Contents
What is laryngitis?
Laryngitis is a acute inflammation of the larynx, of viral, allergic or bacterial origin. Responsible for a difficulty breathing, this disease most often affects children between 1 and 6 years old, in autumn and winter.
La acute laryngitis of the child is an inflammation of the vocal cords, of viral origin, which appears afterwards most often after a nasopharyngitis. The child breathes loudly, and has difficulty in inhaling. Her voice is hoarse. You have to consult quickly. The child will receive anti-inflammatory treatment, with corticosteroids, which will reduce the edema of the larynx. In severe cases or in the absence of improvement, hospitalization may be necessary.
Epiglottitis, meanwhile, is a bacterial laryngitis. The child cannot swallow his saliva and he drools. The fever is high, and the difficulty breathing forces him to take a special position, leaning forward. It’s an absolute emergency. He must be rushed to hospital as soon as possible.
Symptoms of acute laryngitis
The child has a violent, hoarse cough, which suddenly appeared. He may be embarrassed to inhale. He has a moderate fever, and his voice is hoarse.
Signs of severity of laryngitis in babies
Signs that reveal a severe respiratory discomfort require a urgent call to 15 or 18 :
- Breathing is Harder and harder
- The child do not Cry
- His chest deepens with each breath
- The child is sweaty and his face is pale
- Her lips are cyanotic (bluish)
In infants and young children, the larynx is still very narrow, and the swelling of the mucosa further narrows the space, threatening to even obstruct it. Your little one then presents breathing difficulties and a barking cough.
Treatment of acute laryngitis
In the usual forms, the child is treated at home. The doctor will give him an anti-inflammatory, often based on cortisone.
If the child’s condition does not improve with treatment, a hospitalization may be necessary.
If you feel like you want to take the episodes of laryngitis follow one another, consult without delay an ENT specialist, who will perform an examination of the larynx by fibroscopy.