nasopharyngeal

Throat cancer is a type of head and neck cancer. Throat cancer has different names, depending on which part of the throat is affected. The different parts of your throat are called the oropharynx, the hypopharynx, the nasopharynx, and the larynx, or voice box.

The main risk factors for throat cancer are using tobacco heavy drinking. Certain types of throat cancer also have other risk factors. For example, having HPV is a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer.

Symptoms of throat cancer may include:

• A sore throat that does not go away
• A lump in the neck
• Pain or ringing in the ears
• Trouble swallowing
• Ear pain

To diagnose throat cancers, doctors may do a physical exam and history, imaging tests, and a biopsy. You may also need other tests, depending on the type of cancer. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Treatment for some types of throat cancer may also include targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Head and neck cancer is the name for cancers that develop in the mouth, nose and sinuses, salivary glands, and throat and voice box (larynx). Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell cancers. They begin in the moist tissues that line the head and neck. The cancer cells may spread into deeper tissue as the cancer grows.

There are other cancers that develop in the head and neck, such as brain cancer, eye cancer, and esophageal cancer. But they are usually not considered to be head and neck cancers, because those types of cancer and their treatments are different.

Anyone can get head and neck cancer, but you are more likely to develop it if you:

• Use tobacco or drink lots of alcohol. Your risk of developing head and neck cancer is even higher if you do both.
• Are male.
• Are over age 50.
• Have a history of head or neck cancer.
• Have HPV (for cancers in the tonsils and base of the tongue).
• Are exposed to wood dusts or certain other toxic substances at work (for upper throat, nose, and sinus cancers).
• Have had radiation exposure to the head and neck (for salivary gland cancer).
• Have Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (for upper throat and salivary gland cancers).
• Are Asian (for upper throat cancer).

The symptoms of head and neck cancer may include:

• A lump in the neck
• A sore in the mouth or the throat that does not heal and may be painful
• A sore throat that does not go away
• Trouble swallowing
• A change or hoarseness in the voice

Other possible symptoms can depend on the specific type of head and neck cancer.

Which exams and tests used to diagnose head and neck cancer can depend on the specific type of cancer. Possible exams and tests may include:

• A physical exam of the area that might have cancer.
• Blood and/or urine tests.
• An endoscopy.
• A biopsy or other procedure to collect cells from the area that might have cancer. The cells are viewed under a microscope to find out if they are abnormal.
• Imaging tests.

The treatment for head and neck cancer will depend on the specific type of cancer, the stage (how advanced the cancer is), your overall health, and other factors. The treatment options might include:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that mainly attack specific cancer cells and cause less harm to normal cells

In some cases, you may need a combination of treatments. Sometimes surgery can affect how well you can chew, swallow, or talk. Rehabilitation, such as physical therapy, dietary counseling, and speech therapy, may help.

There are steps you can take to help prevent head and neck cancer:

• Not smoking
• Limiting alcohol use or not drinking at all
• Getting regular dental exams
• Talking to your provider about HPV vaccination

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Oral cancer is cancer of the mouth. It is a type of head and neck cancer. Most oral cancers are squamous cell cancers. They begin in the flat cells that cover the surfaces of your mouth, tongue, and lips. The cancer cells may spread into deeper tissue as the cancer grows.

Most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, heavy alcohol use, or an HPV infection.

Anyone can get oral cancer, but you are more likely to develop it if you:

• Use tobacco or drink lots of alcohol. Your risk of developing oral cancer is even higher if you do both.
• Are male.
• Are over ago 40.
• Have HPV.
• Have a history of head or neck cancer.
• Get frequent sun exposure (for lip cancer).

The symptoms of oral cancer may include:

• A white or red patch in your mouth
• A lip or mouth sore that won't heal
• Bleeding, pain, or numbness in the lip or mouth
• Loose teeth or dentures that no longer fit well
• Problems or pain with swallowing
• A lump in your neck
• Ear pain
• Trouble moving your mouth or jaw
• Swelling of the jaw
• A sore throat or feeling that something is caught in the throat

If you have any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, see your health care provider or dentist. Oral cancer can spread quickly, so it's important to find it early.

To find out if you have oral cancer, your provider may use:

• A physical exam of the lips and mouth.
• An endoscopy.
• A biopsy or other procedure to collect cells from the lip or oral cavity. The cells are viewed under a microscope to find out if they are abnormal.
• Imaging tests.

The treatments for oral cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, or both. After surgery, some people also need chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells that are left.

There are steps you can take to help prevent oral cancer:

• Not smoking
• Limiting alcohol use or not drinking at all
• Getting regular dental exams

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus. It usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. But it can cause serious lung infections, especially in infants, older adults, and people with serious medical problems.

RSV spreads from person to person through:

• The air by coughing and sneezing
• Direct contact, such as kissing the face of a child who has RSV
• Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands

People who have an RSV infection are usually contagious for 3 to 8 days. But sometimes infants and people with weakened immune systems can continue to spread the virus for as long as 4 weeks.

RSV can affect people of all ages. But it is very common in small children; nearly all children become infected with RSV by age 2. In the United States, RSV infections usually occur during RSV season, which is usually fall through spring.

Certain people are at higher risk of having a severe RSV infection:

• Infants
• Older adults, especially those ages 65 and older
• People with chronic medical conditions such as heart or lung disease
• People with weakened immune systems

The symptoms of RSV infection usually start about 4 to 6 days after infection. They include:

• Runny nose
• Decrease in appetite
• Cough
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Wheezing

These symptoms usually appear in stages instead of all at once. In very young infants, the only symptoms may be irritability, decreased activity, and trouble breathing.

