Sometimes the cause of pharyngitis, laryngitis, or tonsillitis is a fungus in the throat. The symptoms and treatment of these conditions require detailed consideration. The fact is that a person suffering from a fungal disease may not even know about it, taking the symptoms of fungal pharyngitis for ARVI; treatment in this case is ineffective, and the disease progresses.
In medicine, fungal diseases are called mycoses. Compared to other infectious diseases - viral and bacterial - fungal infections are less common. At the same time, it is often mycoses that are difficult to treat, and can bother a person for many years.
How do you know if you have a throat fungus? What are the symptoms? What treatment is required to get rid of it permanently? Read about all this below.
Candidiasis is the most common mycosis
Candidiasis is a fungal infection associated with damage to the skin, mucous membranes or internal organs with a microscopic yeast-like fungus belonging to the genus Candida (in Latin - Candida).
Candida can affect the mouth, tonsils, and pharynx. In most cases, candidiasis is associated with an overactive Candida albicans.
This fungus is widespread in human populations. It is present in small amounts on the skin of almost anyone. Especially often candida is found on the mucous membranes of the mouth, upper respiratory tract and genitals. However, the presence of candida on the mucous membrane does not always lead to candidiasis.
Candidiasis of the mouth and throat is an opportunistic infection; this means that it can only develop in an organism with a weakened immune system.
In childhood, especially in children of the first year of life, candidiasis occurs very often, since the child's immune system encounters fungi for the first time and is only learning to resist them. Infant candidiasis is a harmless, common occurrence.
A completely different matter is candidiasis in adults. If an adult develops candidiasis of the mouth and throat, it is worth considering the state of his health in general. So, it is known that candidiasis in adults is often associated with disorders such as:
- the presence of caries;
- dysbiosis;
- diabetes;
- various defects of the immune system.
The provocateur of the development of candidiasis is often drugs.
In particular, oral and throat candidiasis may result from the use of corticosteroid inhalers to relieve asthma attacks. However, in most cases, candidiasis occurs as a side effect of long-term antibiotic use. Antibiotics disrupt the natural balance of bacteria and fungi in the microflora; By drastically reducing the number of bacteria, antibiotics contribute to the active reproduction of fungi.
Taking any immunosuppressants also dramatically increases the risk of developing candidiasis (for example, anti-inflammatory creams and ointments for psoriasis, immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, etc.). In addition, hormonal contraceptives increase the likelihood of developing candidiasis (including throat).
Types of oropharyngeal candidiasis
Oral candidiasis is usually divided into several groups, based on the differences in their clinical picture. There are usually 4 types of oropharyngeal candidiasis:
- Thrush, or acute pseudomembranous candidiasis, is the most common fungal infection of the mouth, throat, and genitals.
Thrush is characterized by the appearance of a white cheesy plaque on the mucous membrane of the mouth, tonsils, pharynx. The main complaints of the patient are the constant appearance of plaque, sore throat, bad breath, poor appetite. In the absence of treatment, every day the plaque becomes more, its consistency becomes denser. The patient's body temperature and general well-being as a whole are not disturbed. Thrush is usually observed with a sharp decrease in immunity, after the use of antibiotics, etc. In most cases, it can be successfully treated. In premature infants, as well as adults with immunodeficiency, thrush can develop into systemic candidiasis, which affects the internal organs - the larynx, trachea, and lungs.
- Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis is a difficult-to-treat candidiasis. Usually associated with severe immune defects. To cure such candidiasis, you need to restore the normal activity of the immune system. Patients with chronic candidiasis should be carefully examined by an immunologist.
- Erymatous candidiasis is a special form of the disease in which the patient has a characteristic redness of the throat, oral mucosa, and especially the tongue. Curdled bloom is present in small quantities. This form of candidiasis can be observed in smokers, HIV-infected, and those who take very strong antibiotics.
- Chronic hyperplastic candidiasis is a form of the disease in which leukoplakia forms in the mouth - keratinized areas. They can be in the form of plaques or films. Often found in the corners of the mouth, on the tongue, tonsils. Hyperplastic candidiasis is usually associated with autoimmune and hormonal disorders of the patient's health.
What other fungal infections can affect the throat?
Not only candida can affect the mucous membrane of the oropharynx. There are many other fungal infections that can invade the tissues of the upper respiratory tract. In this case, the so-called "non-candidal" fungal infections are very rare, but they are much more dangerous than candidiasis. Let's take a look at some of them:
- Aspergillosis
There are more than 160 species of Aspergilus fungus, and 10 of them have been proven to be pathogenic to humans. Aspergillus are found in large numbers in the environment - soil, fallen leaves, rotting plants. The spores of these mushrooms are volatile, and people quite often inhale them while relaxing in nature. However, humanity has never faced an epidemic of aspergillosis, and this proves that mycoses are opportunistic diseases that develop only in people with weakened immune systems. However, the prevalence of aspergillosis is increasing every year. Currently, aspergillosis ranks 2nd in the world in terms of prevalence among fungal infections (candidiasis is in 1st place).
