Symptoms of purulent sore throat

Symptoms of purulent tonsillitis - purulent tonsillitis - are signs of inflammation of the tonsils, which is accompanied by the formation of purulent discharge from streptococci affected mucous tissues of the glands and the pharyngeal wall.

The first signs of purulent sore throat are manifested by pain in the throat, reddening of the tonsils and mucous pharynx, an increase in body temperature.

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Symptoms of purulent sore throat in adults

The main symptoms of purulent sore throat in adults, which is lacunary, follicular, and also phlegmonous, are the following:

• high body temperature (up to 38.5-39 ° C) with chill;
• red, swollen and friable-looking palatine tonsils, reddening of the posterior pharyngeal wall and tongue (lingual tonsil);
• purulent deposits and ulcers on tonsils (purulent plugs), which increase in size and can spontaneously open;
• sharp pain in the throat, especially when swallowing, which is felt even in the ears;
• a state of general weakness, headache, pain in the muscles of the back and lower back;
• Regional submandibular lymph nodes are enlarged and painful when palpated.

If the laryngeal angina, then there are purulent inclusions in the tonsillar mucosa - accumulations of serous-purulent discharge in the depressions located on their surface (lacunae), having the appearance of spots of various shapes. In addition, the plaque can be diffuse - on the entire surface of the glands.

Symptoms of purulent sore throat in case of its follicular form, plus to already listed, include suppuration of follicles - special lymphoid cells of tonsils located both on their surface and in depth. Actually, both lacunae and follicles have the same function - to detain pathogenic microbes, and during purulent tonsillitis they have a real "workaholic", as evidenced by all the symptoms of purulent sore throat.

So, the follicles, filled with pus, look like small round abscesses (purulent plugs), which are clearly visible under the mucous membrane of the inflamed tonsils. According to the otolaryngologists, the definition of lacunar and lavender follicular angina has a rather conventional character, as pus is formed in lacunas and follicles with purulent tonsillitis, since both produce protective macrophages and lymphocytes. So in many cases, the angina becomes lacunar-follicular.

Symptoms of purulent sore throat diagnosed as phlegmous:

• body temperature up to 39-40 ° C;
• weakness and chills;
• continuous hyperemia of the throat, including lingual tonsil and palatine arch;
• purulent plugs on the surface of the tonsils;
• very severe pain in the throat, which makes it difficult to swallow and open the mouth;
• pain gives in the ear and in the area of the lower jaw;
• lymph nodes under the lower jaw and on the neck are enlarged and painful;
• halitosis (bad breath);
• hypersalivation (abundant salivation).

These symptoms of purulent sore throat are associated with the development of phlegmous (diffuse purulent) inflammation of the fiber layer that lines the surface located behind the capsule of the tonsils. When the inflammation captures these tissues, the acute purulent paratonzillitis is determined. The formation of a clearly restricted purulent focus in the cellulitis around the amygdala (and sometimes the purulent exudate entering its capsule) is called a peritonsillar (intratonsillar) abscess. And it is considered to be a complication of purulent sore throat.

Symptoms of purulent sore throat in children

From the general signs of a purulent form of inflammation of the tonsils, the symptoms of purulent angina in children are practically the same. But since in a child, especially a small child, all inflammatory processes are more difficult, it should be borne in mind that in children with this disease:

• there may be problems with breathing, as inflamed tonsils partially cover the laryngeal lumen;
• the inflammation of the middle ear (otitis) can begin, because pus coming from lacunae and tonsillar follicles can get into the canal connecting the pharynx with the middle ear cavity (Eustachian tube);
• it is possible splenomegalia - an increase in the spleen, which, like the tonsils, is the organ of the immune system;
• may be vomiting and diarrhea due to streptococcal and staphylococcal intoxication of the body;
• very often in children under three years of age there are nonspecific reactions of the nervous system due to general intoxication in infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract. This is the so-called meningeal syndrome, which is expressed in the reflex increase in the tone of the neck muscles (rigidity), convulsions, short-term loss of consciousness.

For the pediatrician, the main thing is not to confuse the symptoms of purulent sore throat in children with inflammation of the palatine tonsils with scarlet fever (in this case the throat and tongue will be bright red within four to five days). And also with monocytic angina, which appears as the first symptom of infectious mononucleosis, and angina with enterovirus infection, which occurs with a very high temperature and bubble rashes on the tonsillar mucosa.

Symptoms of purulent sore throat are a good reason for setting the right diagnosis and the purpose of treatment.