Laryngotracheitis

Laryngotracheitis is an inflammation that occurs in the larynx and in the upper parts of the trachea, resulting from acute infections of viral origin. This disease is characterized by the presence of specific symptoms and the rapid development of the process.

Causes

The factors that trigger the onset of laryngotracheitis are as follows:

• the presence of a viral, bacterial or fungal infection in the body;
• strong tension of the vocal cords;
• the presence of an underlying disease (for example, pneumonia), which triggered the development of a general infection of the larynx;
• allergic reactions;
• irritation of the larynx with tobacco smoke, as well as chemical vapors;
• the presence of ENT diseases occurring in a chronic form - sinusitis, bronchitis, nasal polyps;
• severe cough;
• addiction to alcoholic beverages;
• hypothermia of the body due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures.

Classification

Acute laryngotracheitis

This disease has two forms: acute and chronic. The first is of two types:

• primary laryngotracheitis - diagnosed for the first time;
• recurrent - appears again due to a number of reasons: colds, the influence of unfavorable factors.

Primary acute laryngotracheitis occurs in three variants:

• sudden laryngotracheitis - there are no signs of an acute viral infection,
• acutely arising - as an accompanying factor of the common cold,
• gradually arising - a complication after suffering colds.

Chronic laryngotracheitis

The acute form becomes chronic in the absence of proper treatment. Chronic disease affects people whose professional activity involves constant overstrain of the vocal cords (teachers, singers).

The chronic form can take several forms:

• catarrhal laryngotracheitis - there is a reddening of the throat, and then swelling in the area of the ligaments and trachea;
• atrophic, in which the mucous membrane atrophies and its protective effect worsens;
• hyperplastic - occurs due to the fact that areas of the mucous membrane grow, which causes difficulty breathing.

Symptoms of acute laryngotracheitis

In adults, the first signs of laryngotracheitis, which indicate the onset of this particular disease, are as follows:

• an increase in temperature to 39.5 - 40 degrees;
• Difficulty noisy breathing, accompanied by severe wheezing;
• change in voice (hoarseness) and sore throat;
• barking cough;
• difficulty swallowing (even liquids).

Acute laryngotracheitis in adults (primary) often begins suddenly, and there are no signs of a cold. It can also be accompanied by a cold, be a complication after an acute respiratory viral infection.

Acute stenosing laryngotracheitis, or false croup, begins on the second or third day after the onset of ARVI and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• has a sudden onset, often develops at night;
• narrowing of the lumen of the larynx, which causes noisy wheezing;
• swelling in the area of the ligaments;
• barking cough, which can be used to determine the intensity of laryngeal edema (severe edema characterizes a quiet cough);
• shortness of breath (shortness of breath on inspiration, the jugular fossa and the lower sternum fall);
• hoarseness and hoarseness of the voice, sometimes it completely disappears.

If such symptoms appear in children, then parents should remember that this condition is dangerous to the child's life. The baby becomes restless, he has a pronounced feeling of fear, the skin turns pale, and the tips of the fingers and lips become bluish. Stenosing laryngotracheitis is the result of influenza virus, mycoplasmosis.

Symptoms of chronic laryngotracheitis

The disease laryngotracheitis, which occurs in a chronic form, has the following symptoms:

• violation of the voice - from hoarseness to its complete absence;
• persistent cough, which is accompanied by a small amount of sputum;
• violent coughing attacks that occur when laughing, taking a deep breath, or exposure to cold;
• slight soreness that from time to time appears in the larynx and behind the sternum.

Exacerbation occurs for various reasons:

• hypothermia;
• nervous breakdown or stress;
• screaming or singing loudly;
• in women - during hormonal changes.

Complications

The treatment of this disease is not difficult. If the patient has applied for medical help in a timely manner and fulfills the doctor's prescriptions, everything is in order with his immunity, then recovery comes quickly enough. If time is lost or the patient is self-medicating, then the following complications arise:

• inflammation of the middle ear;
• tracheobronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• pulmonary or heart failure;
• suffocation;
• laryngeal cartilage stenosis;
• benign tumors of the larynx caused by a long-term inflammatory process.

Diagnostics

Laryngotracheitis in children

To make the correct diagnosis for the child, the pediatrician conducts a thorough examination, because stenosis of the larynx is a symptom of not only laryngotracheitis. The doctor first examines the child's larynx, for which a survey laryngoscopy is used, especially in babies from 2 to 3 years old.

With laryngotracheitis, changes are traced:

• sputum of a viscous nature, located in the opening of the glottis, and crusts adhere along its edges;
• the mucous membrane is in a hyperemic state, and its integument, located under the vocal cords, is edematous and looks like red ridges.

On examination, the pediatrician should exclude such pathological conditions as:

• the presence of foreign objects in the upper respiratory tract;
• infectious diseases: measles, chickenpox, scarlet fever, diphtheria;
• retropharyngeal abscess;
• asthmatic complication of pneumonia;
• bronchial asthma;
• the presence of papillomas in the larynx.

The well-known children's doctor Komarovsky strongly recommends that you immediately contact your doctor or call an ambulance if the first signs of laryngotracheitis appear. This will prevent the development of an attack at night or in the evening. When the first symptoms of a disease such as laryngotracheitis appear in children, Komarovsky advises parents to start increasing the humidity of the room in which the child is located. This reduces the rate of development of the disease, which makes it possible to gain time before the arrival of the doctor. It is also necessary to provide access to fresh air and give the baby warm milk or dried fruit compote. If the child becomes ill, and there is no ambulance yet, then vomiting should be induced by pressing on the root of the tongue. This will help eliminate the choking spasm.

Laryngotracheitis in adults

This category of patients is diagnosed on the basis of their complaints (hoarseness, unproductive cough, as well as pain behind the breastbone) and examination. The doctor must listen to the lungs and the trachea area, prescribe an examination, which includes

• general analysis of blood and urine;
• bacteriological analysis of sputum;
• serological studies.

To examine the vocal cords, microlaryngoscopy is used, if necessary, the doctor prescribes an X-ray examination.

To exclude oncological pathology in the presence of chronic laryngotracheitis, a laryngoscopy is performed, in which a piece of tissue is removed in order to perform a biopsy. If wheezing appears, a chest X-ray is prescribed.

Laryngotracheitis treatment

How is laryngotracheitis treated? Well known in the center "Clinic K + 31". It provides qualified assistance to both adult patients and children. Health workers warn parents that laryngotracheitis in babies is rapidly developing, and strongly recommend contacting specialists in order to avoid the development of various complications. Self-medication is dangerous, as it can lead to extremely undesirable consequences, and delay threatens with loss of consciousness and asphyxiation. Only a specialist can diagnose the disease and prescribe an effective treatment.