Symptoms and treatment of swelling of the throat mucosa. How to relieve swelling of the throat - treatment of a swollen larynx

A pathological condition such as laryngeal edema can be a symptom of various diseases. The throat may become swollen as a result of inflammation caused by infectious diseases, allergies, injuries, or after staying in a room with heavy dust or air contaminated with harmful substances. Despite the fact that the symptom is the same, each case requires an individual approach to treatment that will help eliminate discomfort in the throat.

Reasons

A large number of different factors can cause swelling of the throat. In order to understand swelling in the throat, what it is and why it occurs, it is necessary to find out the main reasons that provoke swelling. Among the main factors are:

inflammatory processes of the nasopharynx;
allergies to the use of medications, drinks, food;
damage to the throat by foreign objects, such as a fish bone;
thermal burn from too hot liquid or air;
exacerbation of severe chronic diseases such as tuberculosis or syphilis;
X-ray examination of the cervical spine;
various infectious diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, influenza;
various types of neoplasms in the nasopharynx, for example, papillomas;
disturbances in the functioning of the circulatory system caused by compression of veins or lymphatic vessels;
inflammatory processes of cartilage in the nasopharynx.

Important! Pathologies of the cardiovascular system, disorders of the kidneys and liver can also often be the cause of laryngeal edema.

Laryngeal edema is most often a sign that pathological processes are occurring in the body. In the vast majority of situations, this symptom occurs as a result of inflammation developing in the tissues of the pharynx. Provided that throat swelling is caused by a viral or bacterial infection, most often the pathological process will be associated with inflammation of the tonsils and laryngeal mucosa. Allergic reactions are accompanied by pronounced swelling of the throat mucosa, as well as symptoms such as lacrimation, rhinitis, and hyperemia of the skin of the face.

Symptoms

Any of the possible causes of laryngeal swelling is associated with a number of symptoms that help specialists make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. If your throat is swollen, you can identify a number of common signs characteristic of this disease:

painful sensations when swallowing in the throat mucosa, which resemble the symptoms of tonsillitis;
your neck may hurt, the pain worsens when you turn your head;
signs of poisoning of the body: the patient complains of a headache and fever;
hoarseness, change in voice;
the neck may swell, part of the face may swell;
hyperemia, in which the back wall of the throat swells;
sensation of a foreign object in the throat;
annoying dry cough.

When a person just starts to get sick, it is difficult to recognize the cause, since the main symptoms include minor discomfort and shortness of breath. As the pathology develops, pain occurs, which intensifies when swallowing food, as swelling contributes to the narrowing of the lumen in the throat.

In the later stages, swelling can cause an attack of suffocation, which is extremely dangerous for human life.

Also dangerous is the situation when swelling spreads to the mucous surface of the vocal cords. In this case, the above symptoms become more pronounced. The swelling may increase, with the period of growth often taking from several hours to several days, depending on the cause of the symptom. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

If a person spends a long time in a very dusty room or inhales air that contains various types of irritants, this can cause an allergic reaction in the body. Most often, allergies cause swelling, redness, and swelling. If the throat is affected, breathing difficulties may occur. Also, allergization of the body is often accompanied by increased salivation, lacrimation, and rhinitis.

In cases where swelling of the larynx is not accompanied by allergy symptoms, fever and other signs characteristic of most diseases, it can be caused by various types of injuries. For example, eating too hot or cold food, getting chemicals into the nasopharynx (alcohols, vinegar, various types of acids), damage to the mucous membrane of the throat (scratches, wounds) when swallowing solid food, all this can cause swelling of the throat.

A chemical burn to the larynx is the most dangerous cause of pharyngeal swelling. In this case, the patient experiences severe sore throat and swelling. After recovery, rough scars remain on the pharyngeal mucosa, which, narrowing the esophagus, complicate eating and breathing.
Thermal burns of the larynx most often occur after ingesting too hot food or drinks. In this case, the patient experiences a burning sensation in the mouth and pharynx, the mucous membrane is hyperemic and swollen, depending on the severity of the burn, erosions and ulcers may occur. If scarring occurs, there is a possibility of breathing problems.
Mechanical damage to the throat, leading to swelling, can occur due to foreign objects entering the pharynx. If the damage affects the laryngopharynx area, it can cause an attack of suffocation.

Important! If your throat is swollen, it may be due to excessive alcohol consumption. In this case, the disease may also be accompanied by swelling of the face and swelling of the limbs.

Swelling in the throat after drinking strong drinks indicates that an excessive amount of fluid has accumulated in the tissues, and that the functioning of the excretory system and blood supply system is impaired.

