Infections accompany us throughout our lives. We deal with some of them quickly and even unnoticed by ourselves, while others give us a hard time. One of the very resistant bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus, which can appear in different places in our body.
One of the common places where this “golden” infection lives can be the oral mucosa and throat. Note that staphylococcus is a very common infection.
A person can be its carrier and not even realize it. It manifests its insidious character in cases of weakened immunity, with frequent colds, if a person lives in a state of constant stress.
Diagnosis of this disease is not difficult, but treatment can be lengthy. The main treatment is medication, although traditional methods of treatment can also be used. The doctor you should see is an otolaryngologist (ENT).
Methods of infection
A healthy person becomes a carrier of a staphylococcal infection in the throat when he inhales air with bacteria in it. If this occurs during (or after) long-term treatment with antibiotics, a weakened immune system, hormonal imbalance, viral infection or endocrine disease, inflammation develops.
A purulent plaque forms in the throat, the soft tissue of the tonsils begins
to deteriorate and die , and tonsillitis and other diseases may develop.
If a doctor diagnoses staphylococcus of the throat, treatment should be carried out not only with antibiotics, but also with other tablets. It should also be taken into account that the microbe may be resistant to drugs that the patient has previously taken. There are several ways of infection (those that occur most often are listed first):
· Contact. Neglect of hygiene rules leads to the fact that streptococcus and staphylococcus bacteria enter the larynx from household items, children's toys, and dishes. For example, holding a doorknob that has bacteria on it and putting your hands near your mouth can lead to infection.
· Airborne. Being in the same room with a sick person, a healthy person inhales air that contains bacteria, and after some time detects symptoms of staphylococcus in the throat.
Staphylococcus aureus in the throat can appear even after a person inhales air with a certain number of microorganisms. It has been proven that the microbe can live in the air for a long time, remaining viable.
Causes
There are the following routes of infection with Staphylococcus aureus:
- airborne;
- with insufficient hygienic care;
- in utero.
Experts include the following factors that provoke exacerbation of staphylococcus:
- diseases of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses;
- pharyngitis;
- inflammatory process in the larynx;
- chronic bronchitis;
- caries;
- dental stones.
If the cause of staphylococcal bacteria in the throat is not determined in a timely manner, they can spread to other organs and cause serious complications.
Modern diagnostic methods
Before treating staphylococcus in the throat, in addition to an external examination, it is necessary to undergo tests. Currently, serological and microbiological methods are used to make a diagnosis. Microbiological analysis is carried out as follows: a swab is taken from the patient’s throat, the material is placed in a nutrient medium that has the ability to stain. A day later, the culture results are analyzed. If the pigment is yellow, it means that the person has ordinary staphylococcus in the throat, and treatment is not required. In this case, you need to look for the true cause of the deterioration in health - it could be pneumonia or another disease.
If there is staphylococcus in the throat, the symptoms manifest themselves differently: the bacteria, once in the nutrient medium, form colonies with a diameter of up to 4 mm, having a convex shape and an orange, white or yellow color. If there is no time to wait for bacterial culture to give results, the disease can be detected using a coagulase test. Its advantage is that the results can be found out within 4 hours, but if they are negative, the waiting time is extended by another 24 hours.
The serological method involves the action of a staphylococcal bacteriophage on microbes. There are several groups of them, and each affects only certain types of pathogenic microorganisms. Due to low accuracy (the disease is detected in approximately 60% of cases), this method is now rarely used.
There is an acceptable limit for the content of staphylococci in the body. It is expressed in microscopic numbers that mean nothing to the average person. But the patient should know that there is a difference between staph and staph infection . In the first case there is no danger, in the second there is, and very serious. Treatment must be started immediately, because the appearance of an infection indicates a weak immune system, and this means that the body will not cope with the disease on its own.
Treatment of the throat for staphylococcal infection
Antibiotics are prescribed only after the results of the smear test. In this case, you should not self-medicate - with improper therapy, the microbe’s sensitivity to antibiotics decreases, and further treatment becomes more difficult.
In acute conditions, treatment is prescribed that eliminates the symptoms of the disease as much as possible: antipyretics for high temperatures, painkillers to relieve pain. Be sure to drink plenty of warm drinks, bed rest, and gargle with infusions of chamomile or calendula.
Treatment is successful if it includes several stages of recovery from staphylococcus, this requires:
- suppression of its activities;
- restoration of damage to mucous membranes;
- strengthening immunity.
