Laryngitis In Adults - How Does It Manifest? How Is It Treated?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 02:10

Causes, symptoms and treatment of laryngitis

What is laryngitis?

Laryngitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in your throat. It can be divided into two types - acute and chronic. A person develops symptoms such as: swelling of the tissues of the larynx and a violent cough that resembles a dog's barking. The voice becomes hoarse. Sometimes laryngitis leads to aphonia, that is, to a complete loss of voice. This happens in a severe course of the disease, when the ligaments swell a lot.

As for the accompanying diseases, laryngitis can occur in conjunction with ARVI, influenza and any other disease of this type.

If a person does not start treatment on time, the likelihood of complications increases. The most dangerous of these is considered to be stenosis of the larynx, which leads to breathing difficulties. With the development of stenosis, the patient should be provided with emergency medical care. Otherwise, the person may suffocate. Not fully treated acute form of the disease threatens with a transition to chronic laryngitis. Therefore, a doctor should deal with therapy.

Content:

• Causes of laryngitis in adults
• Laryngitis symptoms
• Medicines for the treatment of laryngitis in adults
• Allergic laryngitis treatment
• Chronic laryngitis treatment
• First aid for a person with stenosis

Causes of laryngitis in adults

The causes of laryngitis can be very different. As a rule, it is directly related to hypothermia of the body or a drop in general immunity, with the simultaneous accompaniment of a viral attack. Most often, laryngitis is a consequence of viral damage to the respiratory system. Also, pathology can develop against the background of scarlet fever, whooping cough or measles.

There may also be a mechanical cause of the disease - for example, a burn or injury.

There are factors that are directly related to the onset of the disease, these include the most common - dustiness of the room, various inflammatory processes inside the body, excessive timbre of the voice and, of course, respiratory tract disorders.

As for the chronic course of the disease, then, as in all other cases, this may be due to under-treatment of diseases such as ARVI or a frequent illness. Also, one should not forget about the body's allergic reactions. Hazardous work at chemical plants can also be attributed to the risk zone.

If the vocal cords are in tension all the time, this becomes a prerequisite for the development of laryngitis. Therefore, you need to control your speech and emotional state, shout less and talk in a raised voice.

The fact is that when we talk, our vocal cords begin to emit vibration, due to this, a sound appears. But with this disease, the vocal cords swell and completely lose this unique property.

This also narrows the airway and makes breathing a little difficult. All this happens due to the fact that the airways have narrowed. It is worth remembering that often repetitive shortness of breath can develop into a completely separate disease, most often it can be found in children.

Otolaryngologist Tatyana Pavlenko talks about acute laryngitis:

Laryngitis symptoms

The main symptom of laryngitis is coughing. It is dry, without phlegm. This cough is often called barking. It is exhausting and very uncomfortable. Coughing leads to sleep disturbance, as it often worsens at night. Patients complain that they cannot sleep well at night. To cope with the exhausting reflex and get enough sleep, the patient is forced to take drugs for dry cough.

In addition to coughing, laryngitis in adults can manifest itself with symptoms such as:

• Sore throat, sensation of a foreign object in it.
• Hoarseness or complete loss of voice.
• Dry throat.
• Redness of the throat.
• Swelling of tissues.

If laryngitis develops against the background of a bacterial infection, then purulent plaque or purulent plugs may form on the tonsils. The body temperature rises to 38 ° C, the signs of intoxication of the body increase.

Symptoms for different types of laryngitis

For the treatment to be as effective as possible, you need to find out the cause of the disease and clarify the type of laryngitis. For a doctor, this is not difficult, since each type of laryngitis is accompanied by a certain clinical picture.

