Cold or worry after the throat will be sore, "sore throat", most people think of is a cold, generally go to the pharmacy to buy cold medicine to eat, their own deal with the past.

Epiglottis, commander of the "crossroads" between trachea and esophagus

The epiglottis is one of the leaf-shaped cartilages of the larynx. When we swallow food, the epiglottis covers the trachea and the food enters the esophagus, preventing it from entering the trachea and causing coughing.

At the "crossroads" of the trachea and esophagus, the epiglottis directs the two to go their own way, and if this "commander" has an accident (such as acute inflammation), the patient will have many unexpected troubles, and even life-threatening.

Acute epiglottitis, also known as supraglottic laryngitis, is a special acute inflammatory disease that mainly involves the epiglottis and its surrounding tissues (including epiglottic valley, arynoepiglottic fold, etc.) in the larynx supraglottic area, and is mainly characterized by high epiglottic edema.

Infection is the most common cause of the disease. Acute epiglottitis can occur all year round, especially in winter.

Acute epiglottitis starts suddenly, the patient has fever and chills, the body temperature can be as high as 39℃, the patient's speech is confused, as if the mouth contains something, the throat is burning, swallowing is unfavorable.

Acute epiglottitis progresses rapidly, and most patients can be cured after timely treatment, while a few patients have dangerous conditions and are quickly asphyxiated with a high mortality rate. Acute epiglottitis is dangerous because the submucous tissue of the epiglottis is loose and easy to edema, which can be swollen to several times that of the normal epiglottis in the first few hours of the disease, and even block the glottis, causing laryngeal obstruction and suffocation.

Laryngoscopy showed hyperemia and swelling of the epiglottic tongue surface, such as hemispherical swelling, and even pus spots. If you don't rescue him in time, he will die.

Many patients require tracheotomy to relieve asphyxia, indicating that the disease is quite dangerous.

Acute epiglottitis is different from common sore throat

In many people's eyes, sore throat that is a common thing, then, ordinary sore throat and acute epiglottitis, patients in the symptoms are not the same?

Compared with ordinary sore throat, patients suffering from acute epiglottitis have a very intense throat pain, to the point of unbearable, what is more serious is that the throat is stuffy, the speech is vague, as if there is something in the mouth, there are symptoms of breathing, swallowing and breathing are difficult.

Treatment of acute epiglottitis must be early

The treatment of acute epiglottitis should be found early, and sufficient antibiotics should be applied in time to keep breathing smooth.

If laryngeal edema occurs, it is a great threat to the patency of the respiratory tract, and hormones can be used to reduce swelling, and hormones should be applied in large doses, because hormones also have non-specific anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, anti-shock and other effects, so the combined application of hormones and antibiotics can obtain good results. Difficulty in eating should be intravenous fluid, can be supplemented with calcium, anti-allergy drugs, pay attention to water, electrolyte balance.

If there is local abscess formation should be cut and discharge pus, is conducive to rapid control of infection. In the treatment of acute epiglottitis, special attention should be paid to relieving dyspnea, timely oxygen delivery or ready to do emergency tracheotomy to avoid asphyxia.

In order to prevent the occurrence of acute epiglottitis, usually should strengthen exercise, enhance body resistance, timely treatment of acute inflammation of adjacent organs, to prevent the spread of infection. Usually should quit smoking alcohol, avoid spicy stimulating food, maintain oral hygiene.