Parathonsillar abscess: symptoms and treatment of the disease

Diseases of the larynx are some of the most dangerous.And it's not just that they are painful. Their main danger is their purulent nature. Since this area is constantly in a humid environment, the treatment of inflammation of the larynx is inevitably associated with unpleasant cleaning of the affected area from pus. One of the most unpleasant childhood throat diseases - peritonsillar abscess - can also occur in adults. Although, according to statistics, the risk of contracting it after overcoming the 2-year mark is very low. This disease is dangerous because during its course, suppuration of the peritonsillar tissue and the tissues that protect it constantly occurs. And children under 2 years of age, who are most susceptible to the threat of peritonsillar abscess, are not able to explain to their parents what exactly is wrong with their swallowing reflexes. And timely detection of this inflammation is the key to its rapid recovery. There are three stages by which a peritonsillar abscess develops: initial edematous, middle infiltrative and extreme abscessing. There are many symptoms of this disease. But the most characteristic of them are only 5:

Severe sore throat after a recent angina, cold, flu and other diseases that affect the larynx.

The voice is squeezed, with recoil in the nose.

The rapid pace of breathing and the markedly forced position of the head (tilted to the right, to the left or tilted slightly back)

Perceptible swelling of the regional lymph nodes and tumor on the side wall of the pharynx.

Limiting the possibilities of chewing muscles (difficulty opening the mouth, turning the head and nodding).

If the patient has already undergone treatment not so long agoinflammation of the larynx (ARI, flu, tonsillitis, cold, scarlet fever, etc.), then it is worth taking a blood test and comparing the results. An indicator of a peritonsillar abscess will be an increased content of leukocytes in the blood and an accelerated ESR. Treatment of this disease at home is impossible. Therefore, the first step in striving to cure the child should be his hospitalization. In addition, a patient with a peritonsillar abscess must undergo antibacterial therapy. Often, with this diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an urgent operation in order to immediately open the abscess. Provided that the larynx is already too swollen and breathing is almost blocked, the patient will also have to have a tracheostomy. We recommend reading: