Is laryngitis contagious or not? Therapist's Answer

Any of us ever had a sore throat. Everyone remembers this unpleasant feeling of sadness in the throat and loss of voice for a week, or even more. But very few people know that scientifically this malaise is called laryngitis. Is laryngitis contagious or not? Weird question. The answer, of course, is positive. And we will deal with the reasons somewhat later, because everything is not so simple as it seems at first glance.

Definition

Laryngitis has this name from the word "larings", which in Latin means the larynx. This inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, associated with cold or infectious diseases, for example, with measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough. The development of the disease is facilitated by systemic or local action of low temperatures, prolonged breathing through the mouth, overstrain of the vocal cords (singing, speech).

Laryngotracheitis is also an inflammatory disease of the larynx, which also covers the upper parts of the trachea.

With both diseases, hoarseness of voice, dryness of mucous membranes, coughing, swelling in the throat is observed . In rare cases, there is edema of the skin of the neck, cyanosis and pain when swallowing. Is laryngitis contagious to others? It all depends on the agent that caused the inflammation, but as a rule yes.

Varieties of laryngitis

In clinical practice, there are several variants of laryngitis.

1. Catarrhal . The easiest form, which is manifested by sorrow, perspiration in the throat, coughing, hoarseness of voice. Usually a warm drink and silence can cure such a laryngitis even without the use of medication.
2. Hypertrophic . Symptoms of catarrhal laryngitis are intensified, knot-like nodules are formed on the vocal cords. They give the voice a specific hoarseness. Sometimes with age, hoarseness in children passes. This is due to the release of hormones during the pubertal period. Bumps are cauterized with lapis lazuli or surgically removed.
3. Atrophic . The disease is manifested by thinning of the mucous membrane. Patients have a nauseous cough, a hoarse voice. Sometimes the cough is so strong that the capillaries burst in the mucous membrane. The cause of this condition, as a rule, is the abuse of acute and hot food. Usually such a laryngitis occurs in the inhabitants of the Caucasus.
4. Professional . It occurs in singers and teachers because of the excessive tension of the voice. On the ligaments appear nodules, which interfere with the clamping and normal passage of air.
5. Diphtheria . Associated with the defeat of the tonsils bacillus Leffler. The inflammatory process descends lower, and dense fibrin films cover the laryngeal mucosa. They can come off and block the air access, causing the croup.
6. Tuberculosis . It is usually a secondary infection. Nodular thickenings appear in the mucous larynx with curdled detritus inside.
7. Syphilitic . Is a complication of the primary disease, with secondary infection can form ulcers, and with tertiary - scars and stenosis of the larynx, which lead to hoarseness and loss of voice.

Etiology of acute laryngitis

How contagious is laryngitis, one can reason, only knowing its cause. In typical cases, it is damage to the larynx and / or trachea, causing an inflammatory reaction. Damage can cause both mechanical stimuli and supercooling, voice overstrain, as well as pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microflora that is constantly in the oral cavity. Inflammation can pass to the epiglottis, vocal cords and a podogolovoy cavity.

Pathophysiology and Clinic

Acute laryngitis is contagious only if it is caused by a virulent bacterial flora. Mucous in this disease becomes red and swollen, especially on the eve of the larynx. Pathologically dilated vessels can burst, and blood will permeate the tissues, forming violet-purple spots.

In isolated forms of the disease, edema and hyperemia are expressed only on the epiglottis. If the pathological process is spreading to the trachea, it causes an exacerbation cough with phlegm.

Clinically, laryngitis is manifested by fever, pain when swallowing, hoarseness of voice. Difficulty in breathing is observed due to the narrowing of the glottis due to its spasm and edema or even abscess of the larynx. Patients complain of perspiration in the throat, dry cough, rough or silent voice.

False groats

Is acute laryngitis contagious? Given the variety of possible pathogens, rather yes than not. Children of preschool age develop a special form of inflammation of the larynx - a false croup. It is named so because of the similarity of the clinical picture with manifestations of diphtheria.

Because of mucosal edema, free passage of air into the lungs is disturbed, but in some cases, edema is accompanied by a spasm of the vocal cords, and the child begins to choke. As a rule, this state arises unexpectedly and at night. Children become pale, cyanotic, covered with sweat. Breathing either absent altogether, or frequent and noisy, can be a barking cough. The attack lasts up to half an hour, then the child calms down and falls asleep.

Causes and symptoms of chronic laryngitis

Laryngitis (contagious or not - we have already found out) if it is not treated, quickly turns into a chronic form. This is facilitated by long-term infections of the pharynx and larynx, inflammation of the nose and sinuses, and the abuse of alcohol and tobacco. It is often a professional illness of teachers and singers.

Patients complain of hoarseness, sensation of foreign body in the larynx, perspiration, cough. After prolonged exertion, all symptoms become worse.

Is laryngitis an infectious disease? Chronic - no. This is more the result of excessive loads, reinforced by bad habits, than the result of the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria.

Diagnostics

Laryngitis is contagious or not, you can only say after a thorough examination of the larynx and taking smears for bacterial examination. Initially, the doctor interviews the patient in order to have an idea of his illness. Then he asks the patient to open his mouth and visually examines the larynx, assesses the condition of the vocal chords and voice. If necessary, the patient can be referred to an ENT doctor.

For the examination of the larynx, doctors use special equipment that helps not only to better examine the anatomical structures, but also to take tissue particles for pathomorphological examination. This is necessary to exclude tumoral diseases of laryngeal ligament apparatus.

Treatment

How to cure laryngitis? Infectious or not - this is a controversial issue, but you still need to get rid of it. First of all, the patient is recommended to provide the throat with complete peace, that is, do not talk, sing, smoke or drink alcohol. From food you need to exclude hot, spicy and spicy. Doctors recommend gargling with warm solutions of furacilin or chamomile, making compresses on the neck area. It will be useful to drink warm alkaline mineral water, for example, "Borjomi" or "Essentuki".

Patients with chronic inflammation of the larynx may require more stringent methods: drug therapy or surgical intervention. It all depends on the degree of vocal cord loss and the duration of the disease.