The child wakes up and calls you with a hoarse voice, and at night you hear his sharp cough, like a barking dog, followed by difficult breathing …
These are some of the symptoms of laryngitis or croup (a form of laryngitis in infants and children up to three years). In addition to these symptoms, it is also the child is also experiencing difficulties to breathe with visible straining of neck muscles, ribs or breastbone, hoarseness caused by inflammation of the vocal cord, loss of voice, pain in the speech, tingling and tenderness in the throat, a constant need to clean up the throat, loss of voice accompanied by the flu, cold or pneumonia, occasionally fever.
What causes laryngitis
Everything that makes the swollen vocal cords, causes sore throat. The most important cause is a common cold virus (parainfluenza), but the perpetrators could be the bacteria, allergies and exposure to various irritant substances (chemicals, poisons, dry air).
Viral pharyngitis usually goes away by itself after a few days without any treatment. That is why more permanent laryngitis is a warning sign that this was something else and not just an unpleasant virus.
Home remedy laryngitis
Laryngitis treatment at home is possible, but only if the child is resting his or her voice, and the whole body as well, drinks plenty of fluids, inhales steam from the boiling pot of water or tea, and if you put warm compresses around his or her neck regularly. Given that the children airways are narrow (tight), an infection is quite close to the larynx and trachea can have dramatic effects: inflammation can lead to such swelling that could prevent air intake – then it is not the case of common laryngitis is, but croup. It is spread by air, droplets, and a virus causes it.
When to consult a doctor because of laryngitis
If hoarseness and discomfort last longer than a week, if the sore throat is a consequence of exposure to environmental toxins, if the sore throat occurs as a result of chronic bronchitis and hoarseness and a child ends up with sharp cough.
Laryngitis home remedies in children
Try to be calm because he or she lacks oxygen, which creates additional panic, the child cries and the strains, which creates an extra need for oxygen. Take him to the window and allow him or her to breathe more air – cold or moist air will reduce the swelling of the larynx. Take the child into the bathroom where you have closed all the windows and let warm water from all taps until the whole room fills up with water vapor. Stay in this steamy room until the doctor arrives, even if the state of the child seems to be better.