Treatment of laryngitis in Cherkasy

Medical center “ON Clinic Cherkasy” receives patients with any form of laryngitis. Otolaryngologist examines a patient, diagnoses the disease and prescribes treatment. ENT doctors select individual preventive measures and prevent recurrence of laryngitis.

What is laryngitis?

Laryngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx. In most cases, acute laryngitis develops as a result of acute respiratory viral infections (influenza, parainfluenza, adenovirus) when the nose and pharynx are involved in the inflammatory process. Chronic laryngitis lasting longer than 3 weeks develops as a result of acute laryngitis, neck injuries, allergies, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

92% of patients with laryngitis are chronic smokers. In addition, acute or chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx can develop as a result of a parasitic infection and occupational factors: prolonged contact with dust, gases and high temperature. Often, laryngitis develops as a complication of other chronic diseases: inflammation of the nose, sinuses and bronchi, alcoholism, diabetes, hypothyroidism, renal failure, tuberculosis, syphilis, diphtheria, and blood diseases.

Symptoms of laryngitis

Symptoms of laryngitis are caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx. The main symptoms of laryngitis are the following:

• severe sore throat;
• cough;
• hoarseness;
• difficult breathing;
• feeling unwell.

Acute laryngitis develops rapidly – within a few days: body temperature rises, general malaise occurs, sore throat and cough with gasping appear. In case of catarrhal laryngitis, body temperature is normal, sometimes it can rise to 38.0 °C.

If the inflammatory process went lower in the bronchi, the body temperature becomes higher than 38.0 °C. This often indicates that the mild catarrhal form of laryngitis has turned into a more severe phlegmonous one.

The general condition worsens greatly with infiltrative (when inflammation goes below the larynx) and abscessed (with the abscess formation) laryngitis. Acute throat pains occur and swallowing (including water) is impaired, signs of general intoxication appear: headaches, sleep disturbance, irritability, chills, nausea, and decreased appetite. If, with these signs, no medical assistance is provided to a patient, complications occur: purulent inflammation develops in the neck, the inflammatory process appears in the interpleural space; (organs in the chest between the left and right pleural cavities).

All this leads to acute stenosis. Stenosing laryngitis is an acute emergency condition when the airways constrict and it becomes difficult to breathe for a patient. Noisy breathing occurs, the respiratory rhythm is disturbed, a patient throws his head back. This leads to respiratory failure. In this case, the treatment of laryngitis with folk remedies poses a hazard to life: you need to call the ambulance and clear the airways.

Acute laryngitis may turn into a chronic one. The main signs of the chronic inflammatory process are the following:

• deepening and gruffing of voice;
• persistent hoarseness;
• constant panting;
• periodic cough.

Sore throat occurs when there is a heavy load on the vocal cords, for example, for lecturers, broadcasters, presenters, teachers, and cameramen. Patients should remember that the chronic form is a precancerous condition that can lead to the development of neoplasms.

The most common complication of chronic laryngitis is Reinke-Gayek disease. In patients with this disease, polyps grow in the mucous membrane of the vocal cords. This leads to constant hoarseness, coarsening and instability of the voice. In men, the timbre of the voice decreases, whereas the female voice becomes similar to the male.

Treatment of laryngitis

The purpose of laryngitis treatment is to eliminate the inflammatory process in the larynx, restore the voice, prevent complications and turning into a chronic form. Acute laryngitis is treated on an outpatient basis. Hospitalization is indicated for the development of laryngeal edema, abscess and any complication that may disturb breathing.

One of the most effective treatments is local anti-inflammatory inhaling therapy. For this, antibiotics, glucocorticosteroids, mucolytics, and antiseptics are used. The duration of inhaling, frequency and drug used is determined by the attending physician.

If inhaling does not help, the otolaryngologist may prescribe antibiotics. This will prevent the development of purulent inflammation and will not allow the inflammatory process to go to the lower respiratory tract.

Complicated forms of laryngitis are treated in the hospital. Surgical intervention is used to treat abscessed laryngitis: abscesses are lanced by means of surgery. If acute stenosing laryngitis develops in a patient, the airways are relieved by conicotomy (access to the airways using the larynx section). After surgery, a patient should be observed by the doctor for another 3 months. For this, the patient must visit ENT specialist once a week during the first month, and every 2 weeks – the next two months.

If you have acute sore throat, cough, poor health and difficult breathing, contact the Department of Otolaryngology at the medical center "ON Clinic Cherkasy". ENT doctors will identify the cause of the disease and prescribe effective treatment.