“One among strangers, a stranger among one’s own” - this is how one can characterize the reaction of the human immune system to staphylococci and streptococci that cause sore throat.

The fact is that the structure of the cells of pathogenic bacteria contains antigens that are very similar to the cells of the heart muscle, liver, and musculoskeletal system of the human body.

The immune system, pursuing “strangers,” directs its defenses against its own cells. It is impossible not to take into account the destructive effect of pathogens and the inflammatory process they cause. These factors cause severe complications after a sore throat, which negatively affect the functioning of internal organs.

Difficulty in treating sore throat

Tonsillitis, or tonsillitis, is an inflammatory process that affects one or more tonsils of the pharyngeal ring. The disease is transmitted from a source of infection by airborne droplets or, which occurs much less frequently, by the nutritional (food) route.

Tonsillitis is accompanied by a significant rise in temperature, pain when swallowing food and saliva, the appearance of purulent plaque, hyperemia and swelling of the pharynx.

The variety of forms of angina complicates its differential diagnosis and causes errors in classification.

Treatment of primary, symptomatic and specific tonsillitis requires the use of drugs from different drug groups, so inaccurate diagnosis leads to the transition of the acute form of the disease to chronic tonsillitis with frequent relapses.

Other causes of complications of sore throat:

• Self-medication, use of drugs on the advice of non-specialists;
• The desire to endure a sore throat “on your feet”, refusal of bed rest, ignoring the doctor’s recommendations;
• Delay in seeking medical help, selective use of drugs and treatment methods, irregular implementation of local procedures for sanitizing the oral cavity for tonsillitis;
• Consumption of alcohol or nicotine during illness, which weakens the body;
• The presence of somatic diseases, reduced immunity in adults and children.

The high risk of the spread of sore throat pathogens through the circulatory system from the vascular oropharynx, the autoimmune nature of damage to the vital organs of the human body requires careful attention to the treatment of this disease.

How dangerous is acute and chronic tonsillitis?

Diagnose the general and local consequences of angina, differing in the localization of their action. Local complications occur in the pharynx, pharynx, and larynx.

General manifestations are diagnosed in various organs, in the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and excretory systems. In some cases, they occur 3-4 weeks after the acute manifestations have subsided.

Local consequences

These complications arise as a result of inflammation of the pharynx with angina, limited to local localization:

• Peritonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess: inflammation of the tissue covering the tonsils occurs during recovery, manifested by fever, painful sore throat;
• Acute laryngitis, or inflammation of the larynx, manifests itself with a dry cough and can affect the voice, which becomes hoarse or temporarily disappears;
• Inflammation of the sinuses, or sinusitis;
• Inflammation of the nasopharynx, or runny nose;
• Cervical lymphadenitis, manifested by swelling of the neck, fever, hyperemia, and the formation of phlegmon.

Most local manifestations are treated with antibacterial agents, and in severe cases with surgical methods.

Complications after tonsillitis in children

The specificity of the consequences of tonsillitis in childhood is caused by the immaturity of the immune system, the incomplete formation of organs and systems, and the body’s reaction, which differs from the reaction of adults.

What complications arise after a sore throat in children:

• Otitis, or inflammation of the middle ear, turning into labyrinthitis;
• Sinusitis, sinusitis;
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes, development of purulent lymphadenitis;
• The development of scarlet fever with streptococcal tonsillitis due to the lack of antibodies to infectious agents;
• Bleeding of the vessels of the pharynx during coughing with necrotizing tonsillitis is caused by the appearance of erosion on the tonsils;
• Endocarditis, rheumatic carditis, as a result of the rheumatic process, the appearance of edema, symptoms similar to those of heart failure;
• Laryngeal stenosis leading to suffocation;
• Rheumochorea, affecting the nervous system, expressed in changes in gait, speech disturbances, coordination, mental instability, progressing to paralysis;
• Retropharyngeal abscess in the form of inflammation of the tissue of the retropharyngeal space;
• Cutaneous form of rheumatism in the form of subcutaneous nodes, ring-shaped erythema;
• Rheumatic pleurisy, hepatitis.

In children, local complications can be as severe as in adults; they are diagnosed with retropharyngeal and peritonsillar abscess, laryngitis.

General manifestations

General complications are the most dangerous with angina in adults, since their manifestations are delayed in time and cause damage to the functioning of vital organs.

They are caused by the cytotoxic effect of streptococci, which affects connective tissue. Antitoxic antistreptococcal antibodies neutralize not only pathogenic bacteria, but also their own cells containing cross-antigens.