Types of laryngitis and their characteristics

A type of laryngitis	Symptoms
Phlegmonous laryngitis	The muscles of the larynx and the ligamentous apparatus become inflamed. The disease has a severe course, accompanied by an increase in body temperature to high levels, suppuration of the affected area is often observed.
Chronic catarrhal laryngitis	The edema is intense, since a significant amount of blood flows to the larynx.
Allergic laryngitis	Inflammation develops immediately after contact with an allergen. The patient's swelling rapidly increases, the lumen of the larynx narrows greatly. If the patient is not provided with timely assistance, then the likelihood of developing laryngospasm and suffocation is high.
Laryngitis of the atrophic type	The lining of the larynx becomes very thin, so a person experiences a dry throat. Drinking a lot of fluids will not help you cope with discomfort. When coughing, films may come off along with a small amount of sputum.
Laryngitis nodosa	The ligament tissue is covered with nodules. Thus, professional laryngitis manifests itself. Most often, inflammation develops in singers.
Hypertrophic laryngitis	Pathology is accompanied by tissue proliferation. In severe cases, laryngeal stenosis may occur.

Therapy depends on the type of laryngitis. For each type of inflammation, doctors prescribe different groups of medications. Self-medication is unacceptable, as it can aggravate the course of the disease.

Medicines for the treatment of laryngitis in adults

Drugs for the treatment of laryngitis should be selected by a doctor. He prescribes them only after a comprehensive diagnosis.

Treatment of viral and bacterial laryngitis

If laryngitis was caused by viruses, then treatment is reduced to eliminating unwanted symptoms. The patient needs to maintain speech peace, talk as little as possible, do not overextend the vocal cords. This will reduce the severity of the symptoms of the disease.

Drugs for the treatment of cough. Cough is the main symptom of laryngitis, which gives a person maximum discomfort. To reduce its manifestations, you need to take drugs that block the cough reflex.

The most commonly prescribed drug is Sinekod. It eliminates cough by influencing the central nervous system. The effect develops almost instantly. In a few minutes, the attack will be able to cope. Sinekod can be taken with laryngitis not only for adults, but also for children.

In addition to Sinekod, patients with laryngitis can be prescribed antitussive drugs such as: Omnitus, Stopussin, Bronholitin, Linkas, Gerbion, Bitiodin. Read more about the pros and cons of these funds here.

All of these drugs are taken only for dry cough. If it gets wet, they are discarded. It is strictly forbidden to simultaneously use mucolytic drugs and drugs for dry cough.

When the cough becomes wet, you need to start using drugs that thin the phlegm and make it easier to pass. It can be Alteika, Althea syrup, Potassium iodide 3%, Infusion of thermopsis.

Drinking a sufficient amount of fluids is a mandatory component of treatment. Alkaline mineral water promotes sputum discharge, which is recommended to be slightly warmed up before use, bringing it to a temperature of 32 degrees.

Drugs to lower body temperature. Pain relievers. You can relieve pain and lower body temperature with Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. These drugs have a complex effect.

Antibiotics and drugs to relieve inflammation at the local level. Sprays of complex action help to destroy pathogenic flora, get rid of pain, stop the inflammatory reaction. With laryngitis, drugs are used such as: Camenton, Anginal, Larinal, Tantum Verde, Ingalipt.

You can also use local antiseptics. One of the commonly prescribed drugs is Chlorhexidine. It is inexpensive, but has a pronounced disinfecting effect. It is used to gargle with water.

Miramistin is another modern antiseptic that is detrimental to all kinds of pathogenic flora. Not only viruses and bacteria are afraid of him, but also fungi. The drug is convenient to use, since it is available in the form of a ready-made solution. Comes with a nozzle. Therefore, Miramistin can not only gargle the throat, but also irrigate.

To treat the affected area, you can use decoctions of medicinal herbs. Experts recommend brewing chamomile, St. John's wort or calendula for this purpose. If you gargle them 3-4 times a day, recovery will come faster. The relief is felt after the first application. Also, adult patients can use a tincture of calendula or St. John's wort in alcohol.

Inhalation. You can speed up your recovery and improve your well-being through inhalations. They use a special device - a nebulizer. Alkaline mineral water is poured into it. One session should last about 10 minutes. Inhalation is repeated up to 4 times a day. The last time you need to use the nebulizer is no later than 19:00. If you carry out the procedure at night, you will not be able to sleep peacefully. The person will be tormented by a wet cough. It occurs due to dilution and increased discharge of sputum.

