Any of us had a sore throat at least once in a lifetime. Everyone remembers this unpleasant feeling of sore throat and loss of voice for a week, or even more. But few people know that scientifically this ailment is called laryngitis. Is laryngitis contagious or not? Weird question. The answer, of course, is yes. And we will deal with the reasons a little later, because everything is not so simple there as it seems at first glance.
Definition
Laryngitis has such a name from the word "larynges" that in Latin means larynx. This is an inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract associated with colds or infectious diseases, for example, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough. The development of the disease contributes to the systemic or local effect of low temperatures, prolonged breathing through the mouth, overstrain of the vocal cords (singing, speech).
Laryngotracheitis is also an inflammatory disease of the larynx, which also covers the upper parts of the trachea.
In both diseases, hoarseness of the voice, dry mucous membranes, cough, sore throat are observed. In rare cases, there is swelling of the skin of the neck, cyanosis and pain when swallowing. Is laryngitis contagious to others? It all depends on the agent that caused the inflammation, but usually yes.
Varieties of laryngitis
In clinical practice, several variants of laryngitis are found.
- Catarrhal . The easiest form, which is manifested by soreness, sore throat, cough, hoarseness. Usually, warm drinking and silence can cure such laryngitis even without the use of medications.
- Hypertrophic . Symptoms of catarrhal laryngitis intensify, nodules the size of a pinhead form on the vocal cords. They give the voice a specific hoarseness. Sometimes with age, hoarseness in children goes away. This is due to the release of hormones in the puberty. The tubercles are cauterized with lapis lazuli or removed surgically.
- Atrophic . The disease is manifested by thinning of the mucous membrane. Patients have an annoying cough, a hoarse voice. Sometimes a cough is so strong that the capillaries in the mucosa burst. The cause of this condition, as a rule, is the abuse of spicy and hot food. Usually, such laryngitis occurs in residents of the Caucasus.
- Professional . It occurs in singers and teachers due to excessive voice stress. Nodules appear on the ligaments that interfere with the closure and normal passage of air.
- Diphtheria . It is associated with the defeat of the tonsils by Leffler's bacillus. The inflammatory process descends below, and dense fibrin films cover the laryngeal mucosa. They can come off and block air access, causing croup.
- Tuberculous . Usually a secondary infection. In the mucous membrane of the larynx nodular thickenings appear with curdled detritus inside.
- Syphilitic . It is a complication of the primary disease, ulcers can form with secondary infection, and with tertiary scars and stenosis of the larynx, which lead to hoarseness and loss of voice.
Etiology of acute laryngitis
How contagious laryngitis can be reasoned, only knowing its cause. In typical cases, it is damage to the larynx and / or trachea, causing an inflammatory reaction. Damage can cause both mechanical stimuli and hypothermia, overexertion of the voice, as well as pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microflora, which is constantly located in the oral cavity. Inflammation can pass to the epiglottis, vocal folds and sub-vocal cavity.
Pathophysiology and Clinic
Acute laryngitis is contagious only if it is caused by a virulent bacterial flora. The mucosa in this disease becomes red and swollen, especially in anticipation of the larynx. Pathologically dilated vessels may rupture, and the blood will permeate the tissue, forming purple-purple spots.
With isolated forms of the disease, edema and hyperemia are expressed only on the epiglottis. If the pathological process extends to the trachea, then this causes an annoying cough with sputum.
Clinically, laryngitis is manifested by fever, pain when swallowing, hoarseness. Difficulty in breathing is observed due to narrowing of the glottis due to its spasm and swelling or even an abscess of the larynx. Patients complain of a sore throat, dry cough, a rough or soundless voice.
False croup
Is acute laryngitis contagious? Given the variety of possible pathogens, yes rather than no. Preschool children develop a special form of laryngeal inflammation - false croup. It is so named because of the similarity of the clinical picture with manifestations of diphtheria.
Due to swelling of the mucosa, the free passage of air into the lungs is impaired, but in some cases, the swelling is accompanied by spasm of the vocal cords, and the child begins to suffocate. As a rule, this condition occurs unexpectedly at night. Children become pale, bluish, sweat. Breathing is either completely absent or frequent and noisy, there may be a barking cough. The attack lasts up to half an hour, then the child calms down and falls asleep.
Causes and symptoms of chronic laryngitis
Laryngitis (infectious or not - we already found out), if left untreated, quickly turns into a chronic form. This is facilitated by prolonged infections of the pharynx and larynx, inflammation of the nose and sinuses, and the abuse of alcohol and tobacco. Often a professional illness of teachers and singers.
Patients complain of hoarseness, sensation of a foreign body in the larynx, perspiration, cough. After prolonged exertion, all symptoms intensify.
Is laryngitis a contagious disease? Chronic - no. This is rather a consequence of excessive loads, backed up by bad habits, than the result of the propagation of pathogenic bacteria.
Diagnostics
Laryngitis is infectious or not, it can be said only after a thorough examination of the larynx and taking smears for bacterial examination. First, the doctor interviews the patient to have an idea of his illness. Then he asks the patient to open his mouth and visually examines the larynx, assesses the condition of the vocal cords and voice. If necessary, the patient can be referred to an ENT doctor.
Doctors use special equipment to examine the larynx, which helps not only to better examine the anatomical structures, but also to take tissue particles for pathomorphological examination. This is necessary to exclude tumor diseases of the ligamentous apparatus of the larynx.
Treatment
How to cure laryngitis? Contagious or not - this is a moot point, but you still need to get rid of it. First of all, the patient is recommended to provide the throat with complete rest, that is, do not talk, do not sing, do not smoke, and do not drink alcohol. Hot, spicy and spicy should be excluded from food. Doctors recommend gargling with warm solutions of furatsilina or chamomile, make compresses on the neck. It will be useful to drink warm alkaline mineral waters, for example, Borjomi or Essentuki.
Patients with chronic inflammation of the larynx may require more stringent methods: drug therapy or surgery. It all depends on the degree of damage to the vocal cords and the duration of the disease.