The toxin streptolysin, produced by bacteria, destroys blood cells and exhibits cardiotoxic effects. Streptococci and staphylococci can spread unhindered throughout the body in capsules made of hyaluronic acid, which the human immune system does not perceive as a dangerous object.

What are the dangers of acute and chronic tonsillitis for the body - consequences:

• Rheumatism affecting the skin, heart muscle, and musculoskeletal system;
• Rheumatoid arthritis, which causes swelling in the joints of the limbs;
• Streptococcal shock, rapidly leading to death;
• Complications of the heart, or rheumatic heart disease, leading to defects and severe pain;
• Glomerulonephritis, which impairs the functioning of the kidneys;
• Thrombosis.

A person with a sore throat may experience headache, increased blood pressure, swelling of the whole body, and weakness.

How to prevent complications?

To ensure that complications of acute and chronic tonsillitis never arise, the disease must be treated in a timely manner, based on the recommendations of a therapist, pediatrician or otolaryngologist. It is important to undergo all recommended diagnostic examinations and begin treatment for sore throat as early as possible.

You should not ignore methods of local treatment of an inflamed pharynx, using only antibiotics and antiviral agents in the form of capsules and tablets. It is necessary to irrigate the throat with antiseptic solutions, lubricate it, use gargles and compresses.

How to prevent the consequences of tonsillitis:

• Maintain bed rest until the symptoms of the disease disappear completely;
• Avoid hypothermia, physical and emotional stress for 3-4 weeks after recovery;
• To quickly remove toxins, increase the amount of fluid consumed in the acute period of the disease;
• Increase local and general immunity by hardening, taking natural immunostimulants such as rosehip decoction, honey, lemongrass, saturating the diet with fresh fruits and vegetables;
• Humidify indoor air during the heating season;
• Avoid contact with people with sore throat and respiratory diseases.

To reduce the risk of the consequences of a sore throat, you need to follow the doctor’s recommendations, carry out comprehensive treatment, and increase your immunity.

If sore throat seems like a harmless disease to someone, that person is deeply mistaken. The complications of angina are very serious.

Fever, sore throat, general weakness of the body - all this can be tolerated, especially since all these symptoms do not last long.

Much more dangerous are the complications from a sore throat and after a sore throat, and the number of immunological and biochemical processes occurring in the body during this disease.

The disease can be provoked by streptococci - pathogenic microorganisms, the appearance of which in the body entails the most negative consequences, and leads to complications after a sore throat.

Why do complications occur with angina?

Complications after a sore throat are an autoimmune reaction of the human body. Human immunity is designed in such a way that when agents of foreign origin enter the body, it begins to produce antibodies.

These antibodies are proteins whose mission is to destroy microbial antigens. The structure of streptococcus contains a whole complex of antigens that resemble antigens of the heart muscle, joints, liver, kidneys and other organs.

In other words, human immunity is not able to distinguish “strangers” from “our own” and sometimes begins to attack its own tissues. Thus, complications arise with angina. What difficulties and complications can there be after a sore throat?

All complications from tonsillitis are divided into two large groups: local and general. Local complications and problems after tonsillitis are caused by local changes in the tissues of the nasopharynx. They usually do not pose a serious threat to the patient, but they still require treatment.

General complications and problems from sore throat in adults and children provoke a number of immunological reactions in which antibodies and antigens take part.

These mechanisms lead to joints being affected (rheumatism, arthritis), heart, and kidneys. The consequences can be the most unpredictable.

Complications of sore throat on the heart

Rheumatism of the heart - this complication of sore throat provokes very often. Rheumatism is accompanied by damage to all connective tissues in the body, but usually the localization of the process occurs in the heart.

Heart damage after a sore throat is a very dangerous pathology, since, as a rule, it leads a person to disability and the development of heart muscle defects.

Most often, rheumatism of the heart, which occurs after a sore throat, affects children from 5 to 15 years old. Moreover, such a complication of angina can provoke in a person who has not previously experienced heart problems.

Rheumatism of the heart has the following symptoms:

1. deterioration of general condition;
2. joints and especially legs hurt;
3. body temperature rises sharply;
4. there is pain in the heart;
5. heart rate changes (tachycardia);
6. the patient weakens quickly.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that accompanies rheumatism after a sore throat. However, body temperature sometimes remains within normal limits, which makes it difficult to suspect a complication of sore throat in time.

The consequences of the disease are the formation of blood clots in the vessels with the further development of thromboembolism. If rheumatism affects the inner layer of the heart muscle, endocarditis may occur after a sore throat.

What are the symptoms of this disease?

