Tracheitis is an inflammatory process that covers the mucous membrane of the trachea. This pathology occurs acutely or chronically, develops, as a rule, as a result of hypothermia, with influenza, measles or whooping cough, and other infectious pathologies of the respiratory system. Favorable factors for its development are lung and heart diseases, and in children - rickets and exudative diathesis. In addition, tracheitis develops with weak immunity, especially with HIV infection. Poor living conditions can also provoke inflammation of the trachea.
It is worth noting that the disease is characterized by seasonality - most often recorded in spring and autumn. In clinical manifestations, tracheitis resembles acute bronchitis. If this lesion of the trachea proceeds against a background of diphtheria, then asphyxia may develop in young children, so timely therapy is extremely important.
Acute tracheitis: symptoms
The main manifestation is sore throat, dry cough and discomfort behind the sternum. In this case, the cough is intermittent, paroxysmal, accompanied by sputum production.
Acute tracheitis is most often caused by pneumococci and influenza bacillus. The disease contributes to dry and cold air, general hypothermia and adverse environmental conditions.
When acute tracheitis is diagnosed, symptoms of this disease include significant swelling of the trachea and secretion of viscous secretions. Patients complain of weakness, a headache like migraine, and also an increase in body temperature. First, rhinitis is observed, which is subsequently replaced by hoarseness and a dry cough. It is worth noting that when tracheitis develops, the symptoms of such lesions may be similar to those observed with other respiratory diseases. Therefore, the diagnosis is often difficult.
Chronic forms of tracheitis
They develop against the background of untimely or inadequate treatment of acute inflammatory lesions of the trachea, as well as in diseases that are accompanied by stagnation of blood (emphysema, damage to the heart or kidneys). Quite often, chronic tracheitis, the symptoms of which, as a rule, include a paroxysmal cough, are the result of smoking. They occur with the development of hypertrophy or atrophy of the mucosa of the trachea, which is accompanied by its swelling or, conversely, thinning. At the same time, mucus intensively leaves.
When chronic tracheitis occurs, symptoms common to any form of the disease are also noted - it is a paroxysmal cough, sore throat and chest. If you do not carry out appropriate treatment, bronchopneumonia (in elderly patients) or bronchiolitis (in children) may develop .
Tracheitis in childhood
As a rule, they occur as an independent disease, sometimes as a complication of influenza or SARS. With a disease such as tracheitis, the symptoms in adults and children are similar. Babies have a paroxysmal cough, but it can subside in the morning and at night, as well as during active movement, when the child breathes more often. Inflammation of the trachea is often combined with rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis or bronchitis, as well as chronic tonsillitis with the corresponding clinical picture.
When signs of tracheitis develop , appropriate treatment should be immediately prescribed, which should be comprehensive and include measures aimed at eliminating inflammatory changes and raising local immunity.