White spots in the throat - a general description of the pathology
So, if, upon examination of a patient, white dots are found on the tonsils, or the person complains of a sore throat, this is definitely a sore throat, which in modern medicine is called tonsillitis.
The pathology most often develops in childhood, but is also found in ENT practice and in adult patients.
To understand why it is necessary to respond in a timely manner to a painless clinical picture, it is necessary to study the characteristics of the disease and potential complications in the absence of timely therapy.
So, many patients associate the appearance of white dots in the throat with a fungal infection. In fact, this is only a partial truth.
Because among the causes of tonsillitis, doctors also highlight increased activity of streptococci, staphylococci, and viruses against the background of a weakened immune system.
The carrier of the infection is an infected person; the mode of transmission of the characteristic disease is airborne.
Dangerous bacteria, penetrating the body, affect the mucous membrane of the larynx, tonsils, tongue, palate, and contribute to the death of cells.
Since the disease progresses spontaneously, symptoms are noticeable almost immediately from the moment of infection.
Even in the absence of an acute attack of sore throat, white dots appear. Which can be eliminated exclusively with medication or through the use of alternative medicine recipes.
The patient should know: the symptoms of tonsillitis are similar to the classic cold. However, the consequences of a characteristic illness are more serious, and are further dangerous to health.
Therefore, if a child has white spots in the throat, but no temperature, it’s time to seek qualified help from a local pediatrician.
Reasons for appearance
There are several reasons why white plaque appears on the tonsils. So, a white spot on the tonsils may indicate a pathology developing in the body.
Thrush
Candidiasis (thrush) is a disease caused by fungal bacteria Candida Albicans. These bacteria thrive and thrive in warm, high-sugar environments, so the oral cavity is a good place to be.
The mucous membrane of the throat is often subject to candida attack, the symptom of which is the appearance of white plaque and spots on the tonsils.
Stomatitis
Stomatitis is a common inflammatory process of the oral mucosa. The main manifestation of the disease is white plaques in different parts of the oral cavity, as well as on the tonsils.
So, spots can affect: the tongue, the inner sides of the cheeks and lips. The formations are painful and cause considerable discomfort to the person.
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The risk group for infection includes children and pregnant women.
Angina
Sore throat is an infectious disease.
Symptoms of the disease are:
- pain in the throat;
- white dots on one tonsil or both;
- temperature rise to +38…+39°C.
Plaque on the tonsils without fever may be a harbinger of developing purulent tonsillitis.
Diphtheria
Another disease that can cause the appearance of white spots on the tonsils is diphtheria. The cause of the disease is the entry of harmful microbes into the human body.
Symptoms of diphtheria include:
- enlarged cervical lymph nodes;
- difficulty breathing and swallowing food;
- the presence of a gray-white film on the tonsils.
Diphtheria differs from tonsillitis in the absence of high fever.
White spots in the throat - the reasons for their appearance
The appearance of white dots in the throat on the tonsils indicates the formation of plugs that impair breathing and cause putrid odor from the mouth.
This is explained by the fact that these are precisely the foci that contain a large concentration of microbes.
For the body, these are toxins, the waste products of which negatively affect the structure of the mucous membrane and the general well-being of the patient.
Without drug therapy, positive dynamics are completely absent; moreover, they provoke serious complications and contribute to the development of chronic diagnoses with systematic attacks.
This happens with sore throat, pharyngitis, tonsillitis. With delayed treatment, ulcers form on the laryngeal mucosa followed by scarring.
Treatment of white spots in the throat in children
Most often, parents notice a problem when the appearance of white spots in the throat is accompanied by high fever and acute attacks of pain.
This is acute stage tonsillitis, which is treated by a doctor in the following sequence:
- The saline solution has not only antiseptic, but also antibacterial properties that destroy pathogenic flora and promote its rapid removal from the oral cavity.
- It is also recommended to use the medical drug Furacilin . To prepare the medicine, you need to dissolve two yellow tablets in 1 liter of water, and then use them for regular rinsing of the mouth. The red throat will return to its natural shade, and the white spots will very soon disappear completely.
- Miramistin is also a gentle medication, approved for children. Use externally as a daily rinse to quickly remove foci of pathology in the larynx and ease breathing.
- Taking immunostimulants . Such medications are vital because by strengthening the immune system, the acute reaction to waste products of dangerous toxins will disappear. For example, you can take a course of Anaferon.
- Multivitamin complexes . Take at the discretion of the parents, strictly at the insistence of the attending physician.
If the clinical picture is complicated, the proposed methods for treating white spots in a child’s throat are ineffective.
It is necessary to use safe fourth-generation antibiotics, for example, Amoxiclav, Augmentin, Flemoxin Solutab, Unidox Solutab are allowed in childhood.
Such an appointment does not harm if you follow the prescribed doses and duration of intensive therapy.
How to treat tonsillitis
Effective treatment for adults
In the older generation, the disease occurs in a milder form. Or, on the contrary, it leaves you bedridden with a high fever.
It all depends on the general state of health, the presence of chronic diseases, including the upper respiratory tract.
If an adult has white spots in the throat that are not accompanied by temperature disturbances, antibiotics are not required.
To ensure positive dynamics, it is enough to use antiseptics externally.
When there is a fever and the temperature reaches 39 degrees or higher, it is impossible to overcome the pathogenic flora without antibiotics.
Which continues to rapidly multiply in the mucous membrane. Statistics show that it is in adulthood that the likelihood of complications is high.
The development of chronic tonsillitis and more is possible.
Treatment
The nature of the therapy is selected based on what caused the small white dots in the throat.
Therefore, the doctor may prescribe: Local and systemic antibiotics. Bioparox, Polydexa, Isofra or Rinil sprays are indicated for mild forms of bacterial infection. In more severe cases, it is impossible to manage without the use of systemic drugs. These include Ospamox, Augmentin, Flemoxin Solutab, Sumamed, Hemomycin, etc.
Antiseptic solutions (Chlorophyllipt alcohol, Rotokan, Miramistin, Givalex, Angilex, Furacilin). These medications are designed to destroy pathogenic microorganisms on the surface of the mucous membranes for any type of infection.
Antifungal drugs (Futsis, Mikomax, Mikosist, Ketoconazole, Pimafucin, Nystatin, Clotrimazole, etc.) are used for the treatment of candidiasis and against the background of antibiotic therapy.
Antihistamines (Claritin, Loratadine, Suprastin, Erius) are necessary to eliminate swelling and prevent an allergic reaction to other medications taken.
Antiviral drugs (Immunal, Kagocel, Lavomax, Isoprinosine, Proteflazid, Imudon) are prescribed to increase the immune response and speed up the onset of recovery.
For each patient, the list of necessary medications is selected individually. It is extremely important that a specialist examine a throat with white spots and select the optimal therapy.
Self-medication can lead to a significant deterioration of the condition and the development of complications. And in case of diphtheria, delay in administering a special anti-diphtheria serum, which destroys the toxins released by pathogens, is fraught with severe complications, even death.
Physiotherapy
But with chronic tonsillitis, just using medications is not enough. In such cases, it is additionally indicated to undergo physical therapy and necessarily wash the tonsils in an ENT office.
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This procedure is considered the most effective for clearing traffic jams. Its essence is to wash away formations from the lacunae of the tonsils with the pressure of an antiseptic solution.
Patients may also be prescribed:
- UHF;
- ultrasound therapy;
- ultraviolet irradiation;
- electrophoresis.
All these methods increase the effectiveness of drug therapy. They are prescribed in courses of 10–12 procedures.