Diagnostic methods

In order to prescribe correct and effective treatment, it is necessary to determine the causes of the disease. Therefore, a number of diagnostic procedures should be carried out, which are most often based on a detailed examination and interview of the patient. In this case, consultation with an otolaryngologist, phoniatrist or ENT surgeon is most often required.

The main procedures that doctors carry out in case of difficulty breathing:

laryngoscopy (direct and indirect) of the larynx;
bronchoscopy - a procedure for examining the mucous membranes of the trachea and bronchi using an endoscope;
X-ray of the pharynx;
tomography;
a general blood test and an immunoglobulin test to determine the type of pathogenic microorganism and exclude allergies.

In order to determine the causes of throat swelling, doctors often use instrumental diagnostics for diagnostic purposes. These methods include:

Microlaryngoscopy - used to determine the presence of a foreign object in the throat, the presence of a tumor, scars, neoplasms that can cause breathing difficulties. As part of this method, endoscopic biopsy and histological analysis are also used to determine possible changes in the nasopharynx.
Study of the functions of the vocal cords. This method includes phonetography, stroboscopy and electroglottography. It is carried out when there is swelling of the vocal cords to determine the degree of their mobility and general condition.
Computer and magnetic resonance imaging of the larynx, ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland, and X-ray of the lungs are also effective ways to determine the cause of edema.

Treatment

After analyzing the symptoms of the disease and carrying out diagnostic procedures, you can find out the cause that caused the unpleasant symptom. Treatment of throat swelling is primarily aimed at reducing the severity of the symptom, minimizing pain and normalizing breathing.

In order to prevent the occurrence of allergic swelling of the throat, as well as reduce the likelihood of developing infectious diseases, doctors recommend:

good nutrition;
drinking enough fluid (at least 2 liters per day);
control of temperature and humidity in the room (20-22 degrees Celsius and 50%, respectively, are considered optimal);
Irrigation of the nasopharynx with saline solutions.

Unilateral throat swelling

If the throat is swollen on only one side, then most often such a symptom indicates the presence of a viral or bacterial infection, when pathogenic microorganisms are localized only on one side of the throat.

With tonsillitis, asymmetric swelling is quite often observed, while the one-sidedness of the inflammatory process is also noticeable from the side of the face.

Also among the reasons that cause swelling of the throat on only one side is mechanical damage to the mucous membranes of the pharynx. A stuck fish bone, swallowing sharp objects or hard food can all cause unilateral swelling.

Methods for diagnosing and treating unilateral inflammation of the throat will be similar to those carried out for bilateral swelling of the laryngeal mucosa. Effective therapy will be based on an analysis of the causes of the disease.

Another common cause of a swollen throat is an allergic reaction. In this case, there is an immediate threat to the patient’s life, so you should immediately seek medical help.

Causes of a swollen throat

There are many causes of a swollen throat, including:

Viral infections. The most common cause of swelling and sore throat. A swollen throat can occur with a common cold, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, infectious mononucleosis, mumps, etc.
Bacterial infections. Less commonly, they lead to swelling of the throat, but can cause paratonsillar and peripharyngeal abscesses, diphtheria, epiglottitis (inflammation of the epiglottis) and tonsillitis.
Allergic reactions. They can develop in response to the entry of foreign substances into the body in any way. They can cause life-threatening angioedema, which causes severe swelling of the throat.
Toxins and irritants. Inhalation of various substances, such as cigarette smoke and harmful chemicals, can cause a swollen throat. Swelling can also occur when you swallow various chemicals, such as bleach.
Trauma and damage. Any injury to the neck can lead to swelling of the throat. Sometimes swelling can be caused by the presence of a foreign body, such as a stuck fish bone. A swollen throat may be a result of excessive screaming or singing.
Malignant neoplasms. A swelling of the throat or tongue can cause swelling and pain.

Symptoms

The symptoms of a swollen throat depend on the cause of the condition. However, the most common symptoms are pain and discomfort in the throat that interferes with swallowing or speaking. Some people also complain of a dry or dry throat.

Since a swollen throat is most often caused by a viral or bacterial infection, patients most often also experience:

Increased body temperature and chills.
Nausea and vomiting.
Body aches.
Headache.
Cough.
Runny nose.
Sneezing.
General weakness.
Decreased appetite.

When examining the throat of a sick person, you can see red and swollen tonsils (tonsils), which sometimes have pustules. With an infection in the neck, you can also find enlarged and sometimes painful lymph nodes.

It is very important to be able to identify allergic swelling of the throat, which is a direct threat to life. The fact is that with allergic reactions, swelling of the throat can be so severe that the airway can be obstructed. Such a person may die from suffocation without emergency medical assistance.

