Many people, especially those who are prone to colds, have come across an unpleasant sensation of congestion in the throat, accompanied by perspiration, pain, and other symptoms. In most cases, such sensations are caused by the fact that in diseases of the throat the mucosa irritates, swells, and as a result there is a feeling that something stuck in the throat. In medicine, under the plugs in the throat, they mean basically purulent inflammatory processes in the tonsils.
Causes of congestion in the throat
Palatine tonsils (glands) - a lymphoid tissue, which must protect the throat from getting various infections. In tonsils there is a large accumulation of nerve endings, so when they become inflamed, this is a rather painful process. Purulent (caseous) stoppers in the throat are an accumulation in the emptiness of the tonsils of dead epithelium, leukocytes, putrefactive microbes. The cause of inflammation of the tonsils and the appearance of congestion in the throat can be caused by infections caused by:
- pneumococci;
- staphylococci ;
- streptococci;
- adenoviruses;
- diphtheria microbes;
- candidiasis.
Large purulent plugs in the throat can be detected by visual examination, in the form of white dense deposits on the mucosa. In addition, with traffic jams in the throat is characterized by the following symptoms:
- bad smell from the mouth;
- sore throat;
- soreness when swallowing;
- edema and an increase in the size of the tonsils;
- pain in the ears.
More often purulent fuses in the throat are observed in angina, chronic tonsillitis, sometimes - with laryngitis, diphtheria.
How to treat congestion in the throat?
In most cases, treatment of congestion in the throat is carried out by conservative methods:
- Rinsing. This procedure contributes to overall improvement of the condition and reduction of inflammation, although it is not possible to rinse the immediately formed plugs. For the rinse you can use decoctions of sage, chamomile, St. John's wort, warm water with a small amount of propolis tincture. It is popular to rinse the throat with water with soda and / or salt with the addition of a few drops of iodine. In addition to folk remedies, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory drugs (furacilin, streptocid and others) are used.
- Take measures to treat sore throats, if the appearance of slugs is associated with it. Including taking antibacterial and immunostimulating drugs, if necessary - antipyretic agents, use of sprays for the throat, inhalation, compliance with bed rest.
- Lubrication of inflamed tonsils with lugol solution.
- Refrain from too hot drinking and stiff food. This can create additional trauma to the mucosa and slow the healing process.
How to remove the plugs in the throat?
In this case, everything depends on the degree of neglect of the disease. At the initial stage of the formation of stoppers, rinsing and taking appropriate preparations can be sufficient. In case if the cork on the tonsils are determined visually, they need to be removed.
The procedure for removing plugs can be carried out at home, but it requires great care, since the tonsils are very sensitive, they are easily traumatized, and the trauma will intensify the inflammatory process.
At home, a cotton swab or spoon is usually used to remove the plugs, which gently press the amygdala around the cork, squeezing it out, after which the throat must always be rinsed with an antiseptic. In clinical conditions for the removal of stoppers, washing of the tonsils with a special solution is used.
In the case of regular relapses of the disease, a patient can be shown tonsillectomy ( removal of glands ), although this method is used very rarely, since the plugs themselves are not an indication for the removal of tonsils.
Candidiasis in the throat
Candidiasis of the throat can be both a complication in angina and may arise as a consequence of taking antibiotics. If it is established that the plaque formed in the throat is of this nature, then in addition to the standard methods, special antifungal drugs and means for combating dysbacteriosis are used.