Laryngospasm

Laryngospasm: symptoms, causes and treatment

Laryngospasm is a condition in which the muscles of the larynx convulsively contract, causing the glottis to close and impair breathing. This disease can occur in both adults and children, but most often appears in early childhood. In this article we will look at the causes, symptoms and treatment methods of laryngospasm.

Causes of laryngospasm

Laryngospasm can be caused by a number of different reasons. In children, this disease is often associated with rickets, spasmophilia, hydrocephalus, artificial feeding and other factors that increase the reflex excitability of the neuromuscular apparatus of the larynx. In adults, laryngospasm can occur as a result of reflex irritation of the larynx by a foreign body, inhalation of irritating gases and other causes.

Symptoms of laryngospasm

In children, laryngospasm is manifested by periodic attacks of convulsive closure of the glottis, which are accompanied by prolonged noisy inspiration, cyanosis, twitching of the limbs, constriction of the pupils, sometimes with cessation of breathing and rarely loss of consciousness. The attack usually lasts a few seconds and breathing is restored. In adults, an attack of laryngospasm is also short-lived and is accompanied by a severe cough, facial flushing, and then cyanosis.

Treatment of laryngospasm

Treatment of laryngospasm consists of eliminating the cause of the disease. During an attack, they irritate the mucous membrane (tickle the nose, give ammonia to sniff) and the skin (spray the face with cold water, give an injection, pinch). Intubation or tracheostomy is used very rarely. In the interictal period, general restorative treatment is carried out, including walks in the fresh air, vitamin therapy, vitamin D is especially indicated. Children prone to laryngospasm and who are bottle-fed should, if possible, be provided with donor milk.

In conclusion, laryngospasm is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. If you or your child have symptoms of laryngospasm, call your doctor. With timely consultation with a doctor and proper treatment, most patients completely get rid of this disease and restore normal breathing. Remember that prevention of laryngospasm involves maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. If you are at risk of developing laryngospasm, follow your doctor's advice and take steps to prevent it.

Laryngospasm is a sharp spasm of the muscles of the larynx, which leads to partial or complete obstruction of the vocal cords and impaired swallowing.

Based on the nature of the spasmodic component, peripheral and central laryngospasms are distinguished. The latter occur when the central part of the neuromuscular apparatus of the larynx is damaged and are caused by various reasons, for example, diseases of the spine, upper cervical sympathetic ganglion, etc. Often such spasms are caused by direct irritation of the nerve that controls the larynx. Peripheral spasm of the larynx occurs with bilateral local muscle inflammation, when both nerves of the larynx are irritated. As a rule, it is purely spontaneous, i.e., it is not associated with the development of infection or other pathological conditions. In other words, this is a kind of reflex spasm of the muscular tissue of the larynx, and not oneirodystrophic, observed in Huntington’s disease. Episodic reflex spasms of the larynx occur in healthy people as a result of mental trauma or anxiety and disappear quickly after specific therapeutic measures. Spasms of the larynx can also be observed in pathologies of the upper respiratory tract - otitis media, neurasthenia, etc., but it is associated with ear disease and is more significantly limited anatomically. This is because the laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve (larynopharyngeal or superior laryngeal nerve), which innervates the upper segment of the larynx, includes