What is pharyngitis?

Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the pharynx, the area between the tonsils and the larynx (voice box) that is commonly thought of as the throat.

Pharyngitis is another name for sore throat.

How does it occur?

Pharyngitis that comes on suddenly, called acute pharyngitis, can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or both. Pharyngitis that lasts for a long time, referred to as chronic pharyngitis, occurs when a respiratory, sinus, or mouth infection spreads to the pharynx. Pharyngitis may be the first symptom of an illness as mild as a cold or the flu or of a disease as severe as mononucleosis or scarlet fever.

Cigarette smoking, consuming a lot of alcohol, breathing heavily polluted air or industrial chemical fumes, or swallowing substances that scald, corrode, or scratch the lining of the throat can cause pharyngitis.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include:

• raw, red, sore throat that makes breathing, swallowing, and speaking painful

• fever

• pus in your throat

• earache

• tender, swollen glands in your neck.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will examine your throat and ask what kind of pain and symptoms you are having. Your doctor also will examine you for signs of other illness such as sinus, chest, or ear infections.

Just by looking at your throat, it is often hard for your doctor to decide whether your pharyngitis is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Your doctor may take a throat culture if he or she suspects you have a strep infection.

What is the treatment?

No specific treatment is usually required if you have viral pharyngitis. It most often clears on its own within 5 to 7 days.

For acute bacterial pharyngitis, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, probably in pill form. Antibiotics will not help viral pharyngitis. For chronic pharyngitis, you doctor will try to find and treat the primary source of infection.

How long will the effects of pharyngitis last?

Viral pharyngitis often disappears within 5 to 7 days.

If you have bacterial pharyngitis, you will feel better after you have been on antibiotics for 24 hours. You must, though, still take all of your supply of antibiotics; otherwise, your sore throat could come back.

How can I take care of myself?

You should not smoke cigarettes and you should get plenty of rest. You also may want to rest your throat by eating a mostly liquid or soft diet for a day or two.

Nonprescription lozenges and mouthwashes should relieve your sore throat. Gargling with warm salt water and drinking warm liquids also may help. A mild over-the-counter pain reliever such as aspirin or a substitute may ease general aches and pains.

If your sore throat lasts for more then a few days, call your doctor.

How can I prevent pharyngitis?

The following suggestions may help prevent pharyngitis:

• Don't share eating and drinking utensils with others.

• Don't let your nose and mouth touch public telephones or drinking fountains.

• Avoid close contact with other people who have a sore throat.

• Stay indoors as much as possible on high pollution days.

• Don't drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

• Don't stay in areas where there is heavy smoke from cigarettes.

• Humidify your home if the air is particularly dry.