Laryngotracheitis - What Is It? First Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

How is laryngotracheitis treated? What are the symptoms?

Laryngotracheitis is a disease in which the larynx and trachea become inflamed. Viruses and bacteria become the cause of the development of the pathological process. Laryngotracheitis can occur in both adults and children. The disease leads to a change in voice, accompanied by a wet cough, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat and chest. Laryngotracheitis can be an independent pathology, or it can act as a complication of laryngitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis or rhinitis.

Content:

• What is laryngotracheitis?
• Causes of the disease
• Classification
• Laryngotracheitis symptoms
• Diagnostics
• Laryngotracheitis treatment
• Prevention

What is laryngotracheitis?

Laryngotracheitis is an inflammation of the larynx and the initial sections of the trachea. It narrows the airways. Pathology often develops as a complication of ARI. The disease is diagnosed mainly in childhood.

In adults and children, the symptoms of the disease differ. In a child under 6-7 years old, laryngotracheitis has a complicated course and can lead to serious breathing problems. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of the trachea and larynx of babies.

The mechanism of the origin and development of laryngotracheitis is associated with the pathogenesis of ARVI.

The lumen of the trachea and larynx narrows, which is due to a number of reasons:

• Infiltration and swelling of tissues.
• Increased mucus production. It is produced by an inflamed trachea and bronchi.
• Airway muscle spasm.
• Accumulation of thick mucus.

These pathological reasons lead to the fact that air cannot pass normally through the respiratory tract. The person develops a barking cough. Due to inflammation of the vocal cords, a change in voice occurs. He becomes husky.

Causes of the disease

Viruses and bacteria lead to laryngotracheitis. They enter the respiratory system by airborne droplets.

The causes of laryngotracheitis are as follows:

• Infection with a viral infection. Laryngotracheitis can occur with rubella, SARS, adenovirus infection, parainfluenza, measles, smallpox, scarlet fever.
• Infection with bacteria. The culprits of laryngotracheitis can be staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci. Less commonly, mycobacterium tuberculosis (a person develops tuberculosis of the larynx), pale treponema (causes tertiary syphilis), mycoplasma and chlamydia lead to the disease.
• Chemical damage.
• The effect of allergens on the body.

In children, laryngotracheitis is a consequence of a rapidly developing infection. Adults suffer from laryngotracheitis due to their own neglect of health.

Risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing laryngotracheitis:

• Alcohol abuse, smoking.
• Excessive stress on the vocal cords. Loud singing and screaming can provoke the development of laryngotracheitis.
• Allergy tendency.
• Hypothermia of the body.
• Eating food that is too hot or too cold.
• Infection with syphilis, tuberculosis and other infections. Laryngotracheitis in this case will act as a complication.
• Bronchial asthma, pulmonary emphysema, pneumosclerosis, bronchiectasis.
• Diabetes.
• Diseases of the central nervous system.
• Diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Chronic laryngotracheitis is most often the result of a decrease in immunity. It can also occur due to the lack of treatment for an acute illness.

Classification

There are several classifications of laryngotracheitis. Each of them is based on various factors: the severity of the pathological process, the causes of the disease, features of the clinical picture, etc.

Depending on the characteristics of the course of laryngotracheitis, it is divided into 2 forms:

• Chronic laryngotracheitis. It can last for months or even years. From time to time, a person experiences exacerbations.
• Acute laryngotracheitis. The duration of the inflammatory process is 7-20 days. If a person receives adequate therapy, then a full recovery will come.

Depending on the characteristics of the lesion of the mucous membranes of the trachea and larynx, there are such types of laryngotracheitis as:

• Catarrhal laryngotracheitis. It is acute, a person's throat turns red, the mucous membranes of the larynx and vocal cords swell. Infiltration of tissues with inflammatory exudate leads to their thickening. Due to malnutrition, the mucous membranes can become bluish. The permeability of the vascular wall increases, due to which pinpoint bruises appear on the mucous membranes.
• Hypertrophic laryngotracheitis. The patient has a significant proliferation of mucous membranes. The trachea, larynx and vocal cords suffer. This negatively affects breathing, it becomes difficult. The person's voice changes. The doctor, when examining the affected structures, visualizes the so-called "singing nodules". Most often, people with increased voice load suffer from this form of the disease: announcers, singers, teachers, actors, etc.

