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Stridor, or wheezing, laryngeal murmur, is a symptom that occurs with severe laryngeal edema. It manifests itself in a characteristic, wheezing, coarse sound accompanying breathing and turbulence in the air flow through the swollen larynx due to the significant narrowing of the airways.
stridor is a symptom swelling of the tissues of the airwayswhich may be a sign of serious illness requiring urgent treatment. Sometimes it is necessary to administer oxygen and intubate the patient – a procedure consisting in passing special tubes through the respiratory tract that allow for free breathing. Insufficient oxygenation of the lungs and therefore other organs of the body may lead to serious health consequences, therefore, any respiratory disorders, especially in children, should be consulted with a doctor.
Stridor jit is sometimes only recognizable by a doctor, when the patient is examined and auscultated with a stethoscope.
Stridor in infants and children
stridor is common in infants and young children and can be caused by the inflammation of the larynx, which is called croup in young children. Viral croupor laryngitis is an acute inflammatory disease caused by parainfluenza viruses and adenoviruses. These viruses damage the mucosa in the subglottic area of the larynx, causing swelling and narrowing of the upper respiratory tract. Infection by a viral croup it is transmitted by airborne droplets and occurs in children between six months and five years of age. Symptoms of a viral croup there is laryngeal wheezing combined with a barking cough, hoarseness and shortness of breath.
Viral croup is treated with oral glucocorticosteroids, intramuscular injection of dexamethasone and inhaled budesonide. In some cases, adrenaline is additionally administered, and if dyspnoea continues, intubation is used and the small patient is hospitalized.
If your child has been vaccinated against Bacterial Diphtheria, the risk of developing the disease formerly known as Diphtheria is at risk croup – acute diphtheria laryngitis – virtually eliminated.
If whistling sound when breathing is clearly audible, the child should be immediately taken for consultation to a general practitioner to avoid the risk of breathlessness, which is dangerous for the child. In case of severe shortness of breath, it is necessary to take the child to cool air and quickly call an ambulance.
Stridor in infants it can be congenital and induced laryngomalacia, i.e. congenital laryngeal laxity caused by the immaturity of the child’s respiratory system. Laryngomalacia it is often associated with the occurrence of gastroesophageal reflux. The structures of the laryngeal vestibule are collapsed. The epiglottis bends in the shape of the letter Ω. stridor in this case, it becomes more intense when the baby is lying on its back, with deep breaths and during physical exertion, as well as crying and eating. Sometimes food remains on the walls of the larynx and esophagus, which also increases the swelling.
With time respiratory system the baby matures, shapes and strengthens, so stridor it usually disappears spontaneously around the age of two.
If stridor it persists with age, surgery may be necessary – supraglottoplasty, i.e. undercutting the epiglottic-tincture ligaments.
Presentation stridoru It may be a symptom of the presence of a foreign body in the respiratory tract, caused, for example, by choking, accidental ingestion of a small object to the nose or larynx – in children it happens when playing with small elements. For this reason, it is advisable to consult a doctor immediately.
stridor it can also occur with infections such as viral laryngitis.
Swelling of the larynx It can also be caused by reflux, a digestive disease that causes stomach contents to return to the esophagus. Gastric juice can irritate the larynx. Other causes of laryngeal edema include cancer, damage to blood vessels within the larynx, congenital malformations, and subglottic hemangioma, a benign tumor characterized by excessive growth of blood vessel cells. The larynx can also narrow due to psychosomatic symptoms of prolonged and severe stress or neurosis.
Stridor – treatment
stridor it is eliminated by treating the cause of its formation and the symptoms that accompany it. Antibiotic therapy or steroid therapy is usually used for bacterial and viral laryngitis infections. stridor caused by a neurotic reaction is eliminated with the use of anxiolytic and sedative drugs. stridor undergoes surgical treatment in the case of congenital relaxation of the muscles of the larynx and defects in the structure of the tissues of the respiratory system.
stridor sometimes it occurs temporarily as a reaction to viruses and bacteria attacking the larynx – irritation and swelling are usually self-limiting within 48 hours.