• The patient often experiences bleeding.
• The joints of the fingers become thicker.
• Swelling.
• Increased body temperature.
• Signs of heart failure.

Pain in the heart appears much later, so the cardiological origin of the disease is often established very late. If the process progresses, other complications after angina appear.

It should be noted that rheumatism of the heart muscle is dangerous due to the rapid formation of heart valve defects. Rheumatism can also affect the pericardial sac, and then another disease develops - pericarditis.

In turn, pericarditis can be dry or exudative. Symptoms of dry pericarditis in adults and children:

1. Severe pain in the heart, aggravated by movement, coughing and deep breathing.
2. High body temperature.
3. Chills.
4. The pain radiates to the left side.

Since with exudative pericarditis, excess fluid occurs in the heart sac, the patient feels compression of the esophagus, heart and other organs. It is important to emphasize here that sometimes things can develop and this point needs to be taken into account.

As a type of tonsillitis, pain occurs when swallowing, shortness of breath is possible.

What complications does angina cause on the kidneys?

On the kidneys, complications of angina give the following: glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis. The kidney is the second organ after the heart that takes on complications from a sore throat. Typically, consequences can occur within 1-2 weeks after tonsillitis.

Pyelonephritis is characterized by damage to the renal pelvis. Usually one kidney suffers, but bilateral inflammation is also possible.

Symptoms of pyelonephritis:

• a sharp increase in body temperature;
• fever;
• lower back pain;
• frequent urge to go to the toilet.

Glomerulonephritis is accompanied by increased blood pressure, the presence of blood in the urine, and swelling. Both diseases require hospitalization of the patient in a hospital and complex therapy.

What complications does angina cause on joints?

After tonsillitis, joints are often affected in adults and children. Arthritis, like rheumatism, has a rheumatic component. The patient exhibits the following symptoms:

1. swelling and increase in size of joints;
2. pain when moving and at rest;
3. hyperemia and swelling of the skin over the joints.

Most often it affects the joints of the lower extremities (ankles, knees). Most likely, this gave rise to the expression “sore throat suffered on the legs.” Meanwhile, during a rheumatic attack, small joints of the hands, elbows and other groups of joints also suffer.

Sometimes after tonsillitis the appendix can become inflamed, but sore throat causes such a complication very rarely.

Sepsis is a formidable and dangerous disease that can also develop after tonsillitis.

Local complications with angina

Sore throat can also cause local complications, such as otitis media. Usually this condition is recorded after catarrhal tonsillitis. However, other forms of the disease can provoke similar consequences, both in adults and children.

Otitis is typically characterized by inflammation of the middle ear, and the eardrum is also involved in the pathological process.

The following symptoms are characteristic of inflammation:

• increased body temperature;
• severe pain with shooting in the ear;
• general deterioration of health;
• decreased or even complete loss of hearing.

A complication of angina can be in the form of mastoiditis - inflammation of the mastoid process. The clinical picture of the disease is similar to the signs of otitis media, but the pain is localized behind the auricle.

What other complications can a sore throat cause?

1. Abscess and phlegmon of fiber.
2. Development of pneumonia.
3. Swelling of the larynx.

And these are not all the complications from sore throat that can occur in adults and children.

After purulent or follicular tonsillitis, phlegmon or abscess of the peritonsil tissue may occur.

Phlegmon is a diffuse purulent inflammation. An abscess is characterized by clear boundaries. However, the clinical picture of these two pathological conditions is the same:

• Severe sore throat.
• Enlarged lymph nodes.
• Increased body temperature.

The process of swallowing becomes so painful that the patient is forced to strongly clench his jaw. Treatment of abscess and phlegmon is only surgical. Otherwise, there is no way to ensure the release of purulent contents.

Complications from tonsillitis are very numerous, including swelling of the larynx. At the initial stage after tonsillitis, voice changes may occur. The patient tries with all his might to clear his throat, but he fails.

Such complications with angina are very dangerous, as they often cause death.

Phlegmonous disease often leads to the development of bleeding from the tonsils. They can occur when the arteries that supply the palatine tonsils are damaged.

Such complications with angina require immediate hospitalization of the patient.

