Pharyngitis and laryngitis

Pharyngitis and laryngitis are frequent conditions affecting the throat. Laryngitis affects the area of the vocal chords and can be caused by viral and bacterial infections as well as smoky environments, alcohol, excessive use of the voice, allergies and other health problems. It is generally painless and usually results mainly in the loss of a person’s voice.

Pharyngitis, meanwhile, affects the area at the back of the throat. Often viral, more rarely bacterial, in origin, it manifests itself as pain when swallowing, redness and inflammation of the throat, whitish secretions and loss of appetite. It is often accompanied by cold symptoms: fever, cough and runny nose.

If a doctor suspects bacterial pharyngitis, a culture of the throat secretions can help identify the bacteria present, most often streptococcus. The absence of bacteria during this analysis strongly points to a viral infection, if the medical case underlies this hypothesis.

Viral infections usually resolve themselves after a few days. On the other hand, bacterial infections require the prescription of an antibiotic to avoid complications such as ear or sinus infections.