To destroy the microbe use:
- Systemic antibiotics (group of macrolides (Clarithromycin), cephalosporins (Cefotaxime), lincosamides (Clindamycin), semisynthetic penicillin + beta-lactamase inhibitor (Amoxiclav).
- Staphylococcal or complex bacteriophage. Used as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy or separately when antibiotics are contraindicated or have no effect. It is a virus that infects microbial cells, after which they die.
To speed up the recovery of the throat, lozenges and tablets, for example, based on sage, honey, and propolis, are dissolved.
Include rinsing with herbal infusions (chamomile, calendula, sage). It is worth refraining from recipes with soda and iodine, as they irritate an already sore throat, slowing down healing.
Sprays and aerosols that relieve inflammation and have an antibacterial effect are suitable (Tantum Verde, Miramistin, Chlorophyllipt spray).
To restore immunity, vitamin complexes with minerals, immunostimulating drugs, tinctures of echinacea, lemongrass, etc. are taken.
Immunostimulating drugs
It is necessary to treat Staphylococcus aureus in the throat of a child and an adult using medications that strengthen the body's defenses.
Immunostimulants (immunomodulators) include plant- or animal-based medications that help restore the normal functioning of the body's defense system. When staphylococcus or streptococcus is detected in a person’s larynx, drugs are prescribed that affect the synthesis of immunoglobulins. This treatment is aimed at stopping the inflammatory process and preventing relapse after recovery. In medical practice, in order to defeat staphylococcus and streptococcus in the throat, the following immunomodulatory drugs are used:
· Taktivin;
· Ribomunil;
· Poludan;
· IRS-19.
Treatment is necessary not only until the symptoms of inflammation disappear, but also within a month after recovery occurs. Such drugs should be taken both by patients as part of therapy for staphylococcus sore throat, and by everyone who suffers from secondary immunodeficiency. Immunostimulants significantly reduce the risk of developing infectious diseases.
How to treat staphylococcus in the throat
Treatment of staphylococcus in the throat is carried out only if there are pronounced manifestations of a staphylococcal infection, that is, if the pathogen provokes an inflammatory process. Patients are usually prescribed complex therapy, including the following groups of drugs:
- Antibiotics. They are selected based on the sensitivity of the bacteria.
- Staphylococcal bacteriophage is a virus that kills Staphylococcus aureus. This drug is used topically.
- Local antiseptics for gargling and sanitizing the nose. Not all antiseptics act on staphylococci; doctors give preference to an alcohol solution of Chlorophyllipt and Bactroban ointment for the nose. Chlorophyllipt is an extract of eucalyptus leaves and is a rather allergenic medicine, so it is not recommended for use in young children; it is advisable for adults to first take a small amount of the product for testing.
- Immunomodulators. When you have a staphylococcal infection, it is very important to boost your immunity so that the body can quickly get rid of the pathogen. For staphylococcal throat diseases, IRS-19, Bronchomunal, Imudon and other similar drugs are used as immunomodulators. All of them contain particles of bacteria, including staphylococci, which stimulate the production of protective antibodies and increase their concentration in the mucus of the respiratory tract.
Many patients are frightened by such a large number of drugs, but a staphylococcal infection can only be overcome in this way, since each drug potentiates the effect of the other and thereby increases the overall effectiveness of treatment.
Antibiotics for staphylococcus in the throat
A few antibiotics can affect staphylococcus, which creates serious problems for doctors. The hardest thing to cope with is a hospital-acquired staphylococcal infection. It is infected in medical institutions, where staphylococci have almost 100% resistance to antibacterial and antiseptic drugs. Therefore, doctors always try to begin treatment for staphylococcal infections only after receiving the results of a bacteriological study.
Most often, semisynthetic penicillins (some of them are called antistaphylococcal) and cephalosporins of 2-3 generations are used for staphylococcal infections. However, in recent years, staphylococci have begun to appear that produce substances that can destroy these antibiotics. In this case, the staphylococcal infection has to be treated with the “last weapon,” for example, Vancomycin. It is clear that with a common sore throat, the use of reserve drugs is inappropriate; they are used only in extreme cases when it comes to saving the patient’s life.
