How to treat laryngitis and cough in children?

It is normal for children to cough, but if the cough makes strange characteristic sounds and is difficult to get rid of, or even causes difficulty breathing, parents should pay attention. This may be a symptom of laryngitis. Parents should always pay attention to their children's symptoms, pay enough attention to them, and then actively seek medical treatment. Doctors usually use nebulization, intramuscular injection, and intravenous hormones to treat the condition.

1. What is laryngitis? Why does a laryngitis cough sound so strange?

Acute laryngitis in children is an acute inflammation of the laryngeal mucosa, mainly in the glottic area.

The laryngeal cavity of children is small and the laryngeal cartilage support is weak. When the laryngeal cavity is inflamed, edema occurs in the mucosa and submucosa. When edema occurs in a relatively small area, the space becomes even smaller, and the airflow passing through the inner diameter of the pipe that is thinner than the original one will make a special sound, namely a "hollow, hollow" cough or a heavy cough like that of an elderly person.

2. Risk of laryngitis

The specificity of the cough does not pose a risk of laryngitis. Risks of laryngitis are laryngeal edema and difficulty breathing.

Laryngitis usually has an acute onset and progresses very quickly, and the symptoms are relatively severe at night. Severe laryngeal congestion and edema or laryngeal spasm can cause suffocation, difficulty breathing, and even life-threatening.

3. What should parents do if they suspect their child has laryngitis?

Laryngitis progresses rapidly and can worsen suddenly at night. Therefore, when a child's voice becomes a little hoarse at the onset of laryngitis, even if there is no difficulty breathing, it should be taken more seriously than a common cold and the child should seek medical attention more actively.

Suspected laryngitis: If you find that your child is hoarse, has a strange cough, cannot cough out, and is irritable, crying, or has difficulty breathing, you should see a doctor as soon as possible to avoid delaying the disease.

4. Diagnosis and treatment of laryngitis

The doctor will make a diagnosis based on the child's characteristic symptoms such as cough and hoarseness.

Depending on the severity of the child's condition, the doctor will give nebulized, intramuscular, or intravenous hormone treatment. The main purpose of hormone therapy is to reduce laryngeal edema and keep the airway open. For laryngitis, hormones are a necessary treatment.