What Is Diphtheria?
Reviewed: Dr. Mera
6. Symptoms: Sore throat and pseudomembranes
At first, patients with diphtheria can experience hoarseness, sore throat, and foul breath (halitosis). In addition, these patients can also experience difficulty swallowing. One of the signs that patients with diphtheria will likely exhibit is a thick, gray-colored coating on their tonsils and/or throat.
These are known as pseudomembranes, and they can also appear in any part of the respiratory tract. Importantly, the most common cause of death in patients with diphtheria is airway obstruction or suffocation after aspiration of these membranes. Patients with diphtheria can also experience difficulty breathing (dyspnea)and cough.
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