Acute laryngitis is a serious pathology that manifests itself in inflammation of the mucous membranes of the larynx. It is usually associated with infectious or colds. Laryngitis not only causes unpleasant symptoms, but also has a lot of consequences if it is not treated on time.
What causes it to appear, how does it manifest itself and what drugs can cope with it? This and many other things will be discussed now.
Reasons
Acute laryngitis appears due to damage to the mucous membrane of the upper trachea and the mucous membrane of the larynx. This leads to the fact that a pronounced inflammation begins to develop, followed by the appearance of a typical clinic of the disease.
Provoking factors include:
- Excessive hypothermia or overheating.
- Voice strain (for teachers, artists, singers).
- Colonization of the mucosamicroorganisms of pathogenic origin (measles, influenza, whooping cough, etc.).
- Inhalation of dusty air.
- Exposure of irritating substances to the mucous membrane and nasopharynx.
- Smoking.
- Burn or mechanical injury to the larynx.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Reverse flow of the contents of hollow organs (gastroesophageal reflux).
- Age-related changes in the larynx.
- Impaired nasal breathing, usually caused by enlarged adenoids, a deviated septum, and overgrowth of polyps.
These factors provoke the occurrence of acute laryngitis in adults. The disease of this form is characterized by a rapid course - it lasts from 7 to 14 days. With proper treatment, the symptoms gradually subside, and then remission sets in.
If a person ignores the manifestations of the disease, then from an acute form it becomes chronic. And it becomes more difficult to cure.
Catarrhal laryngitis
The disease in question can be of two types. And the first is catarrhal acute laryngitis. The main symptom of this disease is acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx, which occurs due to infection with a banal microbiota.
As a rule, the disease develops as a result of acute respiratory infections suffered by a person. Most often, the disease of the catarrhal form occurs in men. Especially among those who abuse nicotine and alcohol.
This is a seasonal affliction. As a rule, the peak incidence occurs in autumn and spring. High humidity and cold- ideal conditions for the development of the disease.
Signs of acute catarrhal laryngitis include:
- Dryness, itching, burning in the larynx.
- Tearing, painful pain at the moment of coughing.
- Sputum (appears 1-2 days after first symptoms).
- Increase in body temperature up to 38 °C.
- Hoarseness, which can lead to aphonia - loss of sonority of the voice. In such cases, the ability to speak in a whisper remains.
- Dry cough.
- Discomfort and tension experienced when talking.
- Loss of the vocal muscles.
- Secondary myositis of the larynx.
- Cricoarytenoid arthritis.
- Erosion (destruction) of the mucous membrane in the vocal folds.
Within 5-6 days, there is a pronounced manifestation of the listed symptoms, which are added in complexity in turn. Then the signs of catarrhal acute laryngitis gradually decrease. With treatment, recovery occurs in 12-15 days.
Phlegmonous laryngitis
This is the second type of disease. The causes of acute laryngitis of the phlegmonous type are usually caused by human infection with staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, streptococci, Proteus, pneumococci, Klebsiella, spore-forming bacteria, etc.
It is important to note that microbes can enter the epithelial cell only as a result of a violation of its integrity. And "protection", as a rule, is weakened due to injury, damage of a chemical or mechanical nature,exposure to allergens.
Local and general symptoms of acute phlegmonous laryngitis include:
- Swelling and redness of affected tissues (throat).
- Increased body temperature.
- Pain when swallowing.
- Violation of the voice function and the passage of air through the larynx.
- Intoxication.
- Drowsy and malaise.
- Increased heart rate.
- Impaired breathing.
- Reactive enlargement of lymph nodes.
- Cough with purulent sputum.
It is worth mentioning that phlegmonous laryngitis occurs extremely rarely in children. And if the disease appears, then suddenly, but it proceeds severely.
Develops, usually due to complications after diphtheria and measles. Of the specific symptoms, one can note an increase in temperature up to 40 ° C, intoxication, labored and noisy breathing, giving pain to the back of the head and ears when swallowing.
