What to do during an attack of laryngitis. Acute laryngitis: how to help your child. How do symptoms of an attack of laryngitis develop in children?

Sometimes certain diseases can cause such severe consequences that it is not always possible to wait for a doctor or ambulance to arrive, especially when the problem occurs in children. In such situations, it is important to be able to provide first aid yourself when such conditions arise.

One of these diseases is laryngitis, which usually does not cause any problems in an adult, but can cause suffocation and even death in a child.

Parents should definitely find out how first aid is provided for laryngitis, because when swelling of the larynx occurs in a child, the count is not even in hours, but in minutes and seconds. It is imperative to call a doctor, but it is also important to take certain measures yourself to reduce the danger to the child.

Possible danger

Laryngitis is an inflammation of the laryngeal mucosa, and this disease is more severe in children than in adults. While adults may simply lose their voice, start coughing, or experience a sore throat due to hypothermia, exposure to bacteria and viruses, or torn vocal cords, children can suffer much more seriously.

• Firstly, in a child under 3 years old, certain body systems are not yet fully formed, for example, the nervous or respiratory system, and therefore with its own functions, including barrier, individual organs the child cannot cope. If viruses, bacteria or certain allergens enter the body, the children's nasopharynx may not cope and let in foreign substances further - to the larynx, which is why swelling forms.
• Secondly, the structure of the children's larynx determines the presence of a small lumen through which oxygen must enter the body. Due to swelling of the larynx, the lumen becomes even smaller, breathing difficulties arise, and there is a lack of oxygen. Children begin to wheeze and choke, which greatly frightens them. This causes babies to cry, which makes breathing even more difficult. All these processes are aggravated by the fact that young children (under 3 years old) will not be able to understand and respond correctly to the words of adults.

First aid for laryngitis should be aimed at ensuring that the baby calms down and does not scream or cry. To succeed, it is important for parents not to panic themselves, thereby provoking the baby to further greater fear, remain calm and act quickly and competently.

If parents do not react to such a condition in a timely manner and do not help the child, this can lead to the worst.

In some cases, you need to immediately go to the doctor, even if you managed to relieve the swelling and restore breathing on your own. This is especially true in situations where the child is less than a year old.

It is likely that he will have to be left in the ward intensive care to overcome all the consequences of laryngitis. It is also necessary to visit a doctor for those who have laryngitis for the first time. In such cases, you also cannot wait until the morning (and swelling of the larynx can only occur at night), but immediately go with your child to the hospital or call a doctor.

Timely diagnosis

Symptoms of laryngitis that are observed in children can be divided into several stages:

• at the beginning of the inflammatory process, the child develops hoarseness of voice, later the voice periodically disappears,
• as laryngitis develops, the voice becomes hysterical, which is popularly called “rooster voice”,
• on next stage a dry cough appears that resembles a dog barking,
• The severity of the condition is indicated by the appearance of a whistle and depression of the intercostal spaces when inhaling, and bluish discoloration of the nasolabial triangle.

Although swelling of the larynx (the so-called false croup) can occur exclusively at night, you can suspect a problem during the day when these symptoms appear. If parents have already encountered the manifestation of laryngitis, they have learned to recognize it by ear. U small child who often cries and is capricious, you may notice that while crying, the sigh takes on a characteristic hoarse sound. Having noticed this, you need to accept preventive measures to prevent swelling and suffocation.

Giving help

When a child's condition begins to deteriorate due to difficulty breathing, a doctor must be called. But you can’t leave everything to the specialists.

Until the ambulance arrives, you need to try to help the child calm down, begin actions to reduce swelling, and change the dry cough to a wet one.

This is the essence of first aid for laryngitis.

