Laryngeal edema treatment. How to quickly relieve throat swelling, symptoms and treatment methods. What you need to know about throat swelling

Laryngeal edema is a swelling of tissues that causes a narrowing of the lumen of the organ. This happens in the presence of certain diseases.

It is necessary to combat swelling, as it can cause suffocation and death. We will tell you in the article what symptoms accompany such swelling, how to provide first aid and how to treat it.

Causes of laryngeal edema

Depending on the cause, laryngeal edema can be limited, in which there is a slight increase in tissue, or diffuse. In the latter case, there is a pronounced narrowing of the larynx, which significantly complicates breathing.

Laryngeal edema, which most often occurs in childhood, as well as in adult men aged 19-35 years, can be caused by the following reasons:

Note! Predisposing factors that provoke the development of edema include endocrine diseases and helminthic infestations.

In children, swelling of the throat area most often develops with diseases such as croup, laryngeal diphtheria, laryngospasm, and retropharyngeal abscess.

Symptoms

If the laryngeal tissues swell, the following symptoms are observed:

Note! If these symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor: if left untreated, laryngeal stenosis develops, a condition that leads to respiratory failure. This increases the risk of developing adverse health and life consequences.

First aid

With swelling of the larynx, there is a risk of death of the patient, which is associated with suffocation or hypoxia of the brain.

To prevent this from happening, the following measures must be taken:

Even with mild symptoms of edema, you should contact a medical facility.

Associated symptoms of throat swelling: what do they indicate?

With swelling of the larynx, additional symptoms may be observed, the presence of which allows one to suspect the underlying cause that caused this phenomenon.

Table 1. Additional appearances and their meaning:

Diagnostics

If there are symptoms of laryngeal edema, the patient is prescribed tests to establish a diagnosis. Diagnosis and determination of the course of treatment for laryngeal edema is carried out by an otolaryngologist.

Methods for examining a patient with edema include:

To establish the cause of edema, diagnostic measures such as:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• blood test for immunoglobulin;
• culture of contents from the larynx and trachea.

In case of this phenomenon, differential diagnosis is carried out in order to distinguish laryngeal edema from oncological tumors, acute respiratory viral infections, inflammatory processes, and the presence of foreign bodies that block breathing.

Note! If symptoms of laryngeal edema occur, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, an X-ray examination of the lungs, an MRI and a CT scan of the brain may be required.

Treatment options for children and adults

Treatment of laryngeal edema depends on the cause that caused this phenomenon.

For inflammatory edema, the following medications are used:

Also, for swelling of the larynx, diuretics (Indapamide, Furosemide), antihistamines (Tavegil, Diazolin), anti-inflammatory drugs (Prednisolone) can be prescribed.

Herbal decoctions and rinses can be prescribed as symptomatic therapy. Sage, nettle, and oak root are used as raw materials.

If the swelling progresses to laryngeal stenosis, the patient is administered vasoconstrictor drugs. Thanks to this manipulation, the lumen of the larynx expands, which prevents asphyxia. Oxygen inhalation may also be required.

If any measures do not eliminate the swelling, a tracheotomy of the respiratory tract is performed. The essence of this manipulation is the excision of throat tissue, followed by the insertion of a tube that provides oxygen to the lungs.

Possible complications

Swelling of the larynx can cause complications such as:

The severity of the consequences of throat swelling depends on the root cause, the neglect of the pathological process.

Preventive measures

To reduce the risk of developing laryngeal edema, you must follow these recommendations:

• promptly treat upper respiratory tract diseases and infectious diseases;
• avoid contact with allergens, inhalation of fumes of alkalis and acids, hot air;
• avoid getting foreign bodies into the respiratory tract;
• avoid damage to the neck area;
• contact an otolaryngologist at the first signs of inflammatory and infectious processes.

Laryngeal edema can be caused by both inflammatory processes and tissue damage. This condition, if left untreated, leads to airway stenosis and asphyxia.

It is important to be able to provide timely assistance to the patient, since with lightning-fast development of edema, a person quickly suffocates.

The formation of various inflammatory or other processes in the body can lead to such an unpleasant and even dangerous pathology as swelling of the throat. Such a deviation does not apply to independent diseases and is always a secondary sign of some disorder. It is important to understand in time what to do in case of swelling of the throat, to diagnose and eliminate the pathology, since swelling provokes a narrowing of the larynx and can lead to suffocation.

