What is pharyngitis? An inflammation of the pharynx causing a sore throat. This is a diagnosis most everyone has had at some point. There are multiple forms of pharyngitis that we will discuss in this blog.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom is a sore throat.
Other symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Joint pain and muscle aches
- Skin rashes
- Swollen lymph nodes
- In rare cases, chest pain
The most common pharyngitis is viral pharyngitis lasting 5- 7 days.
Common Causes:
- Rhinovirus (Spring and fall, mild Symptoms)
- Coronavirus (Winter, mild Symptoms)
- Mononucleosis (mono)
The next most common pharyngitis is bacterial lasting longer than 5 days.
Common Bacterial Causes:
- Group A Streptococcal Pharyngitis
- Pneumococcus
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Haemophilus Influenzae
- Moraxella catarrhalis
The next most common being fungal.
- Candida Albicans, which can be complicated with thrush.
All types of pharyngitis can lead to complications simple in house testing at one of our various locations can help narrow down a type of pharyngitis to better cure you.
Thank you for taking time to read this I will have a more specific blog on strep pharyngitis in the near future.
Waseem Garbia PAC
Practice Manager at FastMed of Clayton