• To calm the child, it is advisable to keep him busy with something interesting - turn on cartoons, give him a toy, etc. The fear should pass, making the breathing process a little easier.
• The worst enemy for a child with laryngitis is dryness. hot air in room. If the humidity in the room is insufficient, a humidifier or ordinary containers with boiled water placed next to the child will help. In this case, there is no need for inhalation - the child should not breathe water vapor, he should just be nearby. Alternatively, you can take your baby to the bathroom and open hot water. Additionally, you need to provide access fresh air indoors, but to prevent the baby from becoming hypothermic. If the children's room is regularly ventilated, this problem will not arise. If for some reason the room is not ventilated, you can bring the baby to open window or a window for a while.
• It is important that the child is in vertical position, at least in a half-sitting position (with a pillow or folded blanket under your head and shoulders). This will improve the breathing process. In this condition, the child himself will intuitively take the position in which it is easier for him to breathe. It is also necessary to free the baby from all kinds of elastic bands on clothes, tightening elements of pajamas, etc.
• Another important action is the so-called distraction procedures, although here they directly affect the removal of laryngeal edema. You can steam your child’s legs or arms, but only if the baby does not have a fever. This will ensure blood flow to the legs or arms and away from the larynx, which will reduce swelling.
• During attacks, you need to give the child a warm liquid: Borjomi without gas, a mixture of Borjomi with milk, a soda solution or tea with soda added. Any alkaline drink will help, and you should drink not in one gulp, but in small portions, a teaspoon at a time.
• If respiratory arrest occurs, call vomiting reflex by pressing with a spoon or finger on the root of the tongue. The vomiting center is located next to the respiratory center, so due to the excitement of one, the other will also become excited.
• Helps relieve swelling antihistamines, however, they are most effective in situations where swelling is caused by allergens - dust, food, pet hair, etc.

After the doctor arrives further treatment will be carried out by specialists. They will tell parents what needs to be taken into account for the future and what medications they must have with them to relieve swelling if similar conditions will become chronic. For example, it makes sense to buy a nebulizer, which is used to inhale decongestants or expectorants. However, it is not a fact that acute laryngitis in a child that has once arisen will ever remind itself again.

What is laryngitis and croup? Why does it happen? How to help a child with laryngitis? How can you protect your child from these diseases? What is their danger and how to treat them? Dr. Komarovsky answers these questions in the video.

– inflammation of the mucous membrane of the throat and vocal cords. According to statistics, everyone is susceptible to infection age categories, but children from 3 months to 7 years are most often affected. May occur in acute and chronic forms. Adults often take false croup lightly, but its complications can cause suffocation and death. Therefore, correctly provided first aid for laryngitis is a chance to save a person’s life.

Symptoms

Among the most common causes of infection are:

• hypothermia of the body;
• complications of influenza, ARVI;
• overstrain of the vocal cords;
• excessive smoking and alcohol consumption;
• air pollution, as well as its excessive dryness.

The patient's temperature gradually begins to rise (slightly above 38C°), a dry cough appears, the voice hoarses, and it is likely to disappear completely (aphonia). Without the right actions, breathing becomes difficult and suffocation occurs (). The disease lasts about a week, but if ignored, it quickly develops into a chronic disease.

It is possible to resist laryngitis and treat it at home, the main thing is not to let the disease progress and contact an otolaryngologist as soon as possible.

Emergency care for acute laryngitis

If you do get laryngitis, then you need to act quickly, competently, and most importantly, do not panic. Correctly provided care at home will alleviate the patient’s condition until contacting an otolaryngologist.

• Stop talking, even in a whisper. Any throat irritation will only make the situation worse.
• Eat warm food. Forget about hot and spicy foods, as well as carbonated drinks.
• Drink plenty of fluids - teas, alkaline water. Coffee, juices (especially store-bought ones), fruit compotes are contraindicated.
• During the cold season, spend less time outside.
• Regularly humidify the air (if you don’t have a humidifier, you can open hot water in the bathroom and breathe in its vapor).
• Do not smoke under any circumstances.
• Carry out warm inhalations based on soda (1 tablespoon of soda per 1 liter of water) or oils (for example, eucalyptus).
• Gargle herbal infusions recommended for colds.
• It is useful to steam your feet using dry mustard.
• You can do it.

It is advisable to carry out comprehensive treatment, especially if laryngitis is a consequence of another viral respiratory disease.

Providing first aid to a child

A child endures the disease much more difficultly than an adult. You can help him at home only if you have repeatedly encountered this disease and it is mild.

