Pharyngitis (pronounced /ˌfærɪnˈdʒaɪtɪs/) is an inflammation of the throat or pharynx. In most cases it is painful and the initial infection can extend for a lengthy time period, and is often referred to as a sore throat.
Like many types of inflammation, pharyngitis can be acute – characterized by a rapid onset and typically a relatively short course – or chronic. The remainder of this article is about the acute form.
It can result in very large ...
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Pharyngitis (pronounced /ˌfærɪnˈdʒaɪtɪs/) is an inflammation of the throat or pharynx. In most cases it is painful and the initial infection can extend for a lengthy time period, and is often referred to as a sore throat.
Like many types of inflammation, pharyngitis can be acute – characterized by a rapid onset and typically a relatively short course – or chronic. The remainder of this article is about the acute form.
It can result in very large tonsils which cause trouble swallowing and breathing. Some cases are accompanied by a cough or fever.
Most acute cases are caused by viral infections (40%–60%), with the remainder caused by bacterial infections, fungal infections, or irritants such as pollutants or chemical substances.
Treatment of viral causes are mainly symptomatic while bacterial or fungal causes may be amenable to antibiotics and anti-fungals respectively.
Acute pharyngitis is one type of upper respiratory tract infection.
The pharynx is a common site of infection. After a...
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