Sanitation of the throat in cases of staphylococcus carriage
Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus is not a disease that needs to be treated. Sanitation (cleaning and healing) of the nasopharynx is indicated only for employees of hospitals, schools, kindergartens and other similar institutions, as well as for couples planning to have a child. Such sanitation of the throat is carried out using the following medications and methods:
- An oil solution of vitamin A (drop it into the nose or treat the throat with it).
- Bactroban ointment (for the nose).
- Staphylococcal bacteriophage.
- Chlorophyllipt.
- Furacilin solution.
- Exposure to the microclimate of a salt mine.
Clearing the throat must be done under the supervision of a doctor, following all his recommendations. It is allowed to use several sanitation methods at once. As a rule, after completing a full course of such therapy, staphylococcus is not sown in the throat, but there is no guarantee that it will not appear there again. To minimize this likelihood, you need to take care of your health and strengthen your immune system. In addition, staphylococcal toxoid and a special vaccine can be used to form specific antibodies and increase the body's resistance. Such an appointment, again, should be made by a specialist.
For all other categories of the population, doctors usually recommend increasing general and local immunity without medications, that is, eating right, getting proper rest, taking care of your nerves, not getting too cold, and making sure that the mucous membranes of the nose and throat do not dry out. It is better to spend money not on tablets of unknown action, but on seasonal fruits, vegetables and recreation.
Conclusion:
There is no need to try to get rid of staphylococcus in the throat at any cost, you just need to help the body strengthen its “borders” and create conditions in which the enemy simply cannot survive.
We recommend reading: Diseases caused by staphylococcus Staphylococcus in children: symptoms and treatment
Folk remedies for staphylococcus in the throat
Traditional methods of treatment for staphylococcal throat infections smooth out the inflammatory process, reduce the intensity of pain, slightly stimulate the immune system, but do not affect the pathogen itself (Staphylococcus aureus) in any way. Therefore, it is impossible to replace medications prescribed by a doctor with folk remedies.
As an addition to the main treatment, the following folk methods can be used: gargling with a decoction of plantain, chamomile or propolis tincture, instillation of diluted aloe juice into the nose, ingestion of echinacea and eleutherococcus extracts. The possibility of using these remedies must be discussed with your doctor.
Zubkova Olga Sergeevna, medical observer, epidemiologist
37, total, today
( 41 votes, average: 4.37 out of 5)
Herpangina: symptoms and treatment
What to take for rotavirus infection?
Related Posts
Treatment with folk remedies
Effective methods include phototherapy. But in order to find out exactly how to cure a sore throat and not harm yourself, you must first consult with a practicing herbalist who knows what Staphylococcus aureus is. Experimenting with folk remedies is not recommended. Still, we can name a list of effective herbs and fruits that help cure staphylococcus in the throat in children and adults:
· apricot pulp (take as a puree in the morning and evening);
· black currant fruits (eat fresh on an empty stomach);
· baths with apple cider vinegar (50 g per bath);
Propolis tincture (use for rinsing)
· infusion of a mixture of medicinal herbs (buy at a pharmacy and take according to instructions).
How to recognize the disease
Infection with Staphylococcus aureus or the activation of its other species does not have any specific signs; streptococcal infection can be diagnosed only through laboratory tests of mucus from the throat and nose.
Among the common signs will be:
- Severe general weakness, fatigue.
- Pale skin, severe headache, dizziness.
- A sore throat that prevents you from eating, coughing, talking, and often purulent formations that cause bouts of vomiting during meals.
- Turning the head and neck is difficult.
- The presence of fever with a rapid increase in temperature to high levels.
- Purulent formations on the tonsils, back of the pharynx, tongue.
- Enlarged cervical lymph nodes.
- Often, ulcers appear that burst and form ulcers.
In this case, the distinctive feature of these diseases caused by streptococci will be their severe course, suppuration, severe fever (immediately above 39.5), and a dry, painful cough.
Treatment of staphylococcus in pregnant women and children
Considering that a weakened body is less resistant to infection, under the same circumstances, staphylococcus in the throat of a child or a pregnant woman is more likely to appear than in other categories of patients. However, treating children and expectant mothers is more difficult due to the large number of contraindications and restrictions. When choosing how to treat staphylococcus, the doctor must take into account the individual characteristics of each person. Methods of combating throat infections in children are selected by a pediatrician, and a treatment regimen for a pregnant woman is selected by an infectious diseases doctor, and the participation of a gynecologist who is managing the pregnancy may be required.