Quincke's edema begins suddenly and develops very quickly. Most often, the throat, larynx, cheeks, lower lip, and neck become swollen, although swelling can occur in any part of the body. When breathing is difficult, a person becomes restless and may even lose consciousness. Sometimes angioedema is accompanied by other symptoms of allergic reactions - for example, urticaria.

What to do if your throat is swollen?

If a child's throat is swollen, it is most often caused by a viral infection. Since this is not a serious disease, in most cases you can cope with it yourself, at home.

You should seek medical help in the following cases:

The child has difficulty swallowing or breathing.
The baby produces an unusually large amount of saliva.
The child gets tired quickly.
A young patient has pus on the tonsils or the back of the throat.
The duration of the disease is longer than 1 week.
Suspicion of allergic throat swelling.

In these cases, it is also better for adult patients to consult a doctor.

Conservative treatment

In most cases, a swollen throat does not require any treatment at all, since the diseases leading to swelling are most often mild in nature and go away without taking any medications.

If an infection has caused your throat to become swollen, you should drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Sometimes it is very difficult to get a patient to drink a lot, especially if it is a child, since swallowing can be painful. If the patient becomes dehydrated, headaches and increased fatigue may occur. Using a household humidifier in the room where a sick person is located helps to avoid a dry throat.

If you have a sore throat and fever, Paracetamol or Ibuprofen can relieve symptoms. To best control the severity of the manifestations of the disease, these drugs should be taken at regular intervals, which are recommended in the instructions for the specific drug. For example, adults should take Paracetamol 4 times a day until the condition improves.

It is very useful for patients with a swollen throat. To prepare this solution, you need to dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water.

In pharmacies you can buy special or, which can relieve the pain of a swollen throat.

Typically, patients with a swollen throat do not need antibiotics, since most cases of pharyngitis are caused by viruses. Even if a swollen throat is caused by a bacterial infection, the body's immune system can get rid of it within a few days without the use of antibacterial agents.

Doctors prescribe antibiotics if there is pus on the tonsils or back of the throat, severe symptoms that do not improve within a few days, if the patient has a weakened immune system, if there are heart defects, if.

If swelling of the throat is caused by an allergic reaction, treatment is carried out in a hospital. First you need to eliminate the effect of the allergen. The hospital prescribes hormonal and antiallergic drugs, and in severe cases, adrenaline.

Traditional medicine

To treat a swollen throat use:

Licorice root. This remedy is effective for swelling and pain if you make a solution from it for gargling.
Honey. If you have a swollen throat, you can add it to tea or drink it on its own.
Marshmallow root. It contains a substance that soothes and protects a swollen throat. Add a small amount of dried marshmallow root to a cup of boiling water to make tea. You should drink it 2-3 times a day.
Mint. It contains menthol, which soothes the throat and thins mucus.
Fenugreek. Tea from this plant is one of the remedies for sore throat. Fenugreek has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Chamomile tea. It has a calming effect, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and stimulates the immune system.

Prevention

Swelling of the throat caused by infection can be prevented.

To do this you should:

Try to avoid contact with people with viral or bacterial diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
Observe personal hygiene rules.
Do not share any objects with a sick person.
Avoid touching potentially infected surfaces (door handles, telephones).

To prevent other causes of throat swelling, you should:

Avoid contact with allergens.
Avoid inhaling cigarette smoke and irritants.
Avoid traumatic neck injuries.
Chewing food thoroughly can prevent foreign bodies from damaging your throat.
You can't shout or sing for a long time.

A swollen throat is a common symptom that can occur with a variety of conditions. In most cases, swelling is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Most often it is not severe and does not require treatment. However, in some cases medical attention is necessary.

Useful video about the differences between a sore throat and pharyngitis

Swelling of the throat does not occur as a separate disease, but is always a consequence of pathological processes occurring in the body. Most often, laryngeal edema occurs in young men under 35 years of age, and somewhat less frequently in children and the elderly.

The location of edema is usually the submucosal tissue, spreading to the vestibular and aryepiglottic folds, the space above them and the surface of the epiglottis. Much less often, swelling is limited to the boundaries of the real and false vocal cords and the petiolus area. If inflammation occurs with the participation of a virulent infection, then infiltration of the submucosal layer is added to the listed signs.

All swelling of the throat is divided into two main etiological types: inflammatory and non-inflammatory. They have slightly different symptoms and locations. The treatment method for the two types of edema may also be different, but emergency assistance in the case of fulminant edema is provided in the same way, because in this case it is necessary to take urgent measures to save human life.

Congestive edema spreads predominantly over large areas of the larynx, appearing symmetrically on both sides, while inflammatory edema is asymmetrical and covers a small area.

