Inflammation of the larynx, popularly referred to as false croup, is an inflammatory process in the larynx. The medical name for false croup is laryngitis. Treatment in children of this disease occurs with slight differences from adults. Most often, laryngitis occurs in the winter-spring period, and the most susceptible to the disease are boys, starting from three months of age to 6-7 years.
Various respiratory viruses are the most common in a disease such as laryngitis. Treatment in children is prescribed taking into account all the factors that contributed to the development of laryngitis. Malnutrition of the child, lack of vitamins, weakened overfatigue or hypothermia, the child’s body, dusty air, transferred measles or scarlet fever - all these reasons are also contributors to the development of the acute form of the disease “laryngitis”. Treatment in children should include measures to eliminate the environment favorable for the development of laryngitis.
Acute laryngitis alone does not apply to severe forms of the disease. However, the situation can be aggravated by various complications against the background of acute laryngitis, sometimes threatening the life of the child. Swelling of the mucous membrane of the inflamed larynx causes problems with the baby’s breathing, so the slightest suspicion of developing acute laryngitis is the reason for an urgent call to a doctor or an ambulance. Due to the weak immunity of the child, the disease is characterized by rapid development. An increase in temperature is added to the usual malaise, the voice becomes hoarse or disappears altogether, a burning sensation in the throat is supplemented by a dry barking cough. Parents should pay special attention to the danger of difficulty breathing, a sign of suffocation is the baby’s blue lips. Having diagnosed a child with laryngitis, the doctor will tell you what to treat . With timely treatment, acute laryngitis disappears within a few days.
In conditions of frequent relapses, the acute form of laryngitis becomes chronic. As a rule, it is preceded by measles or influenza laryngitis, a recent infection of the respiratory tract or a strong tension of the vocal cords. During the period of vocal mutation in adolescent children, accompanied by the growth of the larynx, there is also a high risk of developing a chronic course of the disease.
Having revealed laryngitis, treatment in children begins with the immediate introduction of bed rest. The task of parents becomes the maximum round-the-clock control over the breathing of a sick child. An abundant warm alkaline drink is indicated. Perhaps the appointment of distracting therapy in the form of foot baths or mustard plasters. If there is a temperature, it is necessary to give the child an antipyretic. Inhalations with solutions of furatsillin or soda, a decoction of chamomile or St. John's wort, calendula or sage have proven themselves well. I use the same means for gargling, which must be done very often.
From folk remedies, you can resort to instillation of vegetable oil in the nose (a whole pipette into one nostril), while the child should be in a horizontal position for a while, and then stand up, causing the oil to drain along the back wall of the nasopharynx. Drinking warm milk diluted with mineral water or with the addition of honey is indicated.
Treatment of chronic laryngitis should take place under medical supervision. It is necessary to sanitize the nose and nasopharynx to ensure that the child breathes through the nose. During a period of exacerbation of the disease, the child is prohibited from screaming, straining his voice. And the throat is either lubricated with protargol or pulverized with 0.25-0.5% tannin solutions, soda or a penicillin-containing aerosol.
When the doctor diagnosed laryngitis, treatment in children should be started immediately, since the risk of a sudden attack of suffocation due to swelling of the larynx is very high.