Professor Lee Se-young of Chung-Ang University Hospital “Do not make a prediction in advance, but follow the procedure after the corona test”
[현대건강신문] Office worker A recently felt a foreign body feeling in his throat, and as the pain in his throat got worse along with dry cough and phlegm, he suspected that he might have Corona 19.
The next day, I went to the otolaryngology department and did a rapid antigen test, and the result at the hospital was also confirmed as negative.
Instead, a laryngeal endoscopy at the otolaryngology department confirmed that the larynx was inflamed and diagnosed as ‘reflux laryngitis’.
While many people, like Mr. A, are concerned that they may have been diagnosed with Corona due to a sore throat, one of the typical symptoms of Corona 19, help from Professor Lee Se-young of the Department of Otolaryngology at Chung-Ang University Hospital on various diseases that can appear as symptoms of ‘sore throat’. I found out with
Professor Lee Se-young said, “The most common diseases that appear as symptoms of sore throat include COVID-19, sore throat, laryngitis reflux, and tonsillitis. .
First of all, COVID-19 presents with respiratory symptoms such as fever, malaise, cough and shortness of breath, and various symptoms depending on the individual, such as sputum, sore throat, and diarrhea, or is often asymptomatic.
In particular, in the case of the Corona 19 Omicron mutant virus, which is currently prevalent in Korea, a typical case of complaining of neck pain is a case of loss of smell and taste, unlike other diseases, depending on the individual.
In addition, while the general flu or cold develops symptoms in the order of headache, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, and vomiting after coughing or muscle pain, corona usually presents in the order of fever, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. It can be suspected that sore throat appears earlier than muscle pain.
Professor Lee Se-young said, “Recently, screening tests to objectively differentiate olfactory abnormalities are being conducted for confirmed COVID-19 patients, and up to 85.6% of COVID-19 patients have olfactory dysfunction. If necessary, it is necessary to conduct an olfactory function test to diagnose olfactory disorders at an early stage.”
The most common cause of sore throat is ‘pharyngitis’.
In sore throat, symptoms such as foreign body sensation and dryness appear in the pharynx in the early stages, but when it gets worse, it is difficult to swallow food due to pain, high fever, headache, general malaise, loss of appetite, bad breath, inflammation in the larynx, and voice rest. It is sometimes accompanied by pain in the lower part of the ear, and the throat is dry, sore, and tickling.
Sore throat, which has symptoms similar to COVID-19, tastes and smells differently from Corona, has weak or no cough symptoms, and the pain is concentrated in the neck.
Professor Lee Se-young said, “The symptoms of sore throat are very similar to those of COVID-19, so it is not easy to distinguish them at the beginning. “Even if you receive a negative test and are diagnosed with simple sore throat, if the symptoms of sore throat are severe and you are having trouble in your daily life, you need to actively treat it at an early stage to quickly improve symptoms and prevent complications,” he said.
On the other hand, among diseases accompanying sore throat, ‘reflux laryngitis’, like other diseases, is a common symptom of a foreign body feeling as if something is stuck in the throat. there is
‘Reflux pharyngitis’ is a disease in which stomach contents reflux backwards through the esophagus into the pharynx and larynx, causing damage to the mucous membrane. .
Professor Lee Se-young said, “Recently, among the patients who visit the otolaryngology department, many people suspect that they have COVID-19 due to sore throat. Irregular eating habits, overeating, lack of activity, excessive stress, drinking and smoking, fatigue, and irritating foods are the causes of reflux pharyngitis.”
“Due to the prolonged social distancing due to COVID-19, outdoor activities have decreased, and at home, fast food, high fat diet, spicy food that stimulates the esophageal mucosa, etc. “I think the number of patients with reflux laryngitis has increased,” he said.