Angina is an infectious disease that can be easily infected. A characteristic symptom of the disease is a huge sore throat that prevents swallowing. Angina should not be underestimated, because she can have very serious complications. The largest number of cases is recorded in the autumn and winter.
What should you know about angina
Angina is also an acute inflammation of the throat mucosa and palatine tonsils, caused by bacteria. Most infections are caused by group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes), which are responsible for nearly 90% of cases. Streptococci from groups C and G are second in order (about 5-11% of cases). The incubation period of angina is from 12 hours to 4 days.
What are angina symptoms
The onset of streptococcal angina is quite acute and is characterized by:
- sore throat, fever up to 39 degrees Celsius and chills and general breakdown;
- the throat is red and the palatine tonsils are softened, red with purulent plugs;
- The submandibular and cervical lymph nodes are enlarged and painful.
Sometimes, tonsils may be present on tonsillitis. Yellow-white secretion on the tonsils is a combination of fibrin and leukocytes (immune cells) that lost in the fight against bacteria.
In young children who are under 3 years of age, streptococcal angina appears relatively rarely, and the picture of the disease often deviates from its characteristic symptoms that are observed in adults. In the first period of angina, rhinitis is particularly severe, followed by moderate fever, irritability, disgust and swollen lymph nodes.
Treatment of angina
Your doctor will probably recommend antibiotic therapy. In this case, penicillin is used, which shows the highest effectiveness in the treatment of this disease. It soothes the symptoms of the disease and shortens its duration. It will also help to avoid complications. Treatment of strep throat usually lasts about 10 days, during which time the patient should rest. Your doctor may recommend the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve a sore throat and high temperature. In the course of angina, it is also worth using drugs that reduce sore throat and those with disinfecting properties.
Virus angina
It does not grow as rapidly as bacterial. In the early stages, virus angina can be mistaken for a cold, but as time passes, the tonsils become swollen and red. This is a clear signal that we may be dealing with angina. Symptoms of this type of angina include: severe sore throat, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, muscle and joint pain, conjunctivitis, congestion of the palate mucosa with fine bubbles.
In the treatment of virus angina, antibiotic therapy is not effective. On the other hand, analgesics are used: painkillers, antipyretics, soothing sore throats.
Complications
Untreated angina or treatment taken too late can lead to local or general complications. One of the more common local complications is the perineural abscess, which usually occurs unilaterally. Pus accumulates between the pharynx wall and the tonsil capsule, which causes pain and swallowing problems. May lead to jawbone. The far more dangerous complications are adenocarcinoma plasma, rheumatic fever (may lead to acquired valvular heart disease), acute glomerulonephritis (may lead to failure) or endocarditis.
