Throughout life, the child is faced with many diseases. A special place among them is occupied by diseases of an infectious nature, since they are most common. They can provoke laryngeal edema in children, which is not an independent disease, but a consequence of the presence of another disease. What are the symptoms and first aid for this condition? You will learn about this by reading the article.
Definition
Laryngeal edema in children is a condition in which there is an increase in the size of the soft tissues of the throat. This condition is of two varieties:
- Limited edema - a slight increase in the size of soft tissues.
- Diffuse, or spilled, in which there is a significant narrowing of the throat, which leads to difficulty breathing.
The greatest danger is precisely the second kind of edema, as this can lead to oxygen starvation.
Inflammatory causes
Laryngeal edema in children can occur due to many reasons, but the following infections of the throat are considered the most common:
- measles;
- scarlet fever;
- diphtheria;
- flu and complications after it;
- laryngeal tonsillitis;
- laryngitis;
- tonsillitis;
- tracheitis;
- phlegmon.
Edema that occurs with these conditions must be treated comprehensively, since local exposure may not bring the desired results.
Non-inflammatory causes
In addition to infectious diseases, throat edema can occur for the following reasons:
- development of benign and malignant neoplasms;
- mechanical injury or damage;
- diabetes;
- allergic reactions;
- some kidney disease.
It is also noted that one of the predisposing factors may be the presence of human immunodeficiency syndrome.
Developmental stages
Signs of laryngeal edema in children may vary depending on the stage of development of the pathological condition. They also differ in degree of danger. There are 4 stages of development:
- At the first, the organism is most often able to fight on its own. There is a slight swelling of the mucous membrane during a visual examination, in addition to this, the child does not experience any specific symptoms.
- The second stage is characterized by insufficient oxygen supply. In this case, the child has difficulty breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath are noted.
- The third stage is characterized by the development of oxygen deficiency. The child reacts poorly to external stimuli, is drowsy, his pupils are dilated, and the heartbeat is rapid.
- The fourth stage of development is considered the most difficult. It manifests itself in asphyxia - suffocation due to the inability to breathe.
The third and fourth stages of the development of a pathological condition require emergency medical care.
How to recognize
It is very difficult to detect a pathological condition in a child, especially if he is a young child and cannot report his feelings. In such cases, it is necessary to pay attention to indirect signs. They may be as follows:
- Whistling during breathing, which is accompanied by sharp sighs. The chest and abdominal cavity also often rise. Such symptoms of laryngeal edema in children occur with difficult air to the lungs.
- The voice can hoarse, since it is difficult for the baby not only to inhale, but also exhale.
- A barking cough may appear.
- Blue skin is also noted as a result of insufficient air intake.
Also, the child becomes lethargic, does not respond to external stimuli, may try to take a sitting position to facilitate the flow of air into the lungs, while the head often tilts back.
At the fourth stage, which can develop as a result of the third or abruptly, if a foreign object enters the respiratory tract, a sharp deterioration in the general condition, as well as convulsions, can be observed. Such symptoms are the reason for the immediate call of the ambulance team.
Symptoms of allergic edema develop rapidly as a reaction to the ingestion of an allergen into the child's body. In this case, voice loss is observed. The mucous membranes acquire a pale shade. This condition is also quite dangerous for the life of the child.
First aid
If the child has laryngeal edema, what should I do? The first thought of adequate parents is to call an ambulance. This decision is correct, especially if suffocation develops. Before the arrival of the medical team, it was recommended to perform the following simple steps:
- Open a window or window in order to ensure the flow of fresh air into the room where the child is. The air should be humid; to use this item it is recommended to use household humidifiers. If there are none, then you can replace them by putting a wet rag on the battery or simply placing a basin of water next to it. This method is suitable for winter time. In the summer, you can take the child to the bathroom and take warm water into it so that it starts to evaporate.
- It is important to reassure the child so that he does not cry. Crying takes a lot of strength and energy, as well as air, so the child may begin to suffocate.
- It is also recommended to remove clothes from the baby that can hamper the movement of the chest with sighs.
- To calm you, you can offer your child an infusion of valerian. The dosage should be age appropriate.
- Before the doctors arrive, it is important that the child does not fall asleep.
- For symptoms of allergic laryngeal edema in children, it is recommended to remove the suspected irritant, as well as periodically give the child a warm, slightly alkaline drink, it can be mineral water or milk with a small amount of soda.
It is important not to succumb to panic, as children acutely feel the state of their parents and begin to get nervous themselves. In this case, this may adversely affect the baby's respiratory ability.
