Pus in the throat is usually a symptom of a solid bacterial infection of the throat. The pus is nothing more than dead cells of the immune system that were killed while fighting the pathogens. So what is more interesting for the doctor is what exactly triggered the pus formation in the throat and how it can best be treated.
The appearance of pus is usually an indication of an inflammation caused by bacteria. Basically, pus consists for the most part of destroyed cells of the body's own immune system, which perished during the defense against bacterial pathogens.
In rare cases, viruses and, in even rarer cases, fungal infections can also be responsible for the formation of pus.
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The pathogens, regardless of which species they belong to, find a way to settle in the throat. The body's own immune defense cannot provide enough functional cells to eliminate the pathogens from the start, or the amount of pathogens is too large for the capacity of the immune system.
In addition, people who have had their tonsils removed are more likely to develop a purulent strep throat. The almonds normally have the task of presenting exogenous cells for the immune system. By eliminating this "protective device", the pathogens were able to multiply significantly before they come into contact with the immune system.
Treatment of the disease depends primarily on the type of pathogen. As already well known, an antibiotic should really only be used if bacteria are the causative agent. If, on the other hand, viruses are responsible, the therapy differs considerably.
However, not every bacterially caused purulent inflammation needs antibiotics. They are necessary in people with a weakened immune system, in young healthy people they usually only shorten the duration of the illness. However, the medical standard is antibiotic treatment as soon as pus formation can be recognized.
$config[ads_text2] not foundSince there is no antiviral therapy available against viruses, which can cause this clinical picture, in this case it is important to support the body as much as possible in fighting the pathogens by taking care of yourself and to allow yourself rest.
Read more on the topic: Sore throat - what to do?
An antibiotic is the standard of care for a purulent strep throat if it is caused by bacteria.
Immunocompromised people must definitely be treated with antibiotics, as their immune system alone would not be able to cope with the pathogens.
This mainly includes old people, small children and people with a known defect in their immune system.
All other people can be treated without antibiotics first. If, however, it becomes apparent that the condition of the disease is not improving, this is an indication to start antibiotic treatment in order not to unnecessarily prolong the condition.
Usually, a purulent strep throat is treated with penicillin. There are distinctions here.
Aminopenicillins, for example, should not be used in this case. If the cause of the purulent strep throat is infection with an Ebbstein-Barr virus, administration of an aminopenicillin leads in some cases to an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. This is usually noticeable not through bad symptoms, but mostly through a harmless rash.
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If the therapy with simple penicillin does not work, the so-called Cephalosporins can be used. Alternatively, if the first antibiotic therapy does not respond, so-called macrolides can be used, which have a different mechanism of action than the two previously described.
$config[ads_text2] not foundHome remedies can reduce pain and speed up the healing process.
Drinking enough water or tea sweetened with honey is a first important point. Sufficient fluids are important to keep the mucous membranes of the throat moist and to make it more difficult for the pathogens to spread.
In addition to drinking, gargling is one of the most frequently used home remedies. Gargling with lukewarm chamomile or sage tea is said to have a slightly anti-inflammatory effect. Gargling with special salt solutions can also be helpful.
Read more on the topic: Gargle with salt water - this is how it's done
In the case of severe swallowing pain, it may be advisable to suck a simple ice cube. The amount of water it contains does not contribute significantly to moistening the mucous membrane, but the cold makes the inner throat feel slightly numb.
Horseradish is also said to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Freshly grated horseradish can either be boiled as tea - with a little honey - or eaten directly; provided the sharpness is bearable.
Last but not least, quark wraps should not go unmentioned. They are also said to have a pain-relieving effect, which is due not so much to the ingredients of the quark as to its cooling effect.
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The doctor usually diagnoses a purulent throat by looking at the inflamed area. As a rule, the purulent area is accompanied by a noticeable reddening of the surrounding tissue. This fact can always be seen well, provided that it is clearly visible. However, if the purulent area is in a position that is not directly visible, ear, nose and throat doctors can use small mirrors with which they can look deeper into the throat.
Another step towards a reliable diagnosis would be to take a smear from the purulent area of the throat. This sample can then be examined for the causative pathogen and the antibiotic therapy adjusted accordingly.
The accompanying symptoms can be wide-ranging. In most cases, pain is one of the main symptoms of a pus-filled throat.
Furthermore, a purulent throat is often associated with a disease of the respiratory tract, such as bronchitis, but in more serious cases this can also be an indication of a solid pneumonia.
Hoarseness describes another possible accompanying symptom. In this case, the inflammation also affects the vocal folds and ensures that they can no longer be fully opened. The pitch shifts noticeably, as not as much air as normally gets through the glottis.
In addition, there may be a feeling of foreign objects in the throat. On the one hand, swollen parts of the neck are responsible for this, on the other hand plugs of pus that have loosened in the throat.
Furthermore, inflammations of the throat are often the result of or a sign of an infestation of the paranasal sinuses. It can also lead to sinus infections, which are often caused by the same pathogens that are responsible for the pus in the throat.
Read more on the topic: Inflammation in the throat
The pain is a "basic symptom" of the inflammation present. The immune system uses certain messenger substances in this inflamed region, which on the one hand attract additional defense cells, but on the other also ensure that the sensitive nerve fibers that convey the pain are stimulated and thus react much faster to pain stimuli than normal.
Once the inflammation subsides, the pain will go away too.
Read more on the topic: Sore throat when swallowing
A pain-free purulent sore throat occurs rather rarely. As already explained in the above section, every inflammatory reaction inevitably leads to a massively increased sensitivity to pain. If the inflammation is really purulent, it should definitely be clarified medically.
The swallowing difficulties usually have two different causes. On the one hand, every inflammation is also accompanied by a swelling of the tissue. In the already very narrow neck region, this inevitably means that the ingested food is pressed past the narrow point with greater effort.
The second point concerns the pain that usually occurs. These ensure that the patient is more aware of the swallowing process than usual.
Difficulty swallowing without pain could, however, be an indication of a tumor and should be presented to your family doctor or, even better, an ENT doctor.
Read more on the topic: difficulties swallowing
The bad breath can be traced back to the bacteria that are responsible for the formation of pus. In addition to the normal food components, they also partly use cells of the oral mucosa to nourish themselves.
During digestion, waste products of the bacteria arise, which are noticeable by smell. The same principle is also behind the bad breath after consuming dairy foods or the body odor after physical activity.
But the pus itself can also cause a sweetish to slightly putrid bad breath.
Read more on the topic: Causes of Bad Breath
As already described above, the almonds normally serve as a kind of first protective barrier. By removing this first barrier, it is much easier for viruses and bacteria to spread in the body and cause disease.
The protective effect is not completely extinguished with removed almonds. The so-called Waldeyer's throat ring is located around the entrance to the human throat. It is a collection of several almond-like structures, all of which have the same function as the tonsils in order to prevent disease.
Read more on the topic: Inflammation in the throat
The duration varies from person to person and is mainly dependent on three factors: Are antibiotics used or not, how strong is the patient's immune system and what pathogen is it?
As a very rough rule of thumb, however, one could assume one to two weeks that it takes for the symptoms to completely disappear.
In the case of an acute purulent inflammation of the throat, the responsible pathogen can also infect other people.
Transmission mostly takes place through so-called aerosols, i.e. tiny mucus particles after sneezing or coughing, which are then inhaled by the other person.
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These aerosols always contain additions of pathogens, which are then also ingested by the other person and can thus also lead to the outbreak of the disease.
When taking antibiotics, it can be assumed that the risk of infection has been eliminated after two days of antibiotic therapy.