Emergency assistance is as follows:

• be sure to humidify and ventilate the room;
• during a coughing attack, calm the child, because with excitement the cough only increases;
• if there is a “barking” cough, sit the child down - this will make his breathing easier;
• take warm foot baths (the blood will drain from the throat, the swelling will subside);
• drink plenty of water, but not a lot at once, but several spoons every 10-15 minutes (you can add a pinch of soda to the drink);
• You can give your child antispasmodic and antihistamines;
• Be sure to consult a doctor and carry out proper treatment for laryngitis.

Acute inflammation of the mucous membranes of the larynx, occurring against the background of infectious or colds. It often occurs in children, without timely treatment leads to dangerous complications. One of severe consequences laryngitis in children - false croup or stenosing laryngotracheitis. The condition manifests itself severe swelling And sharp narrowing larynx, when without timely assistance the child may suffocate. Treatment of children with laryngitis is carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Parents must know how to provide emergency assistance even before the ambulance arrives.

Laryngitis in a child is manifested by inflammation of the mucous tissues of the larynx against the background of other diseases of the ENT organs and respiratory system. Risk factors include hypothermia, predominance of mouth breathing, overstrain of the vocal cords, and regular inhalation of dusty air.

Acute obstructive laryngitis in children is characterized by spastic narrowing of the larynx with its swelling. Pathology is most often diagnosed between the ages of six months and 6 years. A feature of the condition is frequent relapses.

Boys are more susceptible to laryngitis than girls. The highest incidence rate is observed in the winter-spring period.

Risk factors for developing acute obstructive laryngitis:

• congenital features of the larynx, its narrow lumen, loose connective tissue, organ malformations;
• frequent acute respiratory viral infections, central nervous system damage, weak immunity;
• adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, influenza and parainfluenza.

The disease can occur in several forms.

1. Laryngotracheitis is an inflammation of the larynx that spreads to the trachea.
2. Acute stenosing laryngotracheitis - the disease is complemented by narrowing and swelling of the larynx.
3. Laryngopharygitis is a combination of two diseases (laryngitis and pharyngitis), when one pathology becomes a factor of the other.

Symptoms of laryngitis

Acute obstructive laryngitis is accompanied by attacks. It can happen unexpectedly, and is especially often observed at night, when the sick child is sleeping. During an attack, children need urgent Care, otherwise breathing may stop.

How does acute obstructive laryngitis manifest:

An attack of acute obstructive laryngitis looks like this:

• the child wakes up in a restless state and may start crying or screaming;
• his sweating increases greatly;
• breathing becomes difficult, with noises or pops;
• cough may be barking;
• there is cyanosis of the lips and pallor of the skin;
• body temperature rises.

The attack stops after half an hour, but can be repeated several times during the night. It is necessary to help a child with laryngitis from the first signs of an attack, without waiting for it to pass on its own.

What to do for laryngitis before the doctor arrives

Help with laryngitis consists of following a number of doctor’s recommendations that are aimed at facilitating breathing and general condition child.

Rules of conduct for laryngitis in children:

Important! Ambulance always called when false croup is suspected, when breathing difficulties appear. The child begins to choke if the respiratory lumen narrows and the temperature rises greatly.

First aid for laryngitis in children:

• the person should be in an upright position, in this position respiratory process happens more easily;
• try to reduce the temperature in the room where the child is located as much as possible (it is recommended to open the windows), he should breathe cool air;
• ventilate and humidify the room (use a humidifier, sprayer, hang a damp towel on the radiator);
• do inhalation with regular or mineral water for older children, small children should be near a source of moisture (a container of water, an open tap);
• give the child the drug Suprastin (one third of the tablet is diluted in water);
• apply vasoconstrictor drops(Nasivin) and antipyretic drugs (Paracetamol, Nurofen, Ibuprofen).

When a child has difficulty breathing and is suffocating, it is best to take him outside. Inhaling cool air helps relieve swelling of the larynx. There are frequent cases when winter time By the time the patient is taken to the hospital, the attack passes.

When hospitalization is necessary

Treatment of a child in a hospital will be required if in serious condition With frequent attacks. False croup will be a reason for hospitalization, as well as strong increase temperature in infants. A child may experience laryngitis so severely that resuscitation measures will be required.

Hospitalization is carried out in mandatory for acute laryngitis in infants, attacks at night, increased body temperature above 39 degrees, and complications from other respiratory organs.

