Stenoses of the larynx happen for several reasons. Mostly young children suffer from it. Parents who first encounter such a manifestation of the disease fall into a stupor. What to do to help the child, and what are the symptoms and treatment of stenosis of the larynx? Let's try to figure it out.
What is laryngeal stenosis?
Many organs in the body are made up of muscles. The larynx also has such a structure. Under certain conditions, muscles can swell and contract. This is how laryngeal stenosis occurs.
Parents may experience another name for this condition - false croup. In medicine, there is another concept. It is associated only with a dangerous infectious disease - diphtheria. Against its background, a true croup develops.
The only way to protect yourself from diphtheria is through vaccination. According to statistics, even if detected in time, this disease is fatal in 50% of cases.
Degrees
Stenoses of the larynx vary in different levels of complexity. Depending on the severity of the patient's condition, certain methods of first aid and further treatment are applied.
- The first degree may not be felt by the person, the muscles are just beginning to swell. A dry cough appears, but it is not yet obsessive.
- The second one is more difficult. A "barking" excruciating cough develops. It becomes difficult for the patient to breathe. A feeling of fear appears.
- The third degree refers to a state of moderate severity. In this case, urgent medical attention is required. A person feels a catastrophic lack of air. The cough almost never stops. Panic and tachycardia set in.
- The fourth degree is an extremely difficult condition. The patient may lose consciousness. The face turns blue. Air no longer enters the lungs. Most often, this condition requires assistance in the intensive care unit.
In order to prevent the development of a deterioration in the condition, it is necessary for the patient to provide assistance in time and immediately call an ambulance.
Reasons
According to statistics, children under 7-8 years old are most often predisposed to stenosis of the larynx. It has to do with the anatomy of the larynx. At this age, it is still poorly developed, and even with a slight swelling of the muscles, stenosis of the larynx occurs in children.
The older the child gets, the wider the gap and the risk of suffocation disappears. There are several reasons for the development of this condition. Two are considered basic.
The infectious agent causes not only the manifestations of SARS, but also affects various organs. Often viruses settle on the walls of the larynx. Here they multiply and cause intoxication.body by releasing harmful substances into the blood.
For this reason, stenosis of the larynx often occurs. Its degree will depend on the age of the patient and the specific strain of the virus. The more active the pathogen, the faster the suffocation will develop.
The second reason is allergic reactions. Against the background of an irritant entering the body, stenosis of the larynx occurs.
Symptoms
There are several manifestations that directly indicate the development of suffocation. Symptoms of laryngeal stenosis are difficult to confuse with manifestations of another disease:
- "barking", persistent cough;
- cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle;
- difficulty inhaling;
- panic and fear;
- tachycardia;
- loss of consciousness (in severe cases).
Often during an asthma attack, the patient sits down and rests his hands on an object. He leans forward and tries to actively gasp for air.
Symptoms may appear gradually, especially if the spasm is caused by an infectious agent. It is only with an allergic reaction that suffocation develops very quickly and with increasing severity.
Another main symptom of laryngeal stenosis in children is hoarseness. This fact should especially alert parents.
Does stenosis occur in adults?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Very rarely, suffocation occurs in adults against the background of an infectious disease. The only exception is diphtheria. The main cause of stenosis of the larynxconsidered an allergic reaction in adults.
It can occur against the background of taking medicines, food, smells and communication with animals. Allergy sufferers should do their best to avoid encountering triggers.
Otherwise, a spasm can come at any moment and develop rapidly, up to complete suffocation. When adults experience hoarseness of voice against the background of SARS, most often this symptom does not lead to suffocation, because the lumen in the larynx is large enough, and the swelling of the muscles is not so significant.
First Aid
If a child is choking, then the parents should first of all calm him down. Because, against the background of stress, the edema increases and there is practically nothing for the baby to breathe.
It is necessary for the patient to provide a good supply of fresh air. To do this, you need to open a window in the room. If the attack happened in the warm season, then you can go to the balcony.
Before the ambulance arrives, you need to turn on the hot water in the bathroom and close the door tightly there. Thus, steam will accumulate in the room. Then the patient needs to breathe this moist air. Under no circumstances should the patient be placed in water! He should only sit next to her for 10-15 minutes.
