The throat, as a border area between the environment and the human body, takes on the most powerful blow of various colds and infectious diseases. By themselves, banal inflammatory processes can proceed quite easily and do not always make you think about contacting a doctor. In this case, the disease becomes chronic, the consequences of advanced infections are very dangerous for adult patients, children and adolescents.
How does tonsillitis appear?
It is very difficult for an ordinary person to imagine the environment around us, especially outside the city, literally teeming with a variety of pathogens.
However, this is the simplest way to get tonsil disease - tonsillitis, which is usually the result of an ordinary respiratory infection.
It is her habit not to treat and simply not pay attention to her. The perfidiousness of the development of one disease into another lies in the fact that complications destroy almost all organs and systems to varying degrees.
Modern life is fast, tense and dynamic, which sometimes makes it difficult to see a doctor. The cold season, constant overwork and hypothermia, lack of vitamins, improper daily routine, bad habits usually become that favorable environment that perfectly promotes colds with very serious consequences. The appearance of a runny nose, sore throat when talking, swallowing and for no apparent reason, persistent coughing and a slight fever is traditionally considered by many people, especially among adults and very busy people, to be a common occurrence. After a short period of time, the signs increase and it is already worth talking about acute tonsillitis.
Nature, creating man, took excellent care of his health. To minimize the effects of disease, the throat is surrounded by a nasopharyngeal ring of lymph nodes, the most important of which are the tonsils, located on the sides of the pharynx. Large-scale pathogenic influence from bacterial microorganisms, causes numerous foci of inflammation outside and in the lacunae of the tonsils. The consequences of the process may appear immediately, but there may be long-term complications.
The acute phase of inflammation of the tonsils quickly turns into chronic tonsillitis, a constant subfebrile temperature appears up to 37.2 - 37.5 0 S, the malaise is growing.
Violation of the activity of blood vessels and the heart, dysfunction of the gallbladder and kidneys, pain in the joints, and destruction of the vascular walls occurs suddenly and for no apparent reason. These are complications after postponed or untreated chronic tonsillitis. What is the hidden treachery of pathology, what is the danger of an inflammatory process that has not undergone timely therapy or that has passed into a chronic phase? Further development of the clinical picture, where complications pose a great danger to children and adults. They are of two types that should be considered more closely.
Local consequences of inflammation of the tonsils
First of all, it should be remembered that the consequences of a local nature are usually treated much easier and faster, they have a certain localization. But don't underestimate them. The consequences of acute or chronic tonsillitis can develop into more complex clinical forms, including:
- Inflammatory processes in the connective tissues of the tonsils along the back wall - peritonsillitis.
- Swelling of the glands and laryngeal ring.
- Inner ear inflammation - otitis media.
- Suppuration of steam of tonsil tissue and adipose tissue. The complication is called parapharyngeal phlegmon.
- The formation of a purulent sac or accumulation of pus near the tonsil is most often on the left, the diagnosis of a para tonsillar abscess is confirmed by the appearance of temperature with a significant sharp deterioration in the general tone of the body.
- Other, more rare clinical forms of purulent processes.
This list of pathological phenomena in the area of the tonsils, throat and nasopharynx is traditionally detected in patients hospitalized in the first 70-80 hours after the detection of inflammation. Usually more serious consequences in the form of paratonsillitis and a pair of tonsillar accumulations have a similar clinical picture. In the overwhelming majority of cases, they are manifested by a severe form of fever, a deterioration in general condition. At the same time, the temperature rises significantly, pains when swallowing increase, radiating to the oropharynx and nasal sinuses, saliva secretion grows. Visually determines the hyperemia and edema of the area of the palatine curtain and tonsils, the back of the snake noticeably reddens and becomes loose. The patient can hardly open his mouth.
The acute form of secondary local inflammation is manifested by significant damage to the connective tissues around the tonsils, a diffuse purulent process, which then transforms into numerous abscesses, the temperature rises significantly. The course of the pathology, even with adequate treatment, can be aggravated after hypothermia, interruptions in taking antibiotics, ignoring bed rest recommended by ENT specialists.
The consequences of such inattention to one's health lead to large-scale swelling of the tonsils, pain syndrome against the background of acute inflammation of the tissues of the throat and middle ear. Edema is caused by stagnation of lymph, its ebb flow is disturbed, and localization in the area of primary tonsillitis, that is, at the entrance to the larynx, leads to breathing disorders. This moment is especially dangerous, in the absence of the correct and what is very important - urgent help, the patient suffocates.
Complications of the abscess clinic are manifested by actively growing parapharyngeal phlegmon, the temperature becomes critical. Even visually, inflammation of the peri-cervical region is observed in the form of a roller or collar due to the presence of pus in the tissues located near the tonsils.
Complex of common complications
The general type of disorders in the activity of organs and systems poses a significant danger to the general and local physiology of human organs. The severity is manifested in the distant manifestations of pathologies of the metatonsillar type - diseases of the kidneys, gallbladder, joints, large-scale lesions of the cardiovascular system. Long-term consequences of advanced inflammation of the tonsils can manifest itself in the form of polyarthritis, rheumatoid dysfunctions of the joints, glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis, and often also lesions of the biliary tract in the form of cholecystitis or cholangitis.
At the same time, the temperature traditionally rises, the pain syndrome actively makes itself felt, the general intoxication of the body is significantly expressed.
With all these manifestations of disorders of general vital activity, tonsillitis is still the most dangerous for its destructive effect on blood vessels and the heart. These diseases are equally dangerous for both adults and children:
- An inflammatory chronic process, which in most cases is infectious or allergic in nature - myocarditis.
- Manifestation of acute vasculitis. The clinic is based on signs of inflammation of the wall of the great vessels.
- Acquired heart muscle defects such as rheumatoid myocarditis and rheumatism of the entire heart system.
- Particularly severe complications in the form of rheumatic lesions localized in the heart affect all connective tissues in the human body.
A specialist rheumatologist, when collecting an anamnesis, will explain that the immune system produces a mass of active antibodies, which, even after successful therapy, continue to function and have a destructive effect on the connective protein tissue. It is formed by other structures, but its destruction on the heart valves leads to the development of defects.
A frequent occurrence is angina with the simultaneous occurrence of myocarditis against a background of high temperature, characteristic pain in the heart area, signs of arrhythmia, shortness of breath and rapid fatigue. Such injuries have a tendency to develop rapidly and, without timely relying on treatment, will rapidly lead to a fatal outcome.
The effect of tonsil infection on the kidneys and urinary system, which has not undergone adequate therapy, leads to purulent processes in the renal pelvis and the development of chronic renal failure.
The defeat of the articular apparatus is expressed by hyperemia, constant fever or a spontaneous increase in temperature, malaise, decreased vitality, sharp pain and swelling of the joints.
Prevention measures
Modern medicine has a preventive direction, which makes it possible to minimize severe secondary pathologies and their consequences. Prevention of inflammation of the tonsils in adults consists in undergoing complex treatment with antibiotic drugs and other drugs prescribed by a doctor. For children of any age, bed rest is recommended in stationary conditions. The patient should gargle with special solutions several times a day in order to cleanse the pus. The role of vitamin preparations, general strengthening of the body, and maintenance of immunity is also important.