Swelling of the throat: etiology

The most common cause of swelling of the throat of inflammatory origin is mechanical damage. Injuries can be caused during surgical interventions (for example, galvanocautic surgery) or in children can be the result of prolonged bronchoscopy or burns of the throat with various acids, alkalis or simply hot food.

There are cases of edema occurring after fluoroscopic examinations or radiotherapy of the cervical spine. With suppuration that occurs in the tissues of the throat or the space around it, in the root of the tongue, tonsils, and soft tissues of the oral cavity, inflammatory edema can also develop.

Sometimes swelling of the soft throat tissue appears with chronic illnesses (syphilis, tuberculosis) or infectious diseases: sore throat, flu, measles, scarlet fever (mainly in children). Swelling of the throat is especially common with sore throat, which can affect the mucous membrane and spread to the perichondrium.

Edema of non-inflammatory origin occurs in patients suffering from pathologies of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, and local circulatory disorders due to compression of the cervical vessels. The causes of this phenomenon may be intolerance to certain foods (strawberries, cottage cheese, citrus fruits, etc.), allergies to household dust, pet hair, or the ingredients of certain pharmacological drugs.

In particular, laryngeal edema can be provoked by iodine medications. Moreover, the degree and duration of the body’s allergic reaction do not depend on the amount of the drug consumed. Angioedema of the throat, almost always combined with swelling of the neck and face, also belongs to this category of diseases.

When an irritant enters through the respiratory tract, stenosis is localized in the area of the soft tissues of the throat and epiglottis; if it passes along with food, then in the area of the arytenoid cartilages. dangerous due to its lightning-fast nature and can pose a threat to life due to suffocation. First aid consists of removing the allergen and administering atropine or magnesium sulfate. In this case, urgent emergency assistance is required.

Symptoms of throat swelling

A characteristic sign of edema is the rapid narrowing of the throat lumen due to an increase in soft tissue in size. The patient may feel:

pain while swallowing;
feeling of the presence of a foreign body in the throat;
difficulty breathing;
characteristic change in voice;
dry paroxysmal cough;
hyperthermia (up to 39° C);
headache (sometimes);
swelling of the knees (rare).

With the transition of swelling to the mucous membrane of the vocal cords, the symptoms intensify. With edematous laryngitis, the general condition of patients is extremely severe (with high fever, chills). Swelling may increase over several days or hours (this depends on the toxicity of the pathogen). Swelling of the throat during tonsillitis is accompanied by a sensation of a foreign body when swallowing and phonation, and a “barking” cough causes purulent complications and the spread of infection to nearby areas of the throat, increasing pain.

When a specific complication occurs—phlegmon of the larynx—constant pain radiating to the ear and a change in voice appear. Sometimes with severe swelling, patients completely lose their voice. In severe forms of edematous laryngitis, respiratory failure of the larynx increases, sometimes developing to a stage at which urgent tracheotomy is necessary.

Patients with swelling of the throat should be immediately hospitalized. In this case, constant close monitoring of their condition is simply necessary.

Swelling of the throat: treatment

Treatment of pharyngeal edema can be carried out using different methods, including pathogenetic and etiological, general medications (nonspecific and specific), symptomatic and prophylactic.

The diet for laryngeal edema includes any liquid or pureed plant food without salt, spices and other seasonings, at room temperature or slightly warmed. Drinking should be limited.

For edema caused by chronic diseases or general intoxication of the body, procedures are prescribed to rehabilitate the respiratory function, antihypoxic treatment with simultaneous treatment of the disease that caused the edema.

In case of swelling of inflammatory origin, intensive antibacterial therapy is required: penicillin, streptomycin, and less often sulfonamides, which can negatively affect the excretory function of the kidneys.

In cases of immediate development of edema, immediate tracheotomy is necessary, that is, an operation to dissect the trachea followed by insertion of a tracheotube into the hole - a special tube through which the patient can breathe.

After natural respiratory function is restored, the tube is removed, and the fistula at the incision site usually heals without complications.

First aid for laryngeal edema: what can and cannot be done?

At the first signs of the development of the disease, especially in a child, urgent medical attention is needed.

First of all, doctors must relieve swelling and only then find out what reasons led to such consequences.

It is the relief of edema in the early stages of the development of this condition that significantly complicates its differentiation (even according to the results of endoscopy).

First aid measures for laryngeal edema:

the patient should be in a sitting or reclining position;
fast-acting diuretics (diuretics) are prescribed (most often furosemide);
antihistamines and sedatives;
tranquilizers;
antioxidants and antihypoxants;
mustard plasters (placed on the calves);
hot foot baths.