If the doctor strongly recommends hospital treatment, even if the child’s condition is relatively stable, then you should listen to a specialist. At home, react promptly and correctly, provide necessary help it turns out to be difficult for a sick baby. The condition may deteriorate rapidly, and it may take a long time to call a doctor and transport to the hospital.

At proper treatment recovery occurs in 7-10 days. You should know that if therapy is not completed, the disease progresses to chronic course with frequent exacerbations.

The article describes the principles of treatment different types laryngitis The activities carried out at different stages obstructive laryngitis. It is explained in what cases hospitalization is required.

In children, there are diseases that are quite mild in themselves, but are dangerous due to severe complications. One of these diseases is laryngitis, which can be complicated by false croup. What should first aid be for laryngitis in a child, including during development? false croup?

Laryngitis causes inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx and vocal cords. It can be called for various reasons, but most often it is viral infection. It is more typical for children, which is more severe in them than in adults.

Due to the structure of the throat, laryngitis in children often becomes obstructive. This is what is complicated by false croup.

With ordinary laryngitis, hoarseness is observed. The obstructive variant of the disease is characterized by respiratory failure due to the gradual blocking of the glottis. The final stage of this condition is asphyxia - complete cessation spontaneous breathing. You can see how this process works in the video in this article.

How to help your baby before the doctor arrives

First aid for a child with laryngitis should be provided immediately after the first signs of difficulty breathing appear.

How does this manifest itself in children:

1. The child becomes restless, cannot find a place for himself, and is distracted from any games.
2. He may complain that it has become difficult to breathe. If the child is small, he is frightened by the inability to take a breath, he begins to cry. This makes the situation even worse.
3. Accessory muscles begin to take part in the act of breathing - retraction of the intercostal spaces is noticeable, epigastric region belly.
4. A characteristic “cock” cough appears (see).

If such laryngitis appears in children, and first aid should be provided immediately, it is necessary to call an ambulance. Before her arrival, you can carry out the activities yourself, with your own hands.

Table 1. First aid scheme for a child during an attack of laryngitis:

Independent methods of assistance are allowed only in the first stage of obstructive laryngitis, when there are no signs yet respiratory failure. Subsequent stages must be treated with medication.

Is it prolonged and first aid does not have the desired effect? In this case, the help of specialists and the use of medicines. As a rule, this is done by the Ambulance Service. For obstructive laryngitis, first aid instructions are available.

• Eufillin intramuscularly;
• Berodual for inhalation and aerosol form;
• Prednisolone intramuscularly.

At the same time, non-pharmacological measures continue to be carried out.

When is hospitalization required?

How to help a child with laryngitis if independent methods turn out to be ineffective? In this case, hospitalization in a hospital will be required, and immediately. The price of the time factor here is very high.

The process of airway obstruction in a child occurs very quickly. From the appearance of signs of respiratory failure to complete asphyxia, only a few hours can pass.

First aid for laryngitis should be provided to a child immediately, even initial signs breathing difficulties are minor. The earlier treatment is started, the lower the risk of asphyxia.

Acute laryngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane. Most often, this disease affects children aged three months to seven years. The incidence of acute laryngitis increases significantly in winter and spring.

The disease is mainly caused by viral infection(influenza A viruses, parainfluenza, adenoviruses, etc.), however, the cause of the disease can also be bacteria, as well as various chemical and mechanical irritations. In some cases, acute laryngitis develops as a complication of measles or scarlet fever. Allergies also play a significant role in the occurrence of the disease. Among the factors contributing to the occurrence and development of laryngitis, the following should be mentioned: Not proper nutrition child, hypo- and vitamin deficiencies, hypothermia, excessive physical and mental stress. If the child has (deviated nasal septum, adenoid growths, acute rhinitis etc.) suffers nasal breathing, and the air is dry, infected, dusty, the likelihood of acute laryngitis increases even more.

The site of inflammation may have different localization- in the mucous membrane of the epiglottis, in the mucous membrane of the vocal folds, in the mucous membrane lining the subglottic space; in some cases inflammatory process covers the entire larynx. Inflammation of the mucous membrane is manifested by severe redness (hyperemia) of the latter, swelling, a feeling of soreness, rawness, pain, and a gradual increase in mucus secretion. At severe inflammation mucous membrane in the subglottic space, spasm of the laryngeal muscles may occur, and then acute laryngeal stenosis occurs, also known as false croup.

