DR. DAVID SEIDMAN, TREATING PATIENTS LOCATED NEAR THE QUEENS NEW YORK AREA.

It is not uncommon to experience a sore throat when you have a cold or the flu. However, sometimes a sore throat could be more problematic than just a common cold but could be symptomatic of a more serious problem. Let the doctors at Metro ENT take care of your health.

STREP THROAT

One cause of a sore throat could be strep throat. Strep throat is a result of streptococcal bacteria in the throat and the tonsils. The bacteria that cause strep throat tend to hangout in the nose and throat, so normal activities like sneezing, coughing, or shaking hands can easily spread infection from one person to another. Strep throat is highly contagious, with, a two-to-five day incubation period. Someone whose strep throat isn’t treated is most likely to spread the infection when the symptoms are most severe, but can still infect others for up to 3 weeks.

Symptoms of strep throat include:

• Sudden severe sore throat
• Pain from swallowing
• High fever
• Swollen tonsils and lymph nodes
• White or yellow spots on a reddened back of the throat

Strep throat can be diagnosed through a physical examination and a throat culture. It is treated with antibiotics and usually resolves in three to seven days, although the healing time can be up to two weeks. Let the doctors and Metro ENT diagnose you and help you t begin your treatment as soon as possible.

INFLAMED TONSILS AND ADENOIDS

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils that are located in the back of the throat. Tonsils are incredibly important to the bodies natural immune system – this is the tissue that captures bacteria and viruses and then prevents them from entreating the body. The tonsils trigger the appropriate immune response to the bacteria or virus.

One way to tell if you may have tonsillitis is the back of the throat looks red or swollen, or has a white or yellow coating covering the tonsils. Also, the adenoids (tissue behind the nose and soft palate) may be inflamed and swollen which could cause pain swallowing.

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• Severe sore throat
• Pain when swallowing
• Coughing
• Fever
• Chills

Treatment of tonsillitis is usually antibiotic medication which is prescribed to treat the inflammation. Typically, tonsillitis resolves in 4 to 7 days if caused by a virus. However, chronic and repeated cases of tonsillitis may require surgical removal or the tonsils and/or adenoids (tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy), to prevent future tonsillitis. An adenoidectomy may also be recommended for children experiencing chronic ear infections.

Let the doctors at Metro ENT help you prosper good health.

LARYNGITIS

The larynx allows air to pass in and out of the lungs while preventing solids an liquids from entering them. The larynx is also incredibly important to sound pro ducting by the vocal cords. Laryngitis is characterized by hoarseness, coughing, and loss of voice, in other words it is an inflammation of the larynx.

PHARYNGITIS

The pharynx is a pathway for food and liquids to enter the esophagus and air to enter the lungs. When the pharynx is inflamed, this is known as pharyngitis. One of the most common symptoms is painful swallowing.

EPIGLOTTITIS

Epiglottilis occurs when the flap of tissue at the base of the tongue becomes inflamed and infected. The swelling of the epiglottis can block the tongue and result in a medical emergency. Epiglottilis can be caused by chemicals (illicit drugs), severe heat damage (thermal epiglottitis) or trauma.

If you have a sore throat that causes pain or won’t heal, please contact our office and schedule an appointment with one of our doctors.