You can often find recommendations for swallowing ice cubes to reduce swelling or, conversely, for using warm compresses on the neck. It's best to avoid both methods. Cold is a powerful vasoconstrictor (a substance that constricts blood vessels and slows down blood flow), causing vascular spasm and preventing the resorption of not only inflammatory infiltrates, but also non-inflammatory swelling.

In addition, radical cooling of the pharynx can lead to the activation of opportunistic microorganisms, which can cause a new outbreak of catarrhal inflammation. Thermal procedures can cause blood vessels to dilate and reduce their permeability, which will almost certainly only increase swelling. Other urgent measures to relieve swelling may include adrenaline inhalations, the use of ephedrine hydrochloride solution or hydrocortisone.

It’s as if my throat is being squeezed in a vice, it’s hard to swallow, my tongue can barely move – I’m sure everyone has experienced this condition. Edema of the throat, or, in medical terms, swelling of the larynx is not an independent ailment; it is a symptom of one or another ailment. The danger of this condition depends on the cause of the swelling and its severity. In some cases it simply causes discomfort, in others it can pose a threat to life. Therefore, the problem should not be ignored; the disease causing it must be diagnosed as soon as possible and therapeutic measures taken.

According to etiology, inflammatory and non-inflammatory swelling of the throat is distinguished. In the first case, the inflammatory process begins in the submucous membranes of the larynx, consisting of loose connective fibers. The reason for this is toxins produced by pathogens of infectious diseases. The affected tissues of the throat secrete exudate - liquid that seeps through the walls of the blood vessels. A parallel name for inflammation of the submucosal larynx is edematous laryngitis. It can occur due to both acute and chronic infections from common flu to scarlet fever. Sometimes the inflammatory process with edematous laryngitis flows into the soft tissues of the cervical spine.

With non-inflammatory swelling of the throat, there is no exudate. The cause of pathological changes in tissue in this case is serous transudate - another type of fluid secreted by blood vessels. It corrodes the fibers of the submucous membrane of the larynx, causing pain.

Non-inflammatory swelling of the throat is an aggravating symptom of many pathologies:

Cardiac dysfunction.
Cachexia.
Hypothyroidism.
Kidney failure, etc.

Non-inflammatory edema can also be caused by thermal or chemical damage to the submucosal tissue (for example, a burn with boiling water), or prolonged stress. Mild swelling of the throat may appear after an X-ray examination of the cervical spine as a reaction to radiation.

Distinctive features

As a rule, primary signs of swelling of the throat do not drive the patient to the doctor until pathological changes in the submucous membranes begin to interfere with eating and speaking normally. Depending on the cause of the disease, swelling can develop either quickly, within 24 hours, or sluggishly, over several days. Distinctive signs of pathology, which are easy to determine even without visiting a doctor, are:

Changing the timbre of the voice.
Sensation of a foreign object in the larynx.
Pain during eating, aggravated by swallowing.

During an otolaryngological examination of the throat, a narrowing of its lumen is observed. If the swelling affects the vocal cords, the patient experiences difficulty speaking. In the acute form of inflammatory edema, dry, so-called, edema is observed. barking cough, further irritating the affected tissues. It promotes the spread of the infectious agent to healthy tissue. Acute swelling of the throat requires immediate treatment, since if left untreated it can lead to the appearance of phlegmon (purulent abscess) in the larynx. The most dangerous consequence of untreated edematous laryngitis is laryngeal stenosis - a pathological narrowing of the larynx that impedes the flow of air into the lungs, trachea and bronchi. With acute stenosis of the larynx, asphyxia (suffocation) can occur.

Diagnosis of inflammatory and non-inflammatory edema

Since swelling of the larynx can be a symptom of dozens of different ailments, making an accurate diagnosis in its early stages can be difficult. An examination of the throat by an otolaryngologist is not enough. During diagnosis, experienced specialists observe the main clinical phenomena, which make it possible to determine the inflammatory or non-inflammatory nature of the pathology:

increase in temperature;
painful condition (weakness, drowsiness, lack of appetite);
chills.

Clinical phenomena are compared with laryngoscopy data - examination of the larynx and vocal cords using a special device. This is the main method for diagnosing edematous laryngitis and other pathologies of the submucosal membranes. With inflammatory swelling of the throat, the doctor observes the release of turbid liquid with blood impurities from the tissues of the larynx - exudate. Together with an increase in body temperature and general weakness, this sign with a 90% probability suggests an infectious nature of the pathology.

The non-inflammatory nature of swelling, in addition to laryngoscopy and analysis of general clinical phenomena, is determined by differential diagnosis. When examining with a laryngoscope, the doctor observes swelling of the mucous membranes, changing color from pink to yellow. Data from an internal examination of the larynx are compared with blood and urine tests for inflammatory changes.

