According to the Health Times official account, the first and second flows are just right, and many people have been "recruited" again. Different from the symptoms of colds in the past, many people reported sore throat and swollen throat this time, like "swallowing a blade" in their throat...... Many people ask, "Is there a new virus that attacks the throat?"
A new virus attacking the throat is coming?
"My throat was swollen overnight, and at first I thought it was an inflammation of the tonsils, and then I began to have a low-grade fever, and I had no strength all over my body, and my throat was so swollen that I couldn't even swallow water. On January 28, Wang Yuan (pseudonym), who works in Beijing, told the People's Daily health client that at first she thought she had a new crown or flu, but all of them were "negative" when she checked out, and she began to take anti-inflammatory drugs as soon as her throat was swollen. ①
There are not a few netizens who are in a similar situation to Wang Yuan on social media, and some netizens even said, "Laryngitis is much more uncomfortable than the new crown" and "I have avoided the new crown and have not escaped this pharyngitis". Some netizens said, "My throat was dry in the afternoon, and I 'swallowed the blade' directly at night, and my whole body was sore." "Is this a virus that specifically attacks the throat? The tonsils are all suppurated, and the swallowing saliva hurts, and it's been 9 days. ”
Sudden onset of laryngitis,
What exactly is a virus?
On January 28, Hu Yang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, said in an interview with the People's Daily health client that sore throat is common in acute inflammation of the throat, such as acute tonsillitis, acute pharyngitis, acute laryngitis, etc., which can cause sore throat. This pain is mostly caused by bacterial infection or viral infection, and can also be caused by bacterial and viral mixed infection, which is clinically manifested as sore throat, foreign body sensation in the throat, accompanied by painful swallowing, etc., and sometimes accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fever and fatigue. ①
In December 2023, patients in the fever clinic of Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University were waiting to be seen. Diagram of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
Xie Jin, chief physician of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery of Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said in an interview with the Morning News on January 23 that some acute pharyngitis is caused by viral infection, and different influenza viruses such as influenza A and influenza B may cause the same symptoms. It may also be common viruses, adenoviruses, etc., and ordinary viruses are sometimes not detectable by testing. Therefore, there will be people with sore throat, and they will go to the hospital to find out that it is not the current epidemic of viruses such as influenza A, influenza B and mycoplasma pneumonia. ②
Dr. Xie Jin said, "The symptoms of acute laryngitis are often acute at the beginning, and the dry, burning dry pain in the pharynx is often more pronounced when swallowing saliva than when eating, and this pain sometimes radiates to the ear, producing reflex pain. ”
In these cases,
Be sure to get to the hospital in time!
Dr. Xie Jin reminded that if his throat was swollen and sore so badly that he couldn't swallow his meal, he spoke like he was holding a rice ball. Or if the systemic symptoms are more obvious, such as fever, headache, and aching limbs, you should go to the hospital for treatment. In addition, if the cough and phlegm are very severe, then not only the upper respiratory tract, but also the lower respiratory tract, bronchi, and lungs may also have problems, in this case, you have to go to the hospital to see it, and you need to take a film. ②
Dr. Hu Yang reminded that not all fever and sore throat are caused by the new crown and flu, so there is no need to be too nervous. When the above symptoms appear, some spicy and cool drugs can generally be used, such as pharyngitis tablets, Lanqin oral liquid, etc. In addition, you should also drink plenty of water, try to eat lightly, and develop good eating and living habits. "If there is no significant remission within one to two weeks, and the condition tends to worsen, it is recommended to go to the hospital for further examination to avoid problems such as lung infection. ”①
Photo by Health Times Cao Zihao
4 small ways to relieve laryngitis
Zhu Yun, deputy chief physician of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of Wuhan Union Medical College Hospital, recommended 4 effective ways to relieve laryngitis and sore throat in an article in Health Times in October 2023. ③
1. Rinse your mouth with salt water
Rinsing the mucous membrane of the throat with salt water can kill bacteria and relieve inflammation. Add a beer bottle cap of salt to 250ml of warm boiled water to fully dissolve, then hold the salt water in the mouth and the base of the tongue for 20~30 seconds, then spit out the salt water, and finally rinse your mouth with water.
2. Steam moisturizes the throat
Moisturize the throat with the help of water vapor. Boil a cup of boiling water, aim the mouth of the cup at the throat for fumigation, or buy a special vapor meter. However, it should be noted that the water temperature should be controlled below 60°C. It is recommended to do about 20 minutes twice a day.
3. Make sure you drink water
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022 recommends that adult men drink 1,700 ml of water per day and women drink 1,500 ml of water per day. In addition, you can also drink some hot and moisturizing tea to relieve pain and inflammation.
4. Take pharyngeal tablets
Hold a throat slice at the base of your tongue near your throat. However, most throat lozenges contain iodine, and although it can inhibit bacteria, excessive iodine may irritate the oral mucosa, so it is recommended to take it under the guidance of a doctor.