If in adults the treatment of acute laryngitis of the phlegmonous type is possible at home, then in the case of children, hospitalization and constant medical supervision are necessary. In severe cases, resuscitation is required.
Diagnosis
Before proceeding to consider the features related to the treatment of acute laryngitis, it is necessary to briefly talk about the diagnosis.
Noticing alarming symptoms, a person should consult an otolaryngologist. First, the doctor will conduct a survey in order to identify a characteristic clinical picture, and then perform a laryngoscopyexamination of the larynx.
This procedure is a certain difficulty, since the longitudinal axis of the larynx is at right angles to the axis of the oral cavity. Because of this, it is impossible to inspect it in the usual way. Inspection is carried out either with the help of a laryngeal mirror, or with the use of directoscopes.
This method allows you to determine how strong a person's edema is, identify diffuse hyperemia of the mucous membrane and indicate thickening / exhaustion of the vocal folds.
Also, the patient is required to donate blood for a general analysis. Its study helps to determine the presence of leukocytosis in a person. If the doctor reveals a suspicion of the bacterial nature of the infectious agent, then a bacteriological examination of swabs and sputum from the oropharynx is prescribed.
All this takes some time, so in case of acute laryngitis, it is necessary to go for diagnostics immediately, when the first symptoms appear. The sooner drug therapy is started, the better.
Effective antibiotics
Well, now we can talk about the treatment of acute laryngitis in adults. If the doctor during the diagnosis revealed infection of the tissues of the mucous membranes with bacteria, then he will prescribe antibiotics. In this case, the most effective are:
- "Amoxiclav". Penicillin semi-synthetic antibiotic with high antibacterial activity.
- "Amoxicillin". Has a wide spectrum of action. It mainly produces a bactericidal effect.
- "Flemoxin Solutab". Has the same effect as the drugs listed.
- "Ampicillin" and "Augmentin". Bactericidal penicillin antibiotics that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis.
- "Ceftriaxone". Destructive effect on parasitic cells.
- "Cefixime". An effective remedy that helps with many infectious and inflammatory diseases.
- "Aksetin". It has an antimicrobial and bactericidal effect.
- Zinacef. Second generation antibiotic that inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis.
- "Cefotaxime". Bactericidal antibiotic III generation, taken parenterally.
- "Clarithromycin". Macrolide antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis in microbial cells. It has a bactericidal and bacteriostatic effect.
- "Sumamed". Belongs to the group of macrolides-azalides. Provides broad spectrum antimicrobial activity.
All of the listed drugs are effective, but which one is suitable for a particular patient is determined by the doctor depending on the severity of the disease and other nuances. Penicillin preparations (the first 5 listed) are recommended for children, as they have the mildest effect.
Antivirals
They are prescribed if acute laryngitis was provoked by a virus. The most popular and effective drugs are:
- Remantadine. Especially effective at an early stage. It inhibits the reproduction of the virus, preventing it from developing.
- "Arbidol". Not only suppresses the virus, but also hasimmunomodulatory effect, significantly increasing the body's resistance to infections.
- "Tamiflu". A powerful antiviral that inhibits the development of the virus, suppresses its pathogenicity, and also prevents the occurrence of complications.
- "Amixin". The action of this drug is aimed at the formation of gamma, beta and alpha interferons in the body, as well as stimulation of bone marrow stem cells.
- "Viferon". An immunomodulatory drug that has antiviral and antiproliferative effects, and also increases the level of class A secretory immunoglobulins.
- Grippferon. It has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effects.
- "Peramivir". Helps in the treatment of acute laryngitis, and is also, according to WHO, one of the most effective drugs designed to fight influenza.
- "Ingavirin". It has the same effect as the previous drug. Shows no carcinogenic or reproductive toxicity.
- "Interferon". This is a drug based on cytokine proteins. It has an immunomodulatory and antiviral effect.
- "Cycloferon". Interferon synthesis inductor. It has a wide spectrum of biological activity. Able to cope even with herpes and pathogens of acute respiratory diseases.