Angioedema of the throat: symptoms and diagnosis

One of the most dangerous forms of non-inflammatory laryngeal edema is angioedema, also known as Quincke's edema. This is acute swelling of the submucosal membranes caused by the action of various types of allergens:

Household (dust, feathers, animal hair).
Food.
Pollenaceae.
Gribkov.
Medicinal.

Angioedema of the larynx is characterized by a rapid, almost rapid course. It manifests itself within a few minutes after exposure to an allergen and within a few hours can develop into an acute, life-threatening form. The patient experiences swelling of the neck veins, convulsions, and may lose consciousness. Catalysts that provoke swelling are UV radiation or low temperatures, so at the first signs of malaise, the patient should be taken away from the sun or frost.

The main therapeutic measure in the treatment of angioedema is the administration of antihistamines. Before the ambulance arrives, it is necessary to eliminate or minimize the effect of the allergen that caused the illness and take measures to alleviate the patient’s condition:

Provide a flow of fresh air into the room where the patient is.
Remove or unfasten clothes that are tight around the chest.
Apply a cooling compress to the area of swelling. Ice from the freezer is good for this purpose, but it is not advisable to apply a whole piece to your throat; you need to wrap it in cloth.
Give the patient water to drink to speed up the removal of toxic substances from the body resulting from the action of the allergen.
Give activated carbon or any other sorbent (if possible).
Place any drops of vasoconstrictor effect (naphthyzin, etc.) into the nose.

With angioedema of the larynx, it is important not to get confused and take timely measures to save the patient’s life. Often those around them panic and fuss over the patient, completely forgetting about the allergen that is under his nose. Therefore, doctors recommend that all allergy sufferers inform their immediate environment about their problem. Indeed, with Quincke's edema, the patient is not always able to say what he is allergic to.

Video - Quincke's edema

How and with what to treat inflammatory edema?

When swelling transforms into laryngeal stenosis, when there is a direct threat to life, vasoconstrictor drugs are administered. They allow you to temporarily expand the lumen of the larynx, preventing asphyxia. To prevent allergic reactions that often accompany the use of vasoconstrictor drugs, the patient is administered antihistamine drugs. If asphyxia has already occurred, the patient is allowed to inhale pure oxygen. These are resuscitation measures, on the speed and correctness of which the patient’s life depends.

If injection therapy and oxygen inhalation do not help, they resort to a last resort for treating stenosis - tracheotomy of the respiratory tract. This is a surgical excision of tissue from the throat just below the swollen area. A special tube (cannula) is inserted into the incision to allow air to enter the lungs.

Inflammatory swelling of the throat is treated by eliminating the causative agent of the infection that caused it. For this purpose, antibiotic drugs are prescribed that suppress the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms:

Name of the medication	Dosage form	Active substance	Approximate price
Bioparox	Spray	Fusafungin	488 - 570 rub.
Amoxiclav	Pills, powder for injection	Amoxicillin, clavulanic acid	118 - 463 rub.
Cephogram	Powder for injection	Ceftriaxone	From 179 rub.
Inhalipt	Spray	Sodium sulfanilamide	46 - 133 rub.
Teraflu	Tablets, powder	Paracetamol	79 - 545 rub.

The success of treating laryngitis with antibiotics is determined by the concentration of the active substance in the blood. A one-time dose of medication will not help relieve swelling and improve the general condition, because... antibiotics fight only the causative agent of laryngitis, and not its symptoms (lump in the throat, fever, weakness, etc.). To relieve them, drugs of different pharmacological groups are prescribed:

expectorants (Mukaltin, Gedelix, Gerbion, Prospan);
antipyretics (Theraflu, Ibuprofen, Paracetamol);
for lubricating the throat (Lugol's solution).

Important! The temperature for edematous laryngitis is brought down with medications when it exceeds 39˚ C. Taking antipyretics at a lower temperature is not advisable, because The body is already weakened by the effects of infection. To increase natural resistance to the causative agent of edematous laryngitis, restorative drugs and various vitamin complexes are prescribed.

The duration of treatment for laryngitis with medications and the regimen for taking them depend on the causative microbe and the severity of the symptoms of the disease. As a rule, antibiotics are taken for 3-7 days, then the attending physician discontinues the main medicine and leaves only restorative medications.

Rinse against laryngitis

It is advisable to treat laryngitis with folk remedies only in the early stages of the disease. When the disease becomes acute or chronic, only antibiotics will help. But even in these cases, folk recipes can alleviate laryngeal edema. In combination with drug treatment, they speed up recovery. Popular folk remedies against swelling of the throat are gargles:

sodas;
salt;
juice;
herbal.