Symptoms and signs of acute laryngitis in children

In most cases, acute laryngitis is not severe. At first the child feels some discomfort; his behavior becomes inactive, he becomes capricious. The voice soon becomes hoarse or even hoarse; sometimes (when severe course) he disappears completely. A cough appears. It should be noted that in acute laryngitis the characteristic cough is a dry barking one. At frequent cough a wave of air striking the mucous membrane of the oropharynx causes irritation of this membrane, and the child begins to complain that he has a “burning in his throat.” As the secretion of the mucous membrane of the larynx increases, sputum appears, although not very large quantities; then the cough becomes wet - mucus is coughed up. The child's body temperature can rise to 38 C. A doctor examining the larynx sees redness and swelling of the mucous membrane, and sometimes accumulations of mucus. The disease usually lasts four to five days.

Acute laryngeal stenosis, or false croup, requires special consideration. Most often it can be observed in children aged six months to 3 years. Children with an allergic predisposition are more susceptible to acute laryngeal stenosis. The most typical manifestations of stenosis are: hoarseness or hoarseness of voice, rough barking cough and difficulty breathing. False croup occurs suddenly, often at night. The child is excited, scared, crying, tossing about in bed; he has difficulty breathing, so his breathing is noisy - it can be heard from a distance. Skin become pale, cyanotic (blue) lips are noted. In particular severe cases Asphyxia may develop, and the child’s condition becomes dangerous; he cannot breathe air, his eyes become cyanotic, convulsions appear, arterial pressure falls, heartbeats become less and less frequent, and there may be death.

Treatment of acute laryngitis in children

A child with acute laryngitis should never be treated independently; at the slightest suspicion of laryngitis, parents should call a pediatrician at home. Compliance is mandatory bed rest and voice mode (the child should not talk loudly, much less scream). A sick child should be under the constant supervision of an adult; It is especially important to monitor the child at night, when false croup tends to develop. Proper nutrition is important; the range of products in a child’s diet is normal; the diet should be enriched with vitamins; Spicy, cold and hot dishes are excluded from the menu; All dishes are given to the child warm, in puree form. Drinking plenty of warm, alkaline fluids is important; the child is given a weak solution of baking soda, mineral water“Borjomi”, as well as warm milk with the addition of “Borjomi”. Frequent gargling with a solution of table (iodized) salt is effective. A noticeable healing effect is achieved steam inhalations(breathe soda steam or steam rising above boiled potatoes). Expectorants and bronchodilators are prescribed - bromhexine, solutan; when a child is restless, overexcitement shown sedatives- valerian root preparations, seduxen, bromides. Among the means of distraction therapy, which is aimed at combating swelling of the mucous membrane of the larynx, mustard plasters, warming compresses, and cupping are used. Mustard plasters are placed on chest, on the lower leg; compresses - on the neck area. The child is also given hot foot baths. If the child's condition continues to worsen, the doctor prescribes sulfa drugs and antibiotics in age-specific dosages. According to indications - desensitizing agents (suprastin, diphenhydramine, calcium chloride, etc.). Physiotherapeutic procedures speed up recovery. In cases where a child has difficulty breathing, you should urgently call an ambulance; the child will definitely be hospitalized.

Timely and correct actions parents in cases where the child’s breathing becomes difficult. First of all, you need to call an ambulance; then, to alleviate the child’s condition and prevent the deterioration of this condition, you need to take the following simple measures:

• ventilate the room in which the sick child is located well; the fresher the air in the room, the easier it will be for the child to breathe; while the child is being ventilated, you can transfer him to another room and arrange for draft ventilation; if the weather is warm, you don’t have to close the window at all;
• it is very important to quickly humidify the air in the room so that it does not irritate the inflamed mucous membrane of the larynx; To do this, you should hang several wet towels; if one of the towels is placed on a hot radiator, the evaporation process will proceed quickly; A kettle with boiling water can humidify the air in the room even faster (you don’t need to pour a lot of water into the kettle, two or three glasses are enough - and the water will boil faster); You can also place a couple of pots with recently boiled water in the room; the covers from them, of course, need to be removed; and, of course, you should use special air humidifiers, which can be purchased in stores, in departments of household goods;
• Next, you need to give the child a position in which it will be easier for him to breathe; the child should be seated; if the child is small, it is best to sit him on your lap; it has great importance, take into account that a child who has difficulty breathing is scared; on the lap of mom or dad, the child will feel more protected;
• At the same time, you need to somehow distract the child and calm him down.

