hidden focus of infection in the body.
- Decreased local or general immunity, autoimmune diseases. Against the background of the fall of the local protection of the mucous membrane of the throat due to illness, hypothermia, etc., the hidden carriage of staphylococci, streptococci and other bacteria, which were previously successfully suppressed by the immune system, begins to pose a danger.
- Cardiovascular diseases that cause stagnation of lymphatic fluid in the respiratory organs.
- Metabolic disorders triggered by starvation or endocrine diseases.
Granular pharyngitis symptoms
The symptoms of pharyngitis granulosa are manifested by a feeling of discomfort in the throat. It occurs due to chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane, which leads to loosening, thickening and proliferation of epithelial tissues. Always with granular pharyngitis, granules (nodules) are formed on the back of the throat, which are represented by edematous follicles that have fused with each other. The size of these elevations is similar to the size of a millet grain, they are dark red in color.
In addition, discomfort in the throat is explained by the expansion of the lymphatic and blood vessels, the increased work of the secretory glands, producing viscous thick sputum, sometimes containing impurities of pus.
The complaints of patients with pharyngitis granulosa are as follows:
- Dry, raw, burning and sore throat.
- Periodic bouts of severe coughing and persistent coughing associated with discomfort in the throat.
- Accumulation of thick, purulent sputum, which is very difficult to separate. In this regard, attempts to cough up may be accompanied by a feeling of nausea and vomiting.
- An unpleasant odor comes from the patient's mouth.
- There is a constant sensation of a foreign body in the throat.
- The pain is most often mild, aggravated by taking an empty sip (swallowing saliva). Ingestion of food and liquids usually does not cause significant discomfort, although sometimes swallowing can be difficult.
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Over time, the timbre of the patient's voice changes, becoming hoarse. Hoarseness develops due to constant coughing and swelling.
- Body temperature remains within normal limits, however, during periods of exacerbation of the disease, it may rise to high levels. In this case, headache and muscle pain join, coughing increases, symptoms of intoxication increase.
- The general well-being of a person suffers, and efficiency decreases.
- There may be an increase in regional lymph nodes that respond to the process of inflammation. On palpation, their pain is noted.
Diagnostics of the granular pharyngitis
The diagnosis of pharyngitis granulosa is in the competence of the otolaryngologist. The doctor will make a diagnosis based on the patient's complaints and pharyngoscopy data.
At the same time, he visualizes:
- Swelling and hyperemia of the throat mucosa;
- The presence of multiple seals of bright red color, which are located along the back of the throat;
- In some areas, traces of thick mucus with impurities of pus will be visible;
- Sometimes lateral ridges are included in the inflammation process;
- At the final stages of granulosa pharyngitis, some areas of the mucous membrane become thinned, traces of tissue atrophy are noticeable.
If necessary, a smear is taken from the back of the throat for bacteriological examination. This allows you to identify the causative agent of inflammation and select the optimal antibacterial agent for treatment.
If necessary, the patient is sent for consultation to other specialists - to a dentist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, etc.
Treatment of granular pharyngitis
Conservative treatment of pharyngitis granulosa is reduced to eliminating the inflammation itself, as well as eliminating the causes that caused it. It is important to quit smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, and food that irritate the throat mucosa. For this, all spicy, salty, pickled dishes are excluded. Food and drinks should not be too hot or too cold.
Without fail, the patient needs to get rid of dental caries, from all inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx, and normalize nasal breathing. Antihistamines are prescribed if there is a history of allergic reactions. These can be drugs such as Diazolin, Suprastin, Zirtek, Zodak, etc. In addition to eliminating allergic reactions, their use can reduce the swelling of the throat mucosa.
- To eliminate the bacterial flora, if any, it is possible to prescribe systemic antibiotics. Preparations are selected taking into account the sensitivity of microorganisms to them. Most often, antibiotics are prescribed from the group of penicillins (Augmentin, Ampicillin, etc.).
- For local throat treatment, absorbable tablets (Strepsils, Faringosept, Hexaliz, Lizobakt, Septolete) and antiseptic sprays, for example, Hexoral, Miramistin, Octenisept, etc., are used.
- It is important to gargle your throat regularly to rinse any mucus from your throat. An isotonic solution of sodium chloride in 1% concentration is well suited for this. You can add 5 drops of an alcohol solution of iodine of 5% concentration to 200 ml of solution. If you gargle with such a composition, you can reduce the symptoms of the disease, relieve irritation from the mucous membrane. You can also use Tantum Verde solution for this purpose.
- It is possible to carry out oil inhalations using eucalyptus, lavender oil, sage and pine oil. These procedures are aimed at moisturizing and antiseptic treatment of the mucous membrane of the throat and can slow down the processes of tissue atrophy.
- You can also use a device called a nebulizer for inhalation. With its help, ordinary alkaline mineral water or saline solution moisturizes the throat mucosa.
- Remedies for local treatment of the throat are: Burov's liquid, resorcinol solution, alcohol-based propolis solution, eucalyptus tincture, protargol and collargol solution, tannin with glycerin, zinc sulfate solution, etc.
- Cauterization of granules with chromic or trichloroacetic acid is carried out with their significant growth. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Silver nitrate can also be used for cauterization.
- Cryotherapy, laser treatment of granules, radio wave suppression of the back wall of the throat is performed with severe tissue hypertrophy.
If the treatment is carried out in full, all foci of infection are eliminated, professional and household hazards are eliminated, then most often in 14-21 weeks it is possible to achieve regression of granulosa pharyngitis.
The author of the article: Lazarev Oleg Vladimirovich | ENT
Education: In 2009, he received a diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" at the Petrozavodsk State University. After completing an internship at the Murmansk Regional Clinical Hospital, he received a diploma in Otorhinolaryngology (2010)