Edema of the throat is a pathology that forms on the loose submucous membrane of the larynx due to a number of different reasons. In this case, the swelling can be either limited in nature, in other words, a small part of the throat tissue swells, or it can be a diffuse edema. The latter option refers to life-threatening pathologies, since in this case the lumen of the pharynx narrows to such an extent that a person may die from lack of air.

In origin, the disease can be either inflammatory or non-inflammatory. In the first case, changes occur due to infectious diseases attacking the body. So, sore throat often affects swelling of the throat. But in the second, swelling can be caused by abnormalities in the functioning of organs, allergic reactions and other disorders.

Even when the throat quickly swells, there may be various reasons for this. The factors influencing the formation of laryngeal edema include the following, the most common:

It has been noted that most often swelling of the throat develops as a result of inflammatory processes, but, of course, it is important to remember that pathology as a whole cannot appear without any reason. Therefore, first of all, you will need to undergo medical diagnostics aimed at identifying the factors that caused the disease. Only the elimination of primary diseases will eliminate the occurrence of such a problem forever.

Symptoms of swelling in the throat

If swelling of the throat begins, its symptoms and treatment vary somewhat depending on the nature of the cause that caused the pathology. But there are a number of general signs, the occurrence of which should immediately prompt a person to seek medical help. Since the process can continue to develop, leading to an increase in the area of ​​edema and suffocation.

First of all, it is necessary to highlight a number of initial symptoms that occur regardless of the nature of the edema. This can be either an infectious process, an allergy or another disorder in the functioning of the body. So, the primary signs of laryngeal edema include:

• pain when swallowing,
• pain in the neck when turning the head,
• headache, fever, weakness,
• voice changes, hoarseness,
• swollen neck and facial area,
• swelling, grittiness, redness and swelling of the back of the throat,
• bouts of dry cough.

Symptoms and treatment of throat swelling vary somewhat depending on the nature; it can be either an infectious process, an allergy or another disorder in the body.

The appearance of the above symptoms should already prompt a person to consult a doctor. Upon examination, a specialist will determine the probable causes and prescribe the necessary treatment. If the swelling begins to progress, the signs will become more obvious and at the same time the pathology can lead to serious complications and health problems.

Signs of progressive laryngeal edema:

• severe intoxication: chills, fever, high temperature,
• tearing pain in the throat, the mucous membrane looks swollen,
• sore throat combined with a strong dry cough,
• complete loss of voice
• difficulty breathing, shortness of breath,
• pale and bluish skin,
• increased heart rate,
• cold sweat,
• obsessive fear of death, accompanied by panic.

It must be remembered that the increasing swelling of the throat during a cold leads to the fact that it becomes not only difficult for a person, but also painful to breathe. At the same time, less and less oxygen enters the body, circulatory failure develops, pressure drops, and brain hypoxia occurs.

Treatment of edema

First of all, when the first signs of throat swelling appear, you should visit a medical facility to understand how to relieve throat swelling. After a competent examination and possible tests by a specialist, it will be clear how to relieve swelling of the throat, the doctor will prescribe a course of therapy. Of course, treatment involves healing the primary disease that provoked the pathological condition of the throat, as well as eliminating the tissue swelling itself.

For inflammatory processes preceding the development of edema, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed. The drug amoxicillin is often prescribed, which helps relieve swelling of the throat during sore throat. It must be remembered that amoxicillin is a potent substance and only a specialist can prescribe it to cure tonsillitis or relieve swelling of the throat in a child due to the presence of a number of contraindications. In this case, in order to successfully treat the patient, the doctor first takes a swab from the throat to test for sensitivity to antibiotics.

When it is necessary to treat swelling of the throat, it is recommended to irrigate the mucous membrane with some kind of antiseptic (based on streptocide, chlorophyllipt); children can gargle with herbs or a salt solution with the addition of iodine. Plus, you should drink a complex of immunoregenerative drugs and humidify the air in the room where the patient lives as often as possible.