Medicines
If the house has a compressor inhaler, then you can carry out the procedure using a hormonal agent. Most often, Pulmicort or Flexotide in nebulas is used for these purposes.
For inhalation, the contents of the ampoule must be diluted in a ratio of 1:1 with saline. Dosage must be indicateddoctor. Inhalation is carried out until the drug has completely evaporated from the reservoir.
If there is no such apparatus in the house, then you can drink any antihistamine. It will help relieve swelling from the larynx. It will also relieve the "No-shpa" spasm a little.
If the situation becomes critical and the patient's condition is rapidly deteriorating, then you can use hormonal drugs in injection ampoules.
This method is used only as a last resort. Better wait for the emergency doctor. He will be able to assess the situation more realistically.
Treatment of laryngeal stenosis
If the first aid is provided and the patient is getting better, then you can proceed to the main treatment. It must be prescribed by a therapist or pediatrician.
If an infectious disease has become the cause of stenosis of the larynx, then all forces must be directed to combat it. The first rule to strictly follow is to drink plenty of fluids.
It will help remove toxins from the body that viruses throw into the blood. In hospitals, for this purpose, droppers with "Rheosorbilact" and saline are placed.
At home, it will be enough to drink a lot of warm liquid. It may not be too strong tea, dried fruit compote. Doctors also advise diluting Regidron in water and drinking at least 1 liter (for an adult) during the day.
If the causative agent of the disease is viral in nature, then the use of antibioticshighly undesirable. So you can only worsen the patient's condition and achieve the development of complications.
What else causes spasm?
If the cause is an allergic irritant and symptoms of laryngeal stenosis occur, treatment should be aimed at reducing the swelling. In this case, only an injection with a hormonal drug will help.
Allergy sufferers should always carry Dexamethasone or Prednisolone with them. These medicines are used to provide first aid for laryngeal stenosis.
The victim must be urgently removed from the allergen. If he is so affected by pollen or any smell in the street, the patient needs to be transferred to the room.
In the event of an insect bite, quickly remove the sting and apply a tourniquet above the wound so that the poison does not spread further into the bloodstream.
Laryngitis
This condition is the leading cause of laryngeal stenosis in young children. The most common cause is a viral infection. Therefore, the disease in the normal course lasts 7 days.
Laryngitis can occur in different ways. Often it begins with an acute period. Body temperature suddenly rises to 38-39 oC. The patient becomes lethargic, the general condition worsens.
A dry cough gradually begins to develop, which eventually becomes obsessive. Sputum practically does not leave. The voice starts to crackle. It becomes difficult to talk.
During this period, it is necessary to refrain from physical activityand more time in bed. You also need to save your voice and talk less. Thus, the ligaments will not strain and swell less.
It is difficult to persuade a child not to talk and shout. Then you can try to arrange games several times a day, for example, whoever speaks first will lose. In this way, even for a short time, the baby's ligaments will rest.
How to treat?
At the beginning of the disease, you need to drink any warm liquid as much as possible. So you can achieve rapid liquefaction of sputum and the transition of cough into productive. If the house has a compressor inhaler, then you can inhale up to 3-5 times a day with regular saline.
This will help soften your throat and the phlegm will start to come out. Parents should be attentive to the symptoms of laryngeal stenosis in children. The most dangerous time is considered from two to five in the morning.
This is due to the fact that at this time the adrenal glands stop producing a hormone that is responsible for removing swelling and fighting allergic reactions.
If already in the evening the baby has a dry cough and a hoarse voice, then there is a high probability of an asthma attack at night. So, it is necessary to prepare for it.
A child should definitely be given any antihistamine at night. He will sleep in a semi-sitting position (put a few pillows). The temperature in the room should be lowered to 18 oC, and the humidity should be raised to 65-70%.
In a house where children grow up, there should always be a first aid kit with the necessary kitmedicines. One of them is Rektodelt candles. This is a hormonal drug, it is used only in extreme cases.
It can only be used once a day. This drug belongs to the first aid drugs. It contains the same active ingredient as in dexamethasone ampoules.
Candles are a great option for parents who don't know how to give injections. If the initial first aid measures do not help and the child's condition worsens, an ambulance must be called urgently.
Most often, the likelihood of stenosis on the background of SARS completely disappears a few days after the onset of the disease. When the cough becomes productive, the risk of choking is markedly reduced.
