Inflammatory processes in the larynx occur as a result of the development of viral infections or against the background of an acute allergy. In some cases, such a reaction of the body can be caused by an exacerbation of a chronic disease that was previously asymptomatic. Knowledge of what relieves swelling of the throat can help to provide first aid to the patient, and in some cases, save his life.
Varieties of edematous processes in the larynx
The presence of a pathological process in the throat leads to a significant increase in the mucous membrane, as a result of which the lumen of the airways is greatly narrowed. Doctors call such changes in the body stenosis. If the patient is not provided with qualified assistance in time, the width of the airway lumen can become critical. First, the body begins to experience a lack of oxygen, and then suffocation sets in.
In such situations, it is important not only to know what relieves swellingthroat, but also be able to correctly determine the cause of the stenotic process. There may be several:
- allergy;
- viral infection;
- mechanical or thermal effect on the mucosa;
- intoxication with toxic substances;
- chronic kidney disease;
- oncology.
Most often, swelling of the larynx is observed in patients of childhood. It appears as a result of a viral infection and passes as recovery occurs. However, if the stenosis appeared for another reason, you need to act immediately. In such situations, it is important not only to know how to relieve swelling of the throat in a child or adult, but also to be able to correctly recognize the ailment.
How to diagnose swelling of the throat yourself?
While waiting for the arrival of medical professionals, you can take steps to improve the patient's condition, but this should only be done when you are sure that you are experiencing stenosis.
The presence of edematous processes in the larynx will be indicated:
- severe pain while eating;
- difficult speech;
- hoarse voice;
- dry and frequent cough;
- increase in body temperature (in cases where there is intoxication of the body);
- h alt breathing;
- Sensation in the throat of a foreign object.
The presence of these symptoms indicates that the patient has acute inflammation of the larynx. If we are talking about a child, you should immediately call an ambulance. Also worthpay attention to the presence of wheezing during breathing: if they are present, you can not hesitate!
In such situations, you should not think about how to relieve swelling of the throat at home, but focus on first aid. This includes a number of simple steps:
- Calm and distract the patient, as excessive excitement can increase swelling.
- Give the patient the simplest antiallergic remedy.
- Try to increase the humidity level in the room.
- Prepare an alkaline solution for gargling. You can also do inhalation. Doing this will help calm your cough and reduce pain.
- Rub your feet with an alcohol solution. This therapy does not directly affect the larynx, but is considered a good distraction.
If the patient has shortness of breath, rapid pulse, pallor of the skin and panic attacks, he needs urgent hospitalization. In such situations, you should not think about how to relieve swelling of the throat at home.
Clinical picture for various causes of inflammation of the larynx
Stenosis is most often caused by acute laryngitis. In this case, swelling is observed in the vestibule of the larynx. The causative agents of the disease are streptococci that produce toxins.
Edematous laryngitis is more common in debilitated patients. It can also become a complication of some infectious diseases, such as influenza or scarlet fever.
With adequateIn the treatment of edema, it goes away on its own, so patients should not think about how to relieve swelling of the throat with laryngitis. Regular foot baths, regular rinsing with soda solution and taking antiviral drugs will help improve the general condition.
The most dangerous is allergic stenosis. It develops in minutes and can be fatal. To provoke swelling of the larynx can:
- food;
- drugs;
- household dust;
- animal wool.
If it is not possible to determine the cause of the edema, and the patient's condition worsens every minute, you should immediately give him an antiallergic drug.
Another cause of laryngeal edema is tonsillitis. Pathology manifests itself in cases where the patient has suffered acute tonsillitis and has not undergone proper treatment. The result is a complication in the form of tonsillitis. You can recognize the disease by enlarged palatine tonsils, an unpleasant odor from the oral cavity, and the presence of purulent plugs. Sometimes there is a whitish coating in the throat, and sores may appear.
How to relieve swelling of the throat with sore throat with complications? Most often, doctors prescribe local antiseptic drugs. If we are talking about a severe form of tonsillitis, then taking antibiotics with a wide spectrum of action is justified. Be sure to complement the therapy with regular rinses and warm drinks.
Diagnosis of disease
To determine the correct treatment of pathology, it is necessary to quickly identify the causeits occurrence. Diagnosis of stenosis is primarily based on a thorough questioning of the patient, determining the likelihood of an allergic reaction.
Using special instruments, a medical worker examines the larynx. In addition, the patient may be assigned an examination in the form of direct (or indirect) laryngoscopy. In some cases, a biopsy is required.
To understand how to relieve swelling of the throat in an adult or a child, the doctor can send the patient for x-rays and tomography. Endoscopy and bronchoscopy are often required to determine the extent of stenosis. If the cause of the pathology cannot be found, patients are advised to check the internal organs, the cardiovascular system.
Treatment at home
If the disease is taken by surprise, first aid to the body can be provided independently. Remember that immediately started treatment allows you to overcome the disease much faster. Lack of timely action to improve the condition can lead to suffocation.
So, what relieves swelling of the throat, and what measures can save the patient's life? If a person complains of asthma attacks, he is taken to fresh air or the room is well ventilated. The throat should be free from tight collars, scarves and other constricting clothing.
Further, assistance is provided according to the following principle:
- If the likelihood of an allergy is high, the patient is given antihistamines. Before the arrival of the doctorsyou can take "Suprastin" or "Diazolin".
- In especially severe situations, Prednisolone and Dexamethasone are used, but they must be prescribed by a doctor.
- In order to reduce swelling in the nose, vasoconstrictor drugs should be dripped. These include: "Nazivin", "Glazolin", "Nazol" and "Vibrocil". The latter remedy also has an antiallergic property, which is relevant in this situation.
