Key points for diagnosis
(1) The onset is emergent. At the beginning, the pharyngeal part is dry with burning sensation, and then painful. Swallowing saliva is even more painful in pharynx than eating food.

(2) General symptoms are often mild. The patient may have fever, headache, poor aPpetite and aching pain of limbs due to the differences of the age, immunity, as well as the severity of viral and bacterial toxicity.

(3) Local examination may show acute congestion of oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal mucosae, with edema of the palatal arch and uvula. The lymph follicle of the posterior pharyngeal wall and lateral pharyngeal band are red and swollen. Ocassionally, yellow-white spot-shaped exudate occurs in the central lymph follicle and submaxillary lymphadenectasis with tenderness exists in the patient with bacterial infection.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.