Inhalation of aspergillus spores can lead to fungal growth in any of the upper respiratory tract, from the mouth and sinuses to the trachea.
The disease is often confused with other acute respiratory infections - bacterial sinusitis, laryngitis, etc. At the same time, the patient's body temperature is slightly increased, and the sputum released during a runny nose or coughing up has a green or black color and an unpleasant odor.
- Blastomycosis
Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal disease that affects the skin and mucous membrane of the oropharynx, and then the lymphatic tissue and internal organs. As with aspergillosis, infection occurs by inhalation of spores in the soil. Blastomycosis of the larynx can occur in isolation or simultaneously with skin lesions. On the skin, blastomycosis manifests itself as a red papular rash all over the body. Papules merge with each other, covered with purulent crusts. If there is a rash on the skin, diagnosis is greatly simplified. An isolated form of laryngeal blastomycosis is often mistaken for other diseases - bacterial or viral laryngitis, throat syphilis, etc.
- Cryptococcosis
Spores of the fungus Cryptococcus are found in soil, rotting vegetables, excrement of pigeons, canaries, budgerigars and other birds, less often in the feces of cats, horses, dogs (while animals do not get sick).Inhalation of them leads to cryptococcosis, which can affect the mucous membranes of the upper and lower respiratory tract, as well as the organs of the nervous system - the brain or spinal cord.
Cryptococcosis is an insidious infection; for a long time it can be asymptomatic. The disease begins to manifest itself gradually. On the mucous membrane of the affected organ (pharynx, larynx, mouth, etc.), nodules, ulcers, papillomas appear. The disease progresses and ulcers deepen, destroying soft tissues (tonsils, mucous membrane, soft palate) and even bones. A characteristic sign of cryptococcosis is that the patient's body temperature remains normal, regardless of the severity of the course. Isolated cryptococcosis of the mucous membrane responds well to treatment.
It should be noted that throat cryptococcosis is rarely primary; more often it appears as a result of the spread of infection from the lungs, brain, or other internal organs.
- Histoplasmosis
Systemic mycosis caused by a fungus of the genus Histoplasm. Infection occurs when spores are inhaled from the soil. First of all, the pharynx suffers, as well as the gums, palate. Large, lumpy ulcers appear on the mucous membrane. The infection can spread to the lower respiratory tract.
- Zygomycosis
Mukor and Rhizopus are the most common representatives of Zygomycetes. These fungi are ubiquitous - they are found in soil, decomposing food. In healthy people, spores of these fungi are present in the nasopharynx almost constantly, without causing illness. If a person falls ill with zygomycosis, he must be tested for HIV infection (it is patients with immunodeficiency who often suffer from zygomycosis). The disease is difficult. When the pharynx is damaged, soft tissues are destroyed, then bones.
Fungal diseases of the throat are dangerous, but rare diseases. It is worth emphasizing that they develop only in persons with severely weakened immunity.
Treatment of fungal diseases of the throat
Today, the pharmaceutical industry offers the widest range of antifungal agents - ointments, tablets, injection solutions. We do not recommend choosing a drug for the treatment of fungus on your own. The fact is that the success of treatment largely depends on how correctly the diagnosis is made. To accurately determine the cause of the disease, it is necessary to undergo an examination - pharyngoscopy, bacteriological culture of a smear from the throat (to determine the type of fungus and its sensitivity to drugs), a general blood test (to assess the general state of health of the patient).
Since mycosis of the throat in adults develops against the background of a decrease in immunity, it is necessary to find out what exactly inhibits the body's resistance, and, if possible, exclude this factor.
Thus, treatment for fungal throat infections includes:
- taking antifungal drugs of general action (tablets Nystatin, Levorin, Amphoglucamin, Diflucan);
- treatment of the mucous membrane of the oropharynx with local antifungal drugs (Lugol's solution, decamine or amphotericin ointment, rinsing with 2.5% borax solution, an aqueous solution of baking soda, resorption of nystatin tablets, caramelized decamine);
- good nutrition, vitamins, lactic acid products;
- taking immunostimulants (as prescribed by a doctor, if the treatment does not work);
- since many antimycotics are hepato- and hemotoxic, it makes sense to take drugs to protect the liver and blood in parallel.
Dosages, frequency of administration and duration of the course depend on the causative agent of the disease, the severity of the patient's condition, the presence of concomitant diseases, and are prescribed strictly by the doctor.
