Chronic sore throat
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A sore throat is defined as an unpleasant sensation that burns or hurts when swallowing. It presents with throat clearing, dryness or hoarseness. When this situation lasts for a prolonged period of time, it is considered chronic.
Chronic sore throat can have several causes, mostly infections that can be dangerous for the patient’s health. It is important to look for the cause of the condition as soon as possible in order to offer an effective solution to the patient.
Although it may seem like a single disease, the truth is that there are some variants that can be generated by the cause and that represent an important change in the treatment recommendation. See the types below.
Causes of chronic sore throat
There are several reasons why you may suffer from this condition, find out below.
Allergic reaction:
The body may irritate and inflame the throat as a method of defense against a pathogen. This cause can be identified by other symptoms, such as rashes, eye irritation, sneezing.
In these cases, it is best to recognize and avoid the allergy-causing element, which is likely to be airborne and can contaminate the patient’s airways.
Postnasal drip
It may be caused by other reasons and indirectly lead to laryngitis. Mucus draining from the sinuses affects the back of the throat and causes discomfort, such as nighttime coughing, nausea, need to swallow to lighten the throat.
This condition occurs without fever and most often causes bad breath.
Dr. Lech is an otolaryngologist in Panama
Is willing to help you regain your quality of life and breathe easier
Treatments for chronic sore throat
Once the type of chronic sore throat pain and its causes are identified, an ideal treatment can be defined. The ENT doctor will recommend a pharmacological option to eliminate the discomfort and restore the patient’s quality of life.
Among the medication options are: antibiotics and antihistamines according to each particular case. If the problem persists and involves the tonsils, the doctor may recommend the removal of the tonsils.
If the causes are due to reflux, an ideal treatment will be recommended to avoid it. In the case of metabolic pharyngitis, the necessary changes will be made to stabilize the disorder that causes it.
It is important to note that you can avoid these discomforts by changing your habits and lifestyle. Some ideas are:
Quitting smoking.
Reducing or eliminating the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Consuming food and beverages at medium temperature and not hot.
Finding a balanced diet.
Increasing water intake.
Avoiding exposure to smoke, dust and/or polluted environments.
Types of chronic sore throats
Chronic laryngitis
It is a disease that focuses on the throat area. However, its particularity is that it affects the voice since inflammation due to infectious or allergic causes irritate and swell the vocal cords. If it occurs over a long period of time, more than six weeks, it is considered a chronic lesion.
In most cases, laryngitis is caused by a virus and is not as serious. However, it is good to evaluate each case separately to avoid complications.
Symptoms are: hoarseness, loss or decrease of voice, pain, dryness and dry cough.
Hyperplastic pharyngitis
Pharyngitis is the inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. It usually occurs due to bacterial or viral causes and is characterized by inflammation and irritation of the larynx.
On the other hand, this disease presents itself in different ways. For example, hyperplastic pharyngitis is characterized by an enlargement of the pharyngeal glands, which increases mucus production and is described by the patient as a foreign body sensation.
Granular pharyngitis
This is defined as a chronic condition of pharyngitis that develops inflammation of the lymph glands, resulting in granular mucus, difficulty swallowing, pain, and a need for constant throat clearing.
Hypertrophic pharyngitis
It is the same inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. However, it presents different symptoms in addition to pain and difficulty in swallowing. In hypertrophic pharyngitis, superficial whitish ulcers are also formed as a result of the infection as well as fever and inflammation of the tonsils.
Chronic metabolic pharyngitis
This is a type of pharyngitis caused by other diseases that affect the patient’s metabolism, such as hormonal disorders: hyperthyroidism, menopause and even diabetes. To diagnose and treat these chronic cases, the patient’s history must be understood and the cause must be determined.
Dr. Lech is an otolaryngologist in Panama
Is willing to help you regain your quality of life and breathe easier
Breathing through the mouth
It may be due to a nasal obstruction that invites the patient to breathe through the mouth, so that the air dries the mucous membrane of the throat and causes irritation. In addition, this increases the possibility of coming into contact with viruses and bacteria that cause further infection.
Viral infection
Any virus in the air can come into contact with the larynx, tonsils and pharynx when breathing. As the body’s method of defense, these organs become inflamed and prevent the virus from traveling into the lower respiratory tract.
Bacterial infection
There are several bacteria that can cause discomfort in the throat and treating them as soon as possible is key to avoid complications. Bacterial infections cause more serious symptoms, such as shortness of breath, muscle weakness, headache and, in some cases, asthma.
Frequently asked questions
Chronic pharyngitis? What to take?
Seeing a specialist is important. Dr. Lech, an otolaryngologist in Panama, can help you.
Through specialized care, the doctor can find the cause of your pharyngitis and recommend the most appropriate medication as well as the dosage and how long to take it.
You must trust the specialists to find an efficient solution.
What does persistent sore throat without fever mean?
Fever occurs when there is bacterial or viral infection. When there is no fever, it may mean that the mucous membrane of the throat is irritated for other reasons, such as allergies, breathing through the mouth and even exposure to polluting gases such as chemicals.
If the discomfort lasts for more than two weeks, even without fever, see a specialist who can help you recover your health.
Where can I treat chronic sore throat?
You can count on Dr. Lech, an ENT doctor who is ready to serve you. Schedule an appointment and let him help you regain your health.
Dr. Lech is an otolaryngologist in Panama
Is willing to help you regain your quality of life and breathe easier
Testimonials from Dr. Lech
LAURA RUIZ RUIZ
2022-06-21
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Yanixa Baloy
2022-05-19
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2022-05-19
Buen Dia
Esperando todo se encuentren bien.-
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Michel Guerrero
2022-04-25
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