- If the swelling is caused by a viral infection, antibiotics and antivirals can reduce the severity of the stenosis.
Pay attention! Before you remove the swelling of the throat in a child with medicines, make sure that such treatment does not harm. As a last resort, call an ambulance.
Inpatient treatment
Treatment under the supervision of doctors is primarily aimed at reducing swelling and restoring normal breathing. In particularly severe cases, surgery may be required.
Conservative treatment is based on taking several groups of drugs. Namely:
- antihistamine;
- antibacterial drugs ("Augmentin" and its analogues);
- corticosteroids;
- diuretic drugs ("Furosemide" and similar);
- vitamins;
- sedative drugs.
It is impossible to say unequivocally which medicine relieves swelling of the throat best of all. It all depends on the cause of the disease, but, inin any case, therapy should be complex.
Treatment in a hospital can be supplemented with inhalations with mineral waters, adrenaline. Oxygen masks have a good effect on the body.
In the process of treatment, patients are advised to adhere to a diet: exclude rough, spicy and s alty foods from the diet. Also, for a speedy recovery, you should ensure peace of the vocal cords and exclude physical activity.
Surgical treatment
If the treatment does not give the desired result and the swelling subsides only slightly, there is a high probability of suffocation. In such a situation, the only thing that relieves swelling of the throat is a tracheotomy.
This term refers to an abdominal operation, during which the surgeon makes a small incision in the larynx. A tube is inserted into the resulting hole, providing a constant flow of air into the respiratory tract.
Further, symptomatic therapy is carried out. When the swelling subsides completely, the tube is removed from the throat.
How to relieve pain and swelling in the throat with folk remedies?
If the stenotic processes in the throat do not pose a threat to life and the patient feels fine, you can reduce the severity of pain and relieve swelling with folk remedies. The following procedures are characterized by the best impact:
- Rinses. Regular rinsing helps to remove plaque from the inflamed mucosa and provides direct contact of local drugs with the affected area. If you notknow how to gargle to relieve swelling, use the simplest soda solutions. This is a universal remedy for combating sore throat, which has earned positive feedback from most patients. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to one glass of water and gargle once every 2-3 hours. You can also use an infusion of chamomile, calendula and other medicinal herbs.
- You can remove the swelling of the throat mucosa with cool compresses. For this purpose, you can use a heating pad with cold water or ice wrapped in a cloth.
- Carrot and beetroot juices help reduce the severity of pain. The main condition is that the juice must be freshly squeezed. To improve the therapeutic effect, you can supplement the liquid with one spoon of honey. Take 100 ml of juice per meal.
- Reduce swelling by removing excess fluid from the body will help decoction of wild rose. For its preparation 1 tbsp. l. fruits are poured with 1 liter of boiling water and infused for 2-3 hours. Ready-made broth is taken 125 ml during each meal.
Traditional medicine can be supplemented with medicines. In this case, recovery will come much faster.
Drugs that relieve swelling of the throat in adults and children
Timely started treatment allows you to quickly overcome the disease and reduce the likelihood of complications. When choosing a drug, be sure to consult your doctor about the possibility of using this drug. Improper treatment can cause even more harm than no therapy.
Today, the following drugs are most often used to treat stenotic phenomena:
- Antibiotics of the penicillin series. Penicillin and its derivatives are antimicrobial drugs. They are used to treat meningitis, scarlet fever, tonsillitis, diphtheria and other diseases caused by anaerobic microorganisms. Best of all, the drug showed itself when administered intramuscularly, since when taken orally, the antibiotic is absorbed worse.
- "Prednisolone". This is a hormonal drug that has anti-shock, anti-inflammatory, anti-toxic and anti-allergic effects. It is prescribed for mononucleosis, asthma and allergic diseases. With a mild form of the disease, the drug should not be taken.
- "Dimedrol". This medicine is used by ambulance teams, as it has antihistamine, hypnotic, anesthetic and anti-allergic effects. It is not recommended to abuse this remedy, as it can cause side effects on the part of all organs and systems of the body.
- "Furosemide". The drug belongs to drugs that have a diuretic effect. "Furosemide" eliminates congestion in the body and reduces swelling by removing excess fluid. The drug is available in ampoules and tablets, making it affordable and easy to use.
- "Suprastin". This remedy has a pronounced antiallergic and antihistamine effect. "Suprastin" relieves swelling of the throat in cases where the appearancestenosis contributed to allergies. Its dosage is determined on the basis of the severity of the body's reaction to the allergen. Judging by the reviews of doctors, the drug instantly relieves discomfort, but has a depressing effect on the nervous system.
- "Fenistil". The drug also belongs to the group of antihistamines, however, unlike "Suprastin", "Fenistil" has a lesser effect on the human nervous system, does not contribute to a decrease in concentration. For this reason, the tool has earned positive reviews from therapists, pediatricians and patients themselves.
The above drugs are used in acute forms of swelling, when the patient gets worse every minute. They are not recommended for daily use.
If you have mild swelling of the throat, you can use local analgesics in the form of lozenges, sprays and tablets. Among the most popular, judging by the reviews, the following can be distinguished: "Ingalipt", "Chlorophyllipt", "Theraflu", "Geksoral" and others.
Summing up
The above information suggests that knowing how to relieve swelling in the throat and how to act with various symptoms, you can save a loved one from complications and save his life.
If the patient's condition is regarded as serious, you should urgently call for help from doctors. With a mild form of the disease, it is quite possible to get by with home treatment using rinses, inhalations and simple medications. But remember, increased heart rate,wheezing and difficult breathing are the main signs of the development of a complication that requires immediate medical treatment under the supervision of doctors!