• Atrophic laryngotracheitis. In this type of disease, the normal tissues of the larynx and trachea are replaced by squamous stratified epithelium. Atrophy of the vocal cords and surrounding structures occurs. The glands that produce the normal secretion die off. Because of this, the inside of the throat becomes covered with dry crusts, which give a person a lot of inconvenience.

Depending on the cause of laryngotracheitis, the following forms are distinguished:

• Viral.
• Bacterial.
• Combined.

Depending on the place of concentration of the inflammatory process, there are types of diseases such as:

• Sublining laryngotracheitis, in which the larynx swells severely. The cause of this form of the disease is often an allergic reaction of the body.
• Acute laryngotracheitis. Larynx and trachea are edematous. Viruses and bacteria become the cause of the acute form of the disease.
• Obstructive laryngotracheitis, which is characterized by a significant narrowing of the airway. This form is the most dangerous as it can cause suffocation.

Laryngotracheitis symptoms

The symptoms of laryngotracheitis in an adult are as follows:

• Increase in body temperature to high levels.
• The appearance of noisy breathing and wheezing. Such breathing is called stenotic.
• Hoarseness of voice, sore throat.
• Barking cough.
• Pain when swallowing food.
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck. When palpating them, a person experiences painful sensations.

In children, laryngotracheitis often manifests itself in the form of a false croup. The child coughs heavily, may begin to choke. The attacks happen at night. They last about 30 minutes and can be repeated regularly.

Stenosing laryngotracheitis is often called false croup, as in its symptoms it is similar to diphtheria, which is popularly known as croup.

With stenosing laryngotracheitis, laryngeal stenosis develops. The pathology has an acute course, attacks of coughing and choking occur at night. The person begins to wheeze, he has shortness of breath. Lack of oxygen is manifested in the blue of the nasolabial triangle and lips.

Leaving someone with these symptoms alone is dangerous. If signs of suffocation appear, call an ambulance. Children from false croup can quickly suffocate.

The acute form of the disease is characterized by pronounced symptoms, while the chronic course of laryngotracheitis gives scanty symptoms. The difference is that the acute form disappears in a few days and the person's symptoms will not bother him anymore. Chronic laryngotracheitis is accompanied by persistent coughing and hoarseness.

Acute symptoms

The acute form of laryngotracheitis is accompanied by symptoms such as:

• A burning and tickling sensation in the throat.
• Chest pain. It gets worse after coughing.
• Discharge of viscous sputum.
• Hoarseness of voice, hoarseness.
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes, their soreness and increase in size.

Chronic symptoms

Chronic laryngotracheitis is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Cough with little expectoration.
• Sensation of a lump in the throat, which will be presented by viscous mucus.
• Voice change.
• Fatigue in the vocal cords after prolonged tension.

Interesting! Symptoms, which in the acute form of the disease manifested themselves brightly, fade in people with chronic laryngotracheitis. The person after some improvement will feel bad again. Pregnancy, menopause, menstruation, hypothermia, prolonged stress on the vocal cords can be a provoking factor.

Diagnostics

A doctor may suspect an illness based on a person's complaints. Patients with laryngotracheitis indicate a dry cough, a hoarse voice, harsh breathing.

To confirm the diagnosis, the patient is referred for the following tests:

• General blood analysis.
• General urine analysis.
• Sputum bacterial analysis.
• Serological tests that allow you to establish the type of infectious agent.

Instrumental examination methods include microlaryngoscopy and tracheoscopy. The ligaments and larynx are examined using special equipment. If necessary, the patient is referred for x-ray or CT scans of the larynx and trachea. Be sure to perform a chest x-ray for patients who have wheezing. This study will rule out bronchitis and pneumonia.