Foreign body extraction
How to remove laryngeal edema in a child that has arisen as a result of a foreign object entering the respiratory tract? To do this, try to get it. The procedure can be performed in several ways:
- Tilt the child a little down and patting between the shoulder blades with patting movements. At this time, the baby should try to cough.
- Leaning the child with his back to himself, you need to sharply press on the stomach. Such movements can trigger the exit of a foreign object from the respiratory tract.
Swelling and spasm of the larynx when a foreign object enters it occurs very quickly, so you must try to remove it yourself. If the attempts were unsuccessful, then you need to call an ambulance very quickly.
Allergic laryngospasm
Laryngeal edema in a child with allergies can even lead to Quincke edema. Most often, this problem occurs due to atypical food or contact with animals. The condition can be dangerous, since allergic reactions develop quite quickly.
The first aid in this case is the introduction of antihistamines to the child. This may be an injection of drugs such as Suprastin, Pipolfen, Tavegil. Also, in some cases, additional administration of corticosteroid drugs intramuscularly is required.
Even with self-management of allergic laryngospasm, it is recommended that you see an allergist in order to establish the cause of the pathological condition. To do this, you need to take tests to identify an allergen. If laryngeal edema was provoked by a drug, then its reception is canceled.
Infectious Disease Treatment
As first aid measures for edema of the larynx in a child, Komarovsky advises taking a set of measures before the arrival of an ambulance. For this, it is recommended that the baby be given antihistamines. It relieves laryngeal edema in a child "Berodual". The drug has the form of release in the form of inhalation, which is convenient to use for children.
For diseases such as flu, tonsillitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, it is recommended to use a nebulizer for inhalation. The drug "Pulmicort" with edema of the larynx in a child shows fairly good results. It has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect.
Diagnostics
Even after you managed to independently stop the child’s seizure and return him the ability to breathe freely, you need to visit a pediatrician. This is necessary in order to monitor the progress of the disease that caused the swelling, as well as take measures to treat it.
An experienced pediatrician will immediately determine the diagnosis of the child. This is due to the fact that laryngeal edema has very specific symptoms. In addition, it can be determined by the appearance of the throat. In this case, it will be reddened, the tongue and mucous membrane - swollen.
Consultation of an otorhinolaryngologist is sometimes required. He will conduct a survey to find out the symptoms, a visual examination, palpation of the cervical lymph nodes, as well as laryngoscopy. This is necessary in order to understand the cause of the origin of throat edema.
Treatment with folk remedies
Medical inhalations for laryngeal edema in a child, as well as other forms of medication, can be prescribed only by a doctor, based on the symptoms of the disease. Often prescribed antibiotics that are able to actively fight infectious diseases.
As auxiliary means, recipes of traditional medicine are also used. Especially popular among them are gargles such as propolis, chamomile infusion, chlorophyllipt, calendula and sage. They have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, which helps to relieve swelling and restore breathing.
During the treatment period, it is important to ensure that the baby consumes a sufficient amount of fluid. Mineral water, such as Borjomi, is suitable as a drink, but the child may not like its taste. In this case, you can offer him herbal teas, rice or fruit liquid jelly, warm milk with honey. Such drinks not only prevent the development of dehydration, but also have a softening effect on the reddened throat.
What is the danger?
With the rapid development of a pathological condition or the absence of adequate medical care, laryngeal edema can develop into stenosis. This is the condition in which the lumen of the throat is significantly narrowed. At the same time, breathing is hindered to the limit, it is accompanied by noise during inhalation, shortness of breath, redness, and then blue skin. With a severe course of the pathological condition and the lack of timely help, suffocation occurs, and then a fatal outcome.
Diet
With laryngitis, how to relieve laryngeal edema in a child? Using drugs, this is quite simple. However, after stopping the attack, unpleasant symptoms, such as pain and sore throat, will not go away immediately. In order to alleviate the condition of the baby, you must adhere to a special diet. It should consist of boiled and steamed vegetables, poultry and fish, as well as liquid cereals in milk. Avoid foods with high fat content, spices, and also exclude spicy, salty, sour, bitter. It is also not recommended to give the child potential allergens - honey, chocolate, citrus fruits, especially if laryngeal edema has arisen against the background of an allergic reaction.
Conclusion
Edema of the throat in children is a rather serious condition that requires urgent medical attention. It is also important to know what exactly led to this pathological condition. This is necessary in order to fight not only with the consequences, but also directly with the disease that led to edema.