- "Kagocel". It has the same effect as the previous drug. It has a long-lasting effect that lasts for 4-5 days after administration.
It is best to combine the use of antiviral drugs with the use of antiseptic drugs. It -rinses, sprays, lozenges and lozenges. These include Jox Spray, Miramistin, Tantum Verde, Pharyngosept, Neo-angin, Furacilin, Falimint, Iodinol, Lugol, etc.
Antihistamines
Without them, the treatment of adult symptoms of acute laryngitis and the disease itself cannot occur. Antihistamines help reduce the intensity of symptoms and the body's reaction to the allergen.
The most popular drugs in this category include Norastemizol, Terfenadine, Karebastin, Akrivastine, Cetirizine, Epinastin, Fexofenadine, Azelastine, Dimetinden, Oxatamide”, “Astemizol”, “Loratadin”, “Levokabastin”, “Desloratadine” and “Levocetirizine”.
In the treatment of acute laryngitis, adults take the listed medicines in the form of tablets. For children, the pediatrician prescribes suspensions and syrups, as they have a milder effect on their fragile body.
In severe cases, injections may be prescribed. Sometimes oral ingestion is not possible, or it carries the risk of choking, which is often due to swelling of the larynx.
Solutions and sprays
Talking about how to treat acute laryngitis, one cannot fail to mention these remedies. Sprays and solutions for this ailment are a real salvation, since they have several types of effects at once.
They reduce inflammation, eliminate dryness in the throat, relieve irritation of the mucous membranes, and also alleviate the general symptoms of the disease. Also havedrugs that have an anesthetic effect.
The most commonly used tools are Tantum Verde, Ingalipt, Chlorophyllipt, Cameton, Oracept and Hexoral.
It is important to note that many of the drugs listed above have a plant base. They do not harm the body, which is important, given the number of antibiotics, antihistamines and antivirals taken by a person. But these remedies eliminate pain.
And preparations such as Oracept and Tantum Verde have an anesthetic, so they help get rid of even very severe pain.
Other drugs
As mentioned earlier, laryngitis is often accompanied by fever. In such cases, taking antipyretics is indispensable.
I am glad that there are drugs that not only bring down the temperature, but also have an anti-inflammatory effect. It is they who should be taken with laryngitis.
These include Panadol, Ibuprofen, Nimesil, Nurofen, Paracetamol and Nimegezik. By the way, all the funds listed are also available in the "children's version" - in the form of suspensions and syrups.
Many also take throat lubricants. It is important to apply them carefully, otherwise you can damage the inflamed mucous membranes even more. The most effective means are Tannin on glycerin, Lugol, Collargol and Karotolin.
Also, since laryngitis is often accompanied by rhinitis (severe runny nose), you have to usedrops. With this disease, it is better to opt for drugs such as Collargol, Otrivin, Sanorin, Naphthyzin, Knox Spray, Nazivin and Tizin.
Folk remedies
They should be listed in the end. Perhaps the most famous home procedure is inhalation. In acute laryngitis, steam heating will be useful, the most important thing is not to make the water too hot so as not to burn the airways. And don't sit longer than 7-8 minutes.
What do you need? Take a wide bowl or pan, fill it with a healing liquid, and then, covered with a towel, carefully inhale the steam. You can pour one of the following into the container:
- An herbal decoction made from sage, eucalyptus, mint, calamus, chamomile and fir.
- Water with essential oils. Suitable mint, juniper, eucalyptus, tangerine, clove, lemon, lavender, orange.
- Sea s alt (3 tablespoons per litre).
- Mineral water.
- Soda solution.
- Onion or garlic infusion.
Also, instead of water, boiled potatoes in their skins can be placed in a container. His pairs are also helpful. For best results, it is recommended to place the potatoes on dried chamomile, eucalyptus, or mint leaves.
However, do not inhale if a person has a fever, any respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, or a tendency to nosebleeds.
And in general, before using any folkfunds should be consulted with your doctor. Perhaps there is no need for it. Moderation is important in treatment, since drug therapy is already stressful for a weakened body.