RSV can also cause more severe infections, especially in people at high risk. These infections include bronchiolitis, an inflammation of the small airways in the lung, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs.

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

• A medical history, including asking about symptoms.
• A physical exam.
• A lab test of nasal fluid or another respiratory specimen to check for RSV. This is usually done for people with severe infection.
• Tests to check for complications in people with severe infection. The tests may include a chest x-ray and blood and urine tests.

There is no specific treatment for RSV infection. Most infections go away on their own in a week or two. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help with the fever and pain. However, do not give aspirin to children. And do not give cough medicine to children under four. It is also important to get enough fluids to prevent dehydration.

Some people with severe infection may need to be hospitalized. There, they might get oxygen, a breathing tube, or a ventilator.

There are some vaccines to protect against RVS illness. Two of them are for people ages 60 and older. If you are in this age group, talk to your provider about whether an RSV vaccine would be right for you.

There is also a vaccine is for pregnant people. It is given between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. It helps protect their newborn babies from RSV illness for the first 6 months of life.

There are two medicines to help prevent severe RSV illness in babies and young children. These medicines may help prevent severe RSV illness, but they can't cure or treat children who already have RSV. And they cannot prevent an RSV infection. Both medicines are given by injections (shots).

One medicine is given to infants who are younger than 8 months during their first RSV season. This includes infants who are born during RSV season. This medicine may also be given to some children between the ages of 8 and 19 months who are at high risk for severe RSV illness. For example, they might be at high risk because they:

• Were born prematurely
• Have congenital heart disease
• Have chronic lung disease
• Have a weakened immune system

The other medicine is given monthly during RSV season. It is for children under 24 months of age who are at high risk for severe RSV illness.

There are also some steps you can take to lower your risk of getting or spreading an RSV infection, including:

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoiding touching your face, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoiding close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils, with others if you are sick or they are sick
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that you frequently touch
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Then throw away the tissue and wash your hands
• Staying home when sick

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Staphylococcus (staph) is a group of bacteria. There are more than 30 types. A type called Staphylococcus aureus causes most infections.

Staph bacteria can cause many different types of infections, including:

• Skin infections, which are the most common types of staph infections.
• Bacteremia, an infection of the bloodstream. This can lead to sepsis, a very serious immune response to infection.
• Bone infections.
• Endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves.
• Food poisoning.
• Pneumonia.
• Toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a life-threatening condition caused by toxins from certain types of bacteria.

Some people carry staph bacteria on their skin or in their noses, but they do not get an infection. But if they get a cut or wound, the bacteria can enter the body and cause an infection.

Staph bacteria can spread from person to person. They can also spread on objects, such as towels, clothing, door handles, athletic equipment, and remotes. If you have staph and do not handle food properly when you are preparing it, you can also spread staph to others.

Anyone can develop a staph infection, but certain people are more likely to get one, including those who:

• Have a chronic condition such as diabetes, cancer, vascular disease, eczema, and lung disease
• Have a weakened immune system, such as from HIV, medicines to prevent organ rejection, or chemotherapy
• Had surgery
• Are in the hospital
• Use a catheter, breathing tube, or feeding tube
• Have an implanted device, such as a pacemaker or artificial joint or heart valve
• Have burns, especially if they are deep or cover a large area of the body
• Are on dialysis
• Inject illegal drugs
• Do contact sports, since you may have skin-to-skin contact with others or share equipment

The symptoms of a staph infection depend on the type of infection:

• Skin infections can look like pimples or boils. They may be red, swollen, and painful. Sometimes there is pus or other drainage. They can turn into impetigo, which turns into a crust on the skin, or cellulitis, a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot.
• Bone infections can cause pain, swelling, warmth, and redness in the infected area. You may also have chills and a fever.
• Endocarditis causes some flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, and fatigue. It also causes symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and fluid buildup in your arms or legs.
• Food poisoning typically causes nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. If you lose too many fluids, you may also become dehydrated.
• Pneumonia symptoms include a high fever, chills, and cough that doesn't get better. You may also have chest pain and shortness of breath.
• Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) causes high fever, sudden low blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion. You may have a sunburn-like rash somewhere on your body. TSS can lead to organ failure.

Your health care provider will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. Often, providers can tell if you have a staph skin infection by looking at it. To check for other types of staph infections, providers may do a culture, with a skin scraping, tissue sample, stool sample, or throat or nasal swabs. There may be other tests, such as imaging tests, depending on the type of infection.

Treatment for staph infections is antibiotics. Depending on the type of infection, the antibiotics might be a cream, ointment, medicines (to swallow), or intravenous (IV) medicine. If you have an infected wound, your provider might drain it. Sometimes you may need surgery for bone infections.

Some staph infections, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), are resistant to many antibiotics. There are still certain antibiotics that can treat these infections.

Certain steps can help to prevent staph infections:

• Use good hygiene, including washing your hands often.
• Don't share towels, sheets, or clothing with someone who has a staph infection.
• It's best not to share athletic equipment. If you do need to share, make sure that it is properly cleaned and dried before you use it.
• Practice food safety, including not preparing food for others when you have a staph infection.
• If you have a cut or wound, keep it covered.