How to prevent complications with angina

Complications of angina are very common, but they can be avoided, and for this all people need to adhere to the following recommendations:

1. To prevent complications with angina, the patient should remain in bed. Moreover, this rule must be followed even when the body temperature has returned to normal, but there are still some changes in the oropharynx.
2. Tonsillitis must be treated promptly and adequately. Local therapy should consist of frequent gargling and the use of aerosol antiseptics.
3. It is necessary to regularly lubricate the affected tonsils.
4. Drugs should be taken in accordance with the cause of the disease (antiviral, antibacterial).
5. The patient should drink as much warm or hot liquid as possible.
6. After the disease has subsided, it is necessary to limit physical activity for some time and avoid hypothermia.
7. In order to prevent the disease, it is necessary to constantly increase your immunity. To do this, you need to take natural immunomodulators, which are decoctions of rose hips and feijoa with honey.

After suffering from tonsillitis, the patient should be observed by his doctor for some time and periodically have his blood tested. Laboratory tests are necessary to monitor the functionality of all organs and systems. All this is colorful and detailed in the video in this article.

Complications after a sore throat occur when a respiratory tract infection is not treated in a timely manner. As a result of this, the pathological process affects the entire body of the patient and becomes the cause of the development of new diseases, most of which are life-threatening.

Complications of tonsillitis are the reaction of the human immune system to the pathogen. The immune system works in such a way that as soon as foreign microorganisms enter the body, antibodies begin to be produced against them. Their main task is the destruction of microorganism antigens. Sore throat is caused by streptococcus. This bacterium contains a complex of antigens that are similar to antigens of the heart, liver, kidneys and other organs. Therefore, in this case, it is difficult for the immune system to distinguish foreign microorganisms from its own, and it attacks its own tissues.

Complications after a sore throat are of two types:

1. Local. They are manifested by disturbances in the structure of the nasopharynx. These disorders require treatment, but do not threaten human health or life.
2. General. In this case, damage occurs to the joints, heart muscle, and kidneys. Streptococcal shock, blood poisoning, laryngeal edema, and abscess may also occur. All these consequences are very dangerous to health.

Complications after tonsillitis in adults can be multiple. This means that at the same time as pain in the heart, abscesses or joint damage will occur. It is impossible to say exactly what the consequences will be. In some patients they do not occur at all, while others die from it.

The development of complications occurs due to improper treatment or its complete absence. Each of them has its own symptoms and appears at different times. So the consequences of a sore throat can appear within several weeks, months or even years after the disease. Sometimes they cannot even be associated with a sore throat, which is why this disease should be taken very seriously.

Consequences for the heart

As a result of tonsillitis, cardiac rheumatism often develops. This disease is characterized by the presence of pathological changes in the connective tissue. This pathology poses a serious danger, as it gradually causes heart disease and can make a person disabled.
This consequence most often develops with angina in children 5-15 years old. Rheumatism develops even if there were no heart problems before.
Heart complications from tonsillitis have the following symptoms:

• general weakness;
• pain in the heart area;
• high temperature;
• tachycardia.

Rheumatism caused by tonsillitis is often accompanied by myocarditis. This heart disease is characterized by inflammation of the myocardium.

Subsequently, the disease can lead to the formation of blood clots and blockage of blood vessels. If the pathology spreads to the inner layer of the myocardium, a sore throat complication such as endocarditis develops. This condition manifests itself:

• frequent bleeding;
• the occurrence of edema;
• changes in the structure of the finger joints;
• high temperature;
• increased heart rate.

Pain in the heart appears late, so in the initial stages it is difficult to determine that the problem is in the heart. But in the meantime, the pathology is progressing. Rheumatism develops very quickly. This complication of the heart forms valve defects and can cause the development of pericarditis.

With pericarditis, the following symptoms may bother you:

1. Severe pain in the heart, which intensifies when coughing or moving.
2. Significant increase in body temperature.
3. Chills.
4. Heart pain radiates to the left side.

If a sore throat occurs, the heart can suffer greatly. Complications can lead to disruption of a person’s quality of life and disability.

Kidney damage

What complications can occur after a sore throat for the kidneys? For this part of the body, angina can be dangerous with the subsequent development of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis. It is the kidneys, second after the heart, that suffer from the consequences of tonsillitis. The first manifestations of complications can be noticed a few weeks after a sore throat. Each of them has its own course and symptoms:

Complications on the kidneys after a sore throat can cause kidney failure. They cannot be treated independently; the patient must be urgently hospitalized. Kidney complications are treated with drugs to kill streptococcal infections, anti-inflammatory drugs, and immunosuppressants.

Joint diseases

Complications after a sore throat on the joints often occur. Arthritis and rheumatism develop. The lesion may manifest itself as the following symptoms:

• swelling and increase in the size of the joints;
• painful sensations when moving or at rest;
• hyperemia and swelling of the skin over the joints.

