Acute stenosing laryngotracheitis is a disease commonly known as false croup in children. It can have various causes of occurrence. Among them are influenza viruses, adenovirus infections, parainfluenza, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and some other diseases. Very often croupous edema of the respiratory tract is observed in allergy sufferers as a reaction of the organism to the action of allergens. False croup is an inflammatory process in the larynx and trachea, accompanied by edema of soft tissues. The greater distribution of false croup in children in comparison with adults is explained by the peculiarities of the structure of the airway of the child. They are narrower and have a slightly different shape than in adults. The presence of more blood vessels, lymphatic formations increase the risk of edema and make them more acute. Thus, the smaller the patient's age, the more acute, as a rule, the swelling of the throat. A large number of loose tissues, fiber in the trachea and larynx contributes to the development of inflammatory processes and edema in this area.
Signs of croup in children
False groats (stenosis of the larynx) are manifested primarily in the form of dry and choking "barking" cough, difficulty breathing with periodic loss of voice and hoarseness. Unlike other inflammatory diseases of the throat, developing gradually, the syndrome of false croup arises very quickly, almost instantaneously. Quiet a couple of minutes ago, the child suddenly feels an attack of suffocation and a painful cough. Most children are greatly frightened, so parents, in addition to medical care, should give the child moral support - get out of the crib, hug and try to calm down as quickly as possible. A rise in body temperature, a child's anxiety, coughing up (especially if it becomes silent or coarsening) is a serious reason to immediately call a doctor. However, to seek medical help should be immediately when the first signs of croupous edema, without waiting for it to increase. Do not give up hospitalization, because seizures can recur again after a while, and the speed of response and timely medical care for swelling of the throat are extremely important.
Croup syndrome in children under the age of five most often occurs on the basis of viral and colds, usually a few days after the onset of the disease. In infants (up to a year), as well as children older than five years, false cereal occurs less often, but its occurrence is not ruled out, so parents should know how the cereal in children, the symptoms and causes of its occurrence, and the methods of first aid are manifested.
False groats in children: treatment and first aid
Most of the attacks of false cereal in children occur at night. It is very important to notice it on time, because if the parents do not hear or ignore the barking cough's attack in the child (which is often accompanied by a false cereal), the swelling may become so large that it will deprive the child of the opportunity to breathe and lead to suffocation. The probability of the occurrence of viral croup in children is higher, if earlier the child had manifestations of allergy, intolerance to some products, etc. However, even if no allergic reactions were observed before, the appearance of a false groin is also improbable. It is important to remember that it is impossible to predict the strength of the edema, just like you can not be sure that after an improvement the attack will not happen again. Therefore, as soon as you notice swelling in the child's larynx, difficulty breathing, fever, coughing (if it becomes rougher or vice versa - soundless, but uninterrupted) - call a doctor immediately.
The first thing that parents should do in anticipation of the arrival of doctors: try to remove the swelling. For this, antihistamines are used (well, if it's a syrup).
It should also be avoided giving the child plenty of water or other fluid, because swelling, which is the cause of a false cereal in children, can increase from this.
Try to create a warm and humid "tropical" atmosphere in the room - this will soften the cough a little. Do not use aerosols from asthma, especially adults - they do not always help, and sometimes they can significantly aggravate an attack.
Before the arrival of physicians, note the frequency and duration of seizures, note any change in the condition of the child.