When treating a child suffering from acute laryngitis, but not experiencing breathing difficulties, parents should take into account our following recommendations:

• the child should breathe exclusively through the nose; when breathing through the nose, air enters the hypopharynx and larynx already prepared (cleansed of dust and infection, moistened and warmed) and therefore does not irritate the inflamed mucous membrane; if nasal breathing is difficult due to acute runny nose, you need to drip vasoconstrictor drops into the child’s both sides of the nose: naphthyzin, galazolin, mezaton, adrenaline, etc.;
• drink as much warm liquids as possible; warm drink warms the throat and promotes rapid resorption of the source of inflammation; in addition, heat effectively suppresses infection: a local increase in body temperature of just one or two degrees kills millions of pathogenic microorganisms;
• several times a day, drink your child warm milk with butter (you can add baking soda) or lightly brewed black long tea with butter (possibly with sugar); butter, remaining on the walls of the oropharynx, hypopharynx and, partially entering the larynx with inhaled air, covers the inflamed mucous membrane with a microscopic layer that effectively protects the throat from exposure unfavorable factors external environment; under the thinnest film of oil, something like a microclimate is created, favorable speedy recovery; in addition, the oil nourishes the inflamed mucous membrane; antioxidant vitamins contained in the oil destroy viral and microbial flora and have an anti-inflammatory effect;
• for lubricating the upper respiratory tract during acute laryngitis, you can also use vegetable oils- sunflower, olive, corn, apricot, peach, citral, etc.; after thoroughly cleansing the nose, vegetable oils are instilled into the child’s either nostril;
• food should be given to the child in small portions and more often ( fractional meals); while eating - do not rush; by swallowing warm food little by little, the child warms up his throat; It is recommended to include it in the menu more often mashed potatoes, various cereal porridge; add more butter to porridge;
• make sure your child doesn't inhale tobacco smoke, which is a strong irritant to the mucous membrane; if one of the family members smokes, he should not smoke in residential premises;
• when we talk about voice mode, we mean the complete silence of the sick person; The child is not only prohibited from talking or shouting loudly, but even speaking in a whisper; thanks to research scientists doctors, held in Lately, it has been established that when whispering vocal cords they are injured even more than with a full voice;
• the child should try to cough as little as possible; The fact is that coughing has a traumatic effect on the vocal cords.

Attack of acute laryngitis in children

The attack, as a rule, begins suddenly and very sharply, and at night. Sometimes the temperature rises. Parents see that the child is having difficulty breathing, it seems to them that he is about to suffocate, especially since they hear a hitherto unfamiliar whistle in the baby’s interrupted breathing.

What to do in this case? You need to immediately take the child to the bathroom and hold him over a sink filled with extremely hot, almost boiling water. If this does not help, you should call an ambulance so that the doctors give the baby strong anti-inflammatory drugs (best of all - corticosteroids). They produce an effect very quickly: after half an hour to an hour, the cough stops, the characteristic whistling disappears, and breathing returns to normal.

When a child begins an attack of acute laryngitis, the main thing for parents is to remain completely calm and not lose their heads.

But how can you be calm if you see that your child is about to suffocate? Of course, this is difficult, but we must remember that impressions are deceiving, that real danger No! It's about about a banal inflammation of the larynx, as a result of which the lumen in it narrows - 5 hence the whistling noise when breathing and the “barking” cough.

Typically, attacks of false croup do not require either hospitalization of the child or systematic application antibiotics. However, if such attacks recur frequently, even if you have learned to cope well with them, it is advisable to consult your doctor. Perhaps the examination will show that acute laryngitis is a consequence of the presence of gastroesophageal reflux or some other pathology.

An attack of acute laryngitis is one of the cases when a child requires immediate help, sometimes medical help, but the baby is not in real danger. Therefore, you must remain calm and have faith in your strength, in your ability to cope with difficult circumstances.