If tissue swelling progresses so much that a person has obvious difficulty breathing, then there may simply not be time to independently visit a doctor. In this case, you should call a team of doctors as quickly as possible and direct forces to provide first aid. To alleviate the patient’s condition, it is recommended to take the following actions:

1. To facilitate the access of air into the patient’s lungs, for example, you need to remove your tie or unbutton your collar.
2. Bring the patient into a sitting or semi-sitting position.
3. If swelling is caused by any allergen, its effect on the body should be stopped.
4. Place a strong nasal spray into your nose.

Further measures to finally relieve painful symptoms can only be taken by a specialist. Both medications and surgery can be used here. The latter will be required in the event of a complete lack of oxygen access to the body, and the main method is considered to be emergency tracheotomy. The operation involves making an incision in the throat area and inserting a small tube into it to restore breathing. After which subsequent treatment is prescribed.

In addition, there are general rules necessary to follow in the process of healing an illness. Doctors recommend the following activities:

1. Stick to a diet. The food should be sufficiently liquid, of vegetable origin and at room temperature. Additives in the form of spices and vinegar are prohibited.
2. Limit fluid intake.
3. Reduce physical activity.
4. Talk less.

Medicines for swelling in the throat

Treatment of swelling in the throat in the early stages involves taking various types of medications. How to treat a throat depends on the nature of the pathology. Most often, after examination and diagnosis, specialists prescribe the following medications:

• antibacterial medications, such as penicillin (amoxicillin) or streptomycin,
• antihistamines: diphenhydramine, tavegil, pipolfen,
• corticosteroids, such as prenisolone,
• diuretics: veroshpiron, furosemide,
• antioxidants, antihypoxants,
• administration of glucose and ascorbic acid intravenously,
• sedatives, tranquilizers,
• oxygen,
• inhalation with a solution of adrenaline, hydrocortisone and ephedrine hydrochloride.

Treatment of throat edema involves healing the primary disease that provoked the pathological condition of the throat, as well as eliminating the tissue edema itself.

It is important to remember that swelling of the throat is a rather dangerous pathology that requires immediate medical attention. With a proper examination and identification of the cause, treatment with appropriate medications is prescribed and the disease can be successfully overcome. Whereas a neglected condition can cause complications and even lead to death.

Laryngeal edema can occur due to inflammatory processes affecting the pharynx or larynx.

Everyone needs to know what swelling in the throat is, the reasons why it occurs, how to treat and prevent such an unpleasant phenomenon to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Causes

Such a symptom may indicate the development of a certain disease in a person such as laryngopharyngitis, tuberculosis, influenza, etc.

Sometimes this phenomenon can be observed in people after undergoing an x-ray examination prescribed by a doctor.

The causes of throat swelling may lie in various diseases of internal organs and systems. It can develop against the background of kidney or liver pathologies, or with cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, swelling can be caused by an allergic process.

Swelling of the throat mucosa cannot occur on its own. It is only a symptom of a serious disease.

Therefore, this process cannot be neglected, because if the disease begins to progress, there is a possibility that the swelling will intensify, block the airways and suffocate the sick person.

In addition, the sore throat will become progressively worse.

An inflammatory process in the throat can be a symptom of the following diseases:

1. Phlegmonous or edematous laryngitis.
2. Supraglottic abscess.
3. Suppuration of the root of the tongue.
4. All kinds of infectious diseases of the oral cavity.
5. A swollen throat is an integral symptom of various sore throats.

Laryngeal edema can be either inflammatory or non-inflammatory. In the first case, this process is accompanied by severe pain and discomfort.

The second version of edema may not manifest itself at all, although occasionally it may still be painful for a person to swallow or have difficulty breathing.

A non-inflammatory type of laryngeal edema may indicate the development of:

1. Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
2. Kidney diseases.
3. Any liver pathology.
4. An allergic reaction to a pharmacological drug or food product.
5. Disturbances in the circulatory process of the throat due to enlarged lymph nodes.

In addition to the above reasons, swelling of the throat can be caused by mechanical damage to the larynx by any foreign object, complications after surgical operations in the neck or throat, or consumption of too hot food or drinks.