Gargling with soda is a classic therapy for laryngitis and pharyngitis (inflammation of the tissues of the vocal cords). Dilute a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm (not hot!) water and gargle thoroughly for at least 5 minutes. For the procedure to be effective, you must use a fresh solution each time. When rinsing, you should try not to swallow the liquid, since soda irritates the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. At the initial stage of the disease, it is recommended to gargle every half hour. When the feeling of congestion begins to go away, you can limit yourself to 4-5 rinses a day.

The saline solution is prepared in a similar proportion. It is more effective to use sea salt, but if you don’t have it, regular table salt will do. To improve the disinfectant properties of the solution, add a few drops of iodine to it.

Gargling with herbal decoctions can help with acute forms of laryngitis. To prepare them, pharmaceutical mixtures of plants with pronounced anti-inflammatory properties are used: calamus root, chamomile, etc.

For acute swelling of the throat of an inflammatory nature, beetroot or potato gargles are helpful. Grated vegetables are squeezed through cheesecloth, the resulting juice is diluted with boiled water in a 1:1 ratio. The frequency of rinsing at the initial stage of laryngitis is at least 3 times a day, for acute and chronic forms - 4-5.

Important! After any rinsing, it is advisable not to eat or drink for at least half an hour.

Inhalations for throat swelling

In complex therapy of inflammatory forms of swelling, it is recommended to alternate rinses with inhalations. When inhaling steam, particles of the medicinal product settle on the submucous membranes. Inhalations can be carried out in the traditional way, by inhaling steam from a healing solution poured into a wide container or using a compact device - a nebulizer. Some models of nebulizers are designed only for the installation of bottles of medicines, but most devices allow you to pour both medicines and self-prepared solutions into a special tank.

For severe inflammation of the submucous membranes, alkaline inhalations are effective. The most accessible alkali solution at home is Borjomi and Essentuki mineral waters.

Honey therapy

Another effective and tasty method of treating laryngitis is honey. The flower one is considered the healthiest; it is better not to take the candied variety. Honey forms a healing film on the affected mucous membranes. The simplest treatment option is to suck small portions of honey throughout the day. Short-term relief occurs immediately, but to consolidate the effect, you need to be treated with a sweet product for 5-7 days. The therapeutic effect of natural honey is enhanced by other folk remedies:

Lemon juice. It is mixed with honey in a 1:2 ratio and taken every 30 minutes for acute forms of laryngitis.
Carrot juice. Stir 2-3 tablespoons of honey in a glass of carrot juice. The resulting cocktail is taken one tablespoon 4-5 times a day.
Milk. A large spoonful of honey is diluted in a glass of warmed milk and drunk before bed. This is a proven method of restoring voice in case of inflammation of the ligaments.
Aloe. Not the most pleasant to taste, but an effective medicine against swelling of the throat. 50 g of honey is stirred in a glass of aloe leaf extract and taken three times a day, a teaspoon.

Important! If you are allergic to bee products, treatment of laryngeal edema with honey is strictly contraindicated.

Laryngeal edema can occur due to inflammatory processes affecting the pharynx or larynx.

Everyone needs to know what swelling in the throat is, the reasons why it occurs, how to treat and prevent such an unpleasant phenomenon to avoid unpleasant consequences.

Causes

Such a symptom may indicate the development of a certain disease in a person such as laryngopharyngitis, tuberculosis, influenza, etc.

Sometimes this phenomenon can be observed in people after undergoing an x-ray examination prescribed by a doctor.

The causes of throat swelling may lie in various diseases of internal organs and systems. It can develop against the background of kidney or liver pathologies, or with cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, swelling can be caused by an allergic process.

Swelling of the throat mucosa cannot occur on its own. It is only a symptom of a serious disease.

Therefore, this process cannot be neglected, because if the disease begins to progress, there is a possibility that the swelling will intensify, block the airways and suffocate the sick person.

In addition, the sore throat will become progressively worse.

An inflammatory process in the throat can be a symptom of the following diseases:

Phlegmonous or edematous laryngitis.
Supraglottic abscess.
Suppuration of the root of the tongue.
All kinds of infectious diseases of the oral cavity.
A swollen throat is an integral symptom of various sore throats.

Laryngeal edema can be either inflammatory or non-inflammatory. In the first case, this process is accompanied by severe pain and discomfort.

The second version of edema may not manifest itself at all, although occasionally it may still be painful for a person to swallow or have difficulty breathing.