After tonsillitis, the lower extremities are most often affected, especially the knee or ankle. Rheumatic fever can affect small joints and elbows. But in young people, due to the fact that tissues quickly regenerate, these problems go unnoticed. They are confused with sore throat after sports or active recreation.
If the joints hurt after a sore throat, then treatment will consist of the use of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants, the use of physiotherapeutic techniques, compresses and mud procedures.
Streptococcal shock and sepsis
Some of the worst complications of tonsillitis are streptococcal shock and blood poisoning or sepsis.
Streptococcal shock develops due to the harmful effects of streptococcal toxins on the body. This consequence occurs rarely, but in 30% of cases it ends in the death of the patient.
This condition causes the following symptoms:

1. High fever.
2. Breathing disorders.
3. The appearance of a rash on the skin.

Respiratory failure and shock lead to the death of the patient. This problem can develop very quickly. Sometimes, the victim does not even have time to be taken to the hospital.
Treatment is carried out in intensive care with the use of artificial ventilation, vasoconstrictors, and antibiotics. It is very important to identify this condition in time, as even a slight delay can be fatal.
There are various complications from tonsillitis. Blood poisoning is considered one of the most dangerous. As a result, pathogenic bacteria enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. This consequence usually occurs in the presence of abscesses, when microbes enter the blood through the affected walls of blood vessels. As a result of sepsis, inflammation can develop in any part of the body and even in several organs at once.
The speed of this process may vary. Dysfunction of all organs can occur in a short period of time. Treatment is carried out in intensive care. The patient is given antibiotics, and surgery is prescribed, during which pus is removed from the affected tissues. A blood transfusion may be needed.
This complication can occur in very advanced cases, when there are already so many bacteria that they have affected the entire body. If therapy was started on time and correctly, then the likelihood of developing this problem is very low.

Features of local complications

Sore throat can also have local consequences. Otitis often develops. The disease occurs in children and adults and is characterized by the development of inflammation in the middle ear. The eardrum may also become damaged. Inflammation is manifested by the following symptoms:

• high temperature;
• severe weakness occurs;
• the general condition of the body worsens;
• The ability to hear decreases or completely disappears.

Complications of angina are different. Laryngeal edema, retinal phlegmon and many others may occur. As a consequence of purulent sore throat, an abscess and phlegmon can develop. These pathological processes manifest themselves:

1. Severe pain in the throat.
2. Enlarged lymph nodes.
3. High temperature.

Swallowing becomes very painful. The person has to clench his jaw tightly. These complications can only be treated with surgery. This is the only way to get rid of pus.
When the larynx swells, the voice first changes. The patient constantly wants to clear his throat, but nothing happens. Over time, the swelling will increase and this will cause difficulty breathing. It will be difficult to inhale and exhale. Severe breathing problems can cause death.
Cellulitis can cause bleeding from the tonsils. This occurs when the arteries supplying the palatine tonsils are damaged.
All these complications are treated only in a hospital setting. At the first signs, the patient must be immediately taken to a medical facility, since the likelihood of death is very high.

Prevention of the consequences of tonsillitis

Heart complications after a sore throat are far from the worst thing that can happen. There are a large number of conditions that can result in the death of a person. Therefore, it is better to prevent the development of complications. To do this, you should follow these recommendations:

1. If tonsillitis is present, the patient should stay in bed. Even if the body temperature is not elevated, but discomfort is felt in the oropharynx, you should adhere to bed rest.
2. Treatment must be correct and timely. Antiseptic aerosols and various gargling solutions can be used topically.
3. Lubricate sore tonsils with special products.
4. Use medications depending on the cause of the disease. If it is a virus, then antiviral; if the pathology is of bacterial origin, antibiotics are needed.
5. It is important to maintain a drinking regime. The patient is given a large amount of warm liquid.
6. Even if the development of the disease is stopped and the condition has improved, it is necessary to avoid hypothermia and strong physical exertion for several weeks.
7. To prevent tonsillitis and other diseases, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system. This can be done with the help of special drugs - immunomodulators, as well as decoctions of rose hips and feijoa.

All these recommendations should be followed for at least a month after complete recovery. If you ignore the advice, then the untreated condition will definitely cause consequences, maybe not in a month, but in the future, the disease you have suffered will make itself felt.

If a person has suffered any form, he should be under the supervision of the doctor who treated the disease and periodically have his blood tested. With the help of laboratory tests, you can monitor the condition of the whole organism. Even if a complication arises, preventive examinations will help to detect and treat them in time. Everyone should know how dangerous sore throat is. This will help people stop self-medicating and contact specialists in a timely manner.