Types of throat swelling

Laryngeal edema is divided into several types depending on the disease that caused it, in addition to other accompanying symptoms:

1. Infectious swelling. It is the most common type of such pathology in medical practice. In this case, the infection can appear either primarily or secondary due to the development of another disease. This kind of swelling can occur with laryngitis, hypothermia, voice loss, etc.
2. The throat is swollen due to damage from a foreign body. Damage can be the result of mechanical stress, thermal or chemical effects on the mucous membrane, various wounds and throat injuries. In addition, the nasopharynx is harmed by breathing hot steam, poisonous gas, etc.
3. Toxic edema.
4. Symptomatic swelling of the larynx. Develops against the background of some kind of kidney disease, heart disease, tumor and other diseases.
5. Vasomotor edema. Occurs as a symptom of an allergic reaction.

The last point can also include Quincke's edema (angioedema). This is a pathological condition of the body in which not only the throat, but also other parts of the body swell.

It develops extremely quickly and is a fairly serious allergy symptom. Below are the main causes of Quincke's edema.

1. Taking iodine-containing drugs, aspirin or penicillin.
2. Use of medications that contain B vitamins.
3. Inhalation of pollen from various plants.
4. Eating foods containing emulsifiers or dyes.
5. Release of histamine into the body.
6. Exposure to various types of chemicals contained in cosmetics, paint or household chemicals.

A similar syndrome can occur due to the development of an infectious disease. Such diseases include pathologies of the endocrine system, giardiasis or hepatitis.

In rare cases, a person may have a genetic predisposition to angioedema. Sometimes large doses of alcohol can cause the release of histamines, thereby triggering this type of edema.

Symptoms and treatment

Many people cannot always recognize laryngeal edema, the symptoms of which are not so varied.

Such ignorance is very dangerous, so you should remember that the main signs of such an illness are considered to be hoarseness of voice, dry cough, and blueness of the face.

All this is accompanied by heavy breathing, developing into suffocation.

Only if all the symptoms are correctly analyzed, laryngeal edema can be quickly and effectively treated.

Swelling of the throat will most likely be accompanied by swelling of the soft palate, tonsils and uvula. With this syndrome, the patient hears a characteristic chest whistle while breathing.

Quincke's swelling may be accompanied by additional swelling of the hands, face, lips, fingers and other parts of the body.

If laryngeal edema is suspected, treatment should begin by calling an ambulance. This should be done as soon as possible, before the patient begins to experience suffocation.

First aid for swelling of the larynx consists of unbuttoning the sick person’s clothes, removing his scarf, tie or any other item that can interfere with the flow of air.

If the condition is caused by an allergic reaction, then it is urgent to stop the entry of the allergen into the patient’s body.

Allergies can be easily distinguished from other causes, since they rarely occur without a runny nose, redness of the eyes or mucous membranes.

The person should be revived, then placed in a hot bath, or at least with their limbs submerged in a container of warm water.

If you can’t count on a quick arrival of doctors, and the patient’s throat is already quite swollen, you can try to relieve or at least alleviate its manifestations by rinsing the mouth with adrenaline hydrochloride.

A strong nasal spray will also help in this situation. Sometimes there may be nothing left but to relieve swelling in the nasopharynx by intramuscular injection of an antihistamine (like suprastin or diphenhydramine).

You need to be extremely careful with such medications and keep in mind that dosages for adults and children differ.

An allergic reaction caused by an insect bite should be treated almost instantly; swelling of the larynx in this case very often leads to tragic consequences.

If the bite is on an arm or leg, apply a tourniquet to the area slightly above the wound as soon as possible.

In order to correctly decide what and how to relieve swelling of the throat, you must first find out the cause of its occurrence.

Swelling of the throat can be treated both at home and in the hospital through a combination of the following therapeutic measures:

1. Carrying out penicillin injections and inhalations.
2. Keeping your neck constantly warm.
3. You can put cans, use mustard plasters.
4. Take finely ground or liquid food.
5. Sometimes swallowing ice can help.
6. Injection of novocaine solution under the skin. If the disease occurs without a runny nose, then this substance can also be administered through the nose.
7. Intravenous glucose solution may also be effective.

It is better to prevent the appearance of a swollen throat than to relieve it.

Therefore, you should avoid contact with dangerous insects, carefully read contraindications to the drugs used, promptly treat infectious diseases, and refrain from eating foods with emulsifiers and dyes.