A non-inflammatory type of laryngeal edema may indicate the development of:

Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Kidney diseases.
Any liver pathology.
An allergic reaction to a pharmacological drug or food product.
Disturbances in the circulatory process of the throat due to enlarged lymph nodes.

In addition to the above reasons, swelling of the throat can be caused by mechanical damage to the larynx by any foreign object, complications after surgical operations in the neck or throat, or consumption of too hot food or drinks.

Types of throat swelling

Laryngeal edema is divided into several types depending on the disease that caused it, in addition to other accompanying symptoms:

Infectious swelling. It is the most common type of such pathology in medical practice. In this case, the infection can appear either primarily or secondary due to the development of another disease. This kind of swelling can occur with laryngitis, hypothermia, voice loss, etc.
The throat is swollen due to damage from a foreign body. Damage can be the result of mechanical stress, thermal or chemical effects on the mucous membrane, various wounds and throat injuries. In addition, the nasopharynx is harmed by breathing hot steam, poisonous gas, etc.
Toxic edema.
Symptomatic swelling of the larynx. Develops against the background of some kind of kidney disease, heart disease, tumor and other diseases.
Vasomotor edema. Occurs as a symptom of an allergic reaction.

The last point can also include Quincke's edema (angioedema). This is a pathological condition of the body in which not only the throat, but also other parts of the body swell.

It develops extremely quickly and is a fairly serious allergy symptom. Below are the main causes of Quincke's edema.

Taking iodine-containing drugs, aspirin or penicillin.
Use of medications that contain B vitamins.
Inhalation of pollen from various plants.
Eating foods containing emulsifiers or dyes.
Release of histamine into the body.
Exposure to various types of chemicals contained in cosmetics, paint or household chemicals.

A similar syndrome can occur due to the development of an infectious disease. Such diseases include pathologies of the endocrine system, giardiasis or hepatitis.

In rare cases, a person may have a genetic predisposition to angioedema. Sometimes large doses of alcohol can cause the release of histamines, thereby triggering this type of edema.

Symptoms and treatment

Many people cannot always recognize laryngeal edema, the symptoms of which are not so varied.

Such ignorance is very dangerous, so you should remember that the main signs of such an illness are considered to be hoarseness of voice, dry cough, and blueness of the face.

All this is accompanied by heavy breathing, developing into suffocation.

Only if all the symptoms are correctly analyzed, laryngeal edema can be quickly and effectively treated.

Swelling of the throat will most likely be accompanied by swelling of the soft palate, tonsils and uvula. With this syndrome, the patient hears a characteristic chest whistle while breathing.

Quincke's swelling may be accompanied by additional swelling of the hands, face, lips, fingers and other parts of the body.

If laryngeal edema is suspected, treatment should begin by calling an ambulance. This should be done as soon as possible, before the patient begins to experience suffocation.

First aid for swelling of the larynx consists of unbuttoning the sick person’s clothes, removing his scarf, tie or any other item that can interfere with the flow of air.

If the condition is caused by an allergic reaction, then it is urgent to stop the entry of the allergen into the patient’s body.

Allergies can be easily distinguished from other causes, since they rarely occur without a runny nose, redness of the eyes or mucous membranes.

The person should be revived, then placed in a hot bath, or at least have their limbs submerged in a container of warm water.

If you cannot count on a quick arrival of doctors, and the patient’s throat is already quite swollen, you can try to relieve or at least alleviate its manifestations by rinsing the mouth with adrenaline hydrochloride.

A strong nasal spray will also help in this situation. Sometimes there may be nothing left but to relieve swelling in the nasopharynx by intramuscular injection of an antihistamine (like suprastin or diphenhydramine).

You need to be extremely careful with such medications and keep in mind that dosages for adults and children differ.

An allergic reaction caused by an insect bite should be treated almost instantly; swelling of the larynx in this case very often leads to tragic consequences.

If the bite is on an arm or leg, apply a tourniquet to the area slightly above the wound as soon as possible.

In order to correctly decide what and how to relieve swelling of the throat, you must first find out the cause of its occurrence.

Swelling of the throat can be treated both at home and in the hospital through a combination of the following therapeutic measures:

Carrying out penicillin injections and inhalations.
Keeping your neck constantly warm.
You can put cans, use mustard plasters.
Take finely ground or liquid food.
Sometimes swallowing ice can help.
Injection of novocaine solution under the skin. If the disease occurs without a runny nose, then this substance can also be administered through the nose.
Intravenous glucose solution may also be effective.

It is better to prevent the appearance of a swollen throat than to relieve it.

Therefore, you should avoid contact with dangerous insects, carefully read contraindications to the drugs used, promptly treat infectious diseases, and refrain from eating foods with emulsifiers and dyes.