Laryngitis / The laryngitides are often infectious ignitions of the larynx of viral or bacterial origin

Laryngitis
The laryngitides are often infectious ignitions of the larynx of viral or bacterial origin. A laryngitis can be more or less dangerous according to the seat of the affection.

There exist also irritating chronic laryngitides due to the tobacco or the misuse of its voice.

On the anatomical level

The larynx is located in the throat behind language, it is necessary to use a mirror laryngé (with a sleeve curves) to see it. Various structures there are found: the épiglotte, vocal cords and the glottis.

It is separate in two stages by the glottis and the vocal cords.

Air that we thus breathe master key by the nose or the mouth, the pharynx, then the larynx starting from the épiglotte, space known-glottique, the glottis and vocal cords, space under-glottique and finally in the trachea then bronchi and lungs.

Laryngitis

In a laryngitis, the larynx is the seat of an ignition, i.e. an irritation which involves sometimes a swelling; the laryngitis can give an extinction of voice or a enrouée voice, ou/et a cough irritating, raucous, a pain, a sometimes difficult breathing,… these signs can be associated with fever, aches,… for example within the framework of a viral infection.

Striduleuse acute laryngitis (under-glottique)

It is also called false croup because cough resembles that of the diphteria.

It is a laryngitis of the small child between 1 and 6 years; it is often observed with the waning of a rhinopharyngitis (cold) of viral origin.

This acute laryngitis starts in general in the evening or at the beginning of night: the child has fever (38-39°) his voice becomes increasingly enrouée and it has evil to breathe correctly, it has a very characteristic cough which resembles a barking.

The more the child coughs, the more it wants to cough. Its breathing becomes difficult, hard.

Action to be taken: above all to calm everyone

The situation is with twists distressing and for the child and his entourage.

Above all, it is urgent to calm everyone, sit the child with the heat in a wet atmosphere if possible (to sit the child on the knees in the bathroom while making run warm water in the bath-tub or the kitchen and make boil water in a pan), it to reassure, the cajoler, to say to him that will pass, to propose to him to prevent oneself from coughing more the possible for a long time between each coughing fit.

It is necessary to call the doctor who will make the diagnosis by telephone, will give you the councils above while waiting for its visit, it will eliminate an epiglottitis and will treat the small patient by cortisone (in drops) if the crisis did not cease spontaneously (cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug which will decrease the edema of the larynx here).

This treatment will have, in general, a quasi instantaneous effect.

Epiglottitis, an extremely rare medical emergency today

The épiglotte is a cartilagineuse anatomical structure behind and in bottom of the language. She plays the part of valve at the time of swallowing (when one drinks or one swallows a food or his saliva), the firm épiglotte the trachea and allows food swallowed to pass only in the esophagus which is behind of the trachea.

Epiglottitis is a bacterial laryngitis due to a bacterium of the type haemophilus influenzae, it is serious: indeed, space is naturally narrowed by the épiglotte, the swelling of fabrics on this level is likely to stop it and thus to compromise the passage of the air.

It is observed in small children in a context of high fever, difficulties of breathing very important.

It is a medical emergency: it is necessary to make quickly transport the patient to the hospital and by the SAMU.

This disease is fortunately rare in the countries whose vaccination against this microbe is generalized.

Laryngitides of the large child and the adult

They are the traditional extinctions of voice, giving a simply enrouée voice or a total aphonie.

It is also the chronic laryngitis of the smoker who has a raucous voice, sometimes broken. This laryngitis is due to a permanent irritation of the larynx because of the tobacco; this chronic irritation can be transformed into cancer. Consult your doctor.

It is still the laryngitis by vocal irritation: to speak too much or too extremely, she is seen in the teachers, the singers. A rehabilitation in the speech therapist can be useful., speak with your doctor.

What it is necessary to retain

The acute laryngitis under-glottique appears in general in a context of viral infection rhino-pharyngée with a characteristic cough, a enrouée voice, in the small child. To put the child in a hot and wet atmosphere is in general enough to put an end to the crisis.

It is useful to call the doctor so that it makes the diagnosis and relieves the small patient

Epiglottitis is a serious laryngitis, fortunately, it became rare thanks to vaccination against the haemophilus influenzae

The chronic laryngitis of the smoker can be the first sign of a more serious disease, cancer.

The people who use much their voice must spare it.