Viral Attack
September 30, 2007 by haziamyperspective
Last night, I saw a trail of chat lines left by My Adik 3 hours earlier on msn. He was hospitalised for 5 days for viral sore throat and had just gone home. Luckily, he was still online when I buzzed.
It was so bad that he had pus in his mouth and throat. He was on drip and could not eat for several days. Must have been painful too. The doctor gave him MC until 11 Oct - that’s more than 2 weeks.
I didn’t know sore throat could get so serious and fatal. He was the only person in his class / family who got it. Unfortunately too, he would not be able to puasa for a total of 3 weeks.
Facts:
Viral Sore Throat - Viruses cause 90–95% of all sore throats. Cold and flu viruses are the main culprits. These viruses cause an inflammation in the throat and occasionally the tonsils (tonsillitis). Cold symptoms usually accompany a viral sore throat. These can include a runny nose, cough, congestion, hoarseness, conjunctivitis, fever, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. The level of throat pain varies from uncomfortable to excruciating, when it is painful for the patient to eat, breathe, swallow, or speak.
One particular virus responsible for causing sore throat is the coxsackie virus. This virus causes a disease known as herpangina, which occurs most commonly among children under the age of ten and is most common during the summer. It is sometimes called summer sore throat. Summer sore throat can be quite severe. Symptoms include a high fever and the presence of tiny grayish-white blisters on the throat and mouth. The blisters erupt in a few days and are followed by a scab which may be very painful.
Mononucleosis (mono) is a viral infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, a member of the herpesvirus group. This virus lodges in the lymph system, causing massive enlargement of the tonsils and swollen glands in the neck, armpits and groin. Mono can affect the liver, leading to jaundice (yellow skin and eyes). One of the main signs of mono is a sore throat that may last for 1 to 4 weeks. Mono is a severe illness in a teenager or young adult, but it is less severe in a child. Symptoms caused by mononucleosis can last for 4 weeks or more.