If a person suffers from laryngotracheitis, then a biopsy is performed. The doctor collects tissue from the affected area. In the future, the resulting material is carefully studied to exclude the presence of cancer cells in it.

If it has been established that laryngotracheitis is a consequence of tuberculosis infection, then consultation with a phthisiatrician is required. With syphilitic laryngotracheitis, help is needed not only from an otolaryngologist, but also from a venereologist.

When diagnosing laryngotracheitis, it is necessary to distinguish it from diseases such as: abscess, diphtheria, pneumonia, bronchial asthma.

Laryngotracheitis treatment

It is possible to cope with laryngotracheitis without hospitalization, but only on condition that treatment is started in the early stages of the development of the disease.

Recommendations to be followed:

• Stick to bed rest.
• Talk and strain inflamed structures as little as possible.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Treat throat with antiseptics.

Ancillary measures to speed up recovery include:

• Regular airing of the room.
• Air humidification.
• Full voice peace.
• Gargling with medicinal herbs, inhalation with them.
• Eating soups, cereals with vegetables and fruits, dairy products. You need to eat in small portions.

Drug treatment

If the disease does not lead to the development of complications, then you can cope with it on an outpatient basis.

Drugs that can be prescribed to a patient:

• Antibacterial agents. They are prescribed for developing bronchitis or pneumonia. Most often, drugs with a wide spectrum of action are used: Ciprofloxacin, Suprax, Ampicillin, Azithromycin.
• Antipyretic drugs. It is advisable to take them only if the body temperature is very high. Medications containing ibuprofen or paracetamol, such as Nurofen or Panadol, can be used.
• Antihistamines. They are used to eliminate tissue swelling. Preference should be given to drugs of the latest generation, which have a minimum set of side effects, for example, Cetrin, Zyrtec, Zilola.
• Means for thinning phlegm (mucolytics) and antitussives. If the sputum is viscous and difficult to separate, then the patient is prescribed mucolytics, for example, Lazolvan or marshmallow syrup. With a dry, exhausting cough, the doctor prescribes Stoptussin and Sinekod. They are aimed at suppressing the cough reflex.
• Inhalation with mineral water, oil solutions. They can only be performed after the body temperature returns to normal.
• Vasoconstrictor drugs: Lazorin, Nazivin. These drugs will help restore nasal breathing.
• Throat antiseptics. It is forbidden to use them during the acute phase of the disease, as they can cause laryngospasm. The most popular drugs include Orasept and Ingalipt.
• Antispasmodics. They are prescribed for spasm of the larynx to facilitate breathing. It could be No-shpa and Euphyllin.
• Immunomodulators: Immunal, Likopid. Their reception is indicated for patients with a chronic form of the disease.

The doctor should prescribe drugs for the treatment of laryngotracheitis, based on diagnostic data.

Surgery

With chronic laryngotracheitis, the patient may be referred for surgery. Also, the help of a surgeon is required for persons for whom drug treatment has not helped to cope with the problem. Without fail, the altered tissues are removed from those patients who are at risk of developing a cancerous tumor. The doctor resects the overgrown tissue in the larynx and vocal cords. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.

Modern surgery involves the use of a laser or radio wave equipment. After the operation, the symptoms of the disease become less intense. The recovery period takes about a week. At this time, a person must maintain speech peace and not play sports. If there is a risk of thrombosis, surgery is not performed.

Complications of pathology

If the patient's immunity is reduced, or there are other diseases of the ENT organs, the risk of developing false croup and even suffocation increases.

The chronic course of laryngotracheitis can cause the formation of a benign tumor in the throat. With a hypertrophic form of the disease, the risks of a cancerous neoplasm increase.

Prevention

Since the main cause of the development of laryngotracheitis is a viral or bacterial infection, the likelihood of their occurrence must be minimized.

The main preventive measures include:

• Compliance with hygiene standards.
• Body hardening.
• Proper nutrition.
• Leading a healthy lifestyle.
• Timely treatment of viral infections.

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)