With laryngitis, the doctor may recommend inhalation with Berodual. This is a drug with a pronounced bronchodilator effect, therefore, its independent use is unacceptable. It can also cause severe side effects if used improperly.

Antibiotics in the treatment of laryngitis

If the laryngitis was caused by bacterial flora, then the patient is prescribed antibiotics. To determine which pathogen caused the inflammation, you need to perform a bacterial culture. To do this, you will need to collect mucus from the oropharynx.

With bacterial laryngitis, drugs such as Amosin, Flemoxin, Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Augmentin can be prescribed.

In some preparations, amoxicillin is supplemented with clavulanic acid. It enhances the effect of the antibiotic and allows it to destroy those bacterial strains that are resistant to pure amoxicillin. However, patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract need to remember that clavulanic acid can irritate the gastric mucosa and provoke the development of gastritis or ulcers. The longer a person takes such a drug, the higher the likelihood of inflammation. Therefore, for people with diseases of the digestive system, it is better to choose another antibiotic.

Video: life is great! How not to lose your voice?

Allergic laryngitis treatment

Sometimes laryngitis is allergic in nature. To cope with such inflammation, contact with the allergen must be completely eliminated. To eliminate the reaction that has arisen, the patient is prescribed antihistamines. Suprastin becomes the drug of choice. Alternatively, agents such as Diazolin, Tavegil, Loratadin, Fenkarol can be used.

The safest are second-generation antihistamines. They do not cause drowsiness and at the same time have a long lasting effect. It is enough to take them once a day. Representatives of 2nd generation antihistamines are: Claridol, Claritin, Lomilan, LoraGeksal.

A severe manifestation of an allergic reaction is angioedema. Patient care must be provided immediately. A person is injected with Prednisolone or Adrenaline.

Chronic laryngitis treatment

If the acute form of laryngitis is not treated, then the disease can become chronic. It also contributes to inflammation of the larynx, frequent infectious diseases and excessive stress on the vocal cords.

To cope with chronic laryngitis, you need to provide rest to the affected area. It will take a rejection of bad habits and a review of the diet. All products that can irritate the mucous membrane of the pharynx are removed from the menu. This applies to all kinds of marinades, spices, pickles, etc.

Treatment should be comprehensive. It is implemented according to the following scheme:

• Inhalation with saline is carried out.
• The patient is provided with a sufficient amount of fluid.
• Herbal decoctions are used to eliminate sore throat. For this purpose, oak bark or St. John's wort is brewed. Gargle with ready-made compounds.
• Irrigate the surface of the oropharynx with Lugol spray.
• Take vitamins.

Patients with chronic laryngitis are prescribed physiotherapy. UHF, electrophoresis with novocaine, UFO, microwave therapy have a good effect.

An integrated approach and regular implementation of procedures allows you to cope with the disease and prevent its recurrence.

First aid for a person with stenosis

If a person's laryngitis triggered the development of stenosis, and he began to choke, you need to immediately call a medical team. First aid should be provided to the patient as soon as possible.

To stop the attack, the person should be offered Prednisolone (2-5 mg / kg) or Dexamethasone (0.3-0.6 mg / kg). The dose is indicated per adult. After 15 minutes, the drug will take effect. The effect lasts up to 6 hours. This measure allows you to bring your breathing back to normal, as well as wait for the arrival of the ambulance team. Further treatment is prescribed by the doctor.

You can also eliminate stenosis with Epinephrine. Its concentration is 0.1%. To calculate the dose, you need to multiply 0.1-0.2 mg of the drug by the patient's weight in kg. This amount of the drug is diluted in 3 ml of saline. The composition prepared in this way is poured into a nebulizer and breathed for about 10 minutes.

Laryngitis is a serious medical condition. If his treatment is not chosen correctly, then it can lead to serious complications. Sometimes they even pose a threat to the patient's life. Therefore, when characteristic symptoms appear, you need to consult a doctor.

The author of the article: Lazarev Oleg Vladimirovich | ENT

Education: In 2009, he received a diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" at the Petrozavodsk State University. After completing an internship at the Murmansk Regional Clinical Hospital, he received a diploma in Otorhinolaryngology (2010)