Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx, associated typically with colds or infectious diseases such as measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough. Most common reasons are hypothermia, breathing through the mouth, the dust-laden air, overstrain of the larynx.
Symptoms : the changing nature of voice (no voice or hoarse), dry cough, discomfort in the throat. Temperature, sometimes, is a little high, light toxicity (fatigue, dry mouth).
Varieties of laryngitis
Catarrhal laryngitis. There is a hoarseness, rawness in the throat, tickling sensation, a recurring cough. Catarrhal laryngitis is the easiest form of the disease.
Hypertrophic laryngitis. There is a stronger hoarseness, cough and sore. In this case, there is a bunch of tiny (like a pinhead) growths, called “singer’s nodules” that cause hoarseness. Some children, suffering from laryngitis in childhood, do not hoarseness in adolescence. Doctors attribute this to hormonal changes. Treatment is the same as in other types of laryngitis. In extreme cases, tubercles on the ligaments are cauterized with silver nitrate solution. If the ligaments are changed very much, sometimes the affected ligaments are removed surgically.
Atrophic laryngitis. There is a thinning of the inner mucosa membrane of the larynx, dry mouth, painful cough, almost always hoarse. In case of a strong cough there are crusts streaked with blood. Fortunately, children do not have it. The cause of the laryngitis is overreliance on spicy food, rich in herbs and spices. Typically it affects also the back wall of the pharynx. The disease is common among mountaineers.
Professional laryngitis is a special kind of laryngitis. Teachers and other people who often have to strain their voice have this disease. There is a kind of thickening – “singer’s nodules” on the ligaments. Over time, the voice reminds Vito Corleone from “The Godfather.”
The causes of the disease
The cause of the disease is damage to the mucous membrane of the larynx and upper trachea, which leads to the inflammation, leading to the development of typical disease. The causes of mucosal injury varied, ranging from hypothermia or excessive strain of voice (for example, singers, teachers), to the colonization of mucosal with pathogens in common acute infections (influenza, measles, etc.). The inflammatory process can capture or the entire mucous membrane of the larynx (diffuse form of laryngitis) or mucosa of the epiglottis, vocal cords, infraglottic walls cavity.
How to treat laryngitis
The main thing is to eliminate the cause of the laryngitis. It is not recommended to talk loudly for 5-7 days, smoke, drink alcohol, eat spicy dishes.
The patient has to take care of the voice, not talking and trying to breath in warm and humid air, steam inhalations are recommended to be done for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours. Also he should avoid cold or smoky air and the fog.
Also doctors recommend: a warm drink (milk), gargling with decoction of chamomile or sage, warm alkaline inhalations, bandages and hot compress on the neck, hot foot bath, antitussives and physiotherapy (UHF, electrophoresis of novocaine on the area of the larynx).
In case of chronic hypertrophic laryngitis hyperplastic areas of mucous membrane they sear it with 3-5% silver nitrate solution or remove surgically. In case of chronic atrophic laryngitis they use alkaline and oil inhalation, lubricate the throat. For better discharge of crusts they prescribe proteolytic enzymes in the form of aerosols.
Sometimes there is a transition to chronic laryngitis. The outcome of chronic laryngitis depends on its form. Hypertrophic and atrophic chronic laryngitis do not fully recover. Prevention of laryngitis is eliminating of the causal factors.
Folk remedies for the treatment of laryngitis:
Mix fresh carrot juice with honey in equal proportions. Take 5 times a day until symptoms of the disease disappear.
Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, boil in the milk. Gargle with broth until no discomfort in the throat and hoarseness. This decoction is prepared in the following proportions: 100 grams of carrots and 0.5 liters of milk.
When you have hoarseness, it is helpful to eat steamed garlic. This is a proven and very effective remedy.
The following recipe is also very simple and no less effective than the previous one: take a few crushed cloves of garlic, 200 ml of milk. Mix, put on low heat, boil. Take one tablespoon several times a day.
Prepare 10-15 grams of finely chopped onion peel, then add half a liter of water, boil. Infuse for a few hours, then drain. Gargle as often as possible.
Peel a small onion, then slice it, add a tablespoon of sugar, pour 150 ml of water. Simmer until the onion is soft and the mixture thickens. Then mix with honey in equal proportions. Take a tablespoon about 40 minutes before eating four or five times a day.
Gargle potato juice. To achieve the desired effect gargle regularly in a certain period of time. Duration of treatment is 4 weeks.
Take 5 grams of sunflower seeds and the same amount of finely chopped leaves of the sunflower, pour 1 liter of water. Boil for one and a half hours. Then drain, cool. Put a tablespoon of honey. Take 30-40 drops several times a day.
Mix the juice of fresh leaves of the large plantain with honey in equal quantities. Boil. Take a tablespoon 2-3 times a day.
Very sweet recipe for the treatment of laryngitis: take 2 raw egg yolk, mix with a glass of sugar until smooth (and white), then add the butter and eat between meals. Cures hoarseness and discomfort in the throat.
Boil 15-20 grams of white raisins in 200-250 ml of water. Pour a tablespoon of onion juice. Take half a cup three times a day (you can take with honey), be sure to pre-heat! This mixture is not only very effective but also rich in vitamins.
Herbal
Take 10 grams of elder flowers, an equal number of linden and chamomile flowers. Pour 200 ml of boiling water, infuse for 40-50 minutes. A decoction is used for inhalation and gargling or you can drink it.
It is well known that inhalation normalizes regeneration. So you can make the inhalation of essential oils of peppermint, eucalyptus, thyme, melissa, lavender.
Take 40 grams of stems of alder, pour a glass of boiling water, infuse for half an hour – forty minutes. Take 10 grams of the root of sorrel, pour 200 ml of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Then mix everything. Use for inhalation, rinses.
Here’s another recipe: Take 5 grams of Viola tricolor grass and a teaspoon of bur-marigold tripartite, pour boiling water (200-250 ml), infuse 40-60 minutes, strain and use for inhalation.
Take 10 grams of sage leaves, pour boiling water (150-200 ml), leave for 40 minutes, then mix 1/2 tablespoon of St. John’s wort grass with a glass of boiling water and infuse; mix 1/2 tablespoon of cranberry bark with a glass of boiling water and boil (about 10 minutes). Mix and use for inhalation.
Mix 10 grams of lavender grass and 5 grams of chamomile flowers. Pour 200 ml of boiling water, infuse for 40-50 minutes. Use for inhalation.
Another simple, but effective broth for inhalation: take 8-10 grams of pine buds and flowers of chamomile. Pour 150-200 ml of boiling water, infuse for 40-50 minutes. Make inhalations.
Take 10 grams of the bark of oak and viburnum, pour 200 ml of cold water, boil for 20 minutes. Infuse for 40-50 minutes. Make inhalations, gargle four times a day.
Take 10 grams of horsetail and foalfoot leaves, 5 grams of sage grass and flowers of hawthorn, 3-4 grams of the root of Elecampane. Pour 200 ml of cold water. Put on the fire to boil 7 minutes, infuse for 40-50 minutes. Before taking warm up, the daily rate is a tablespoon with a half of cup (if laryngitis is the chronic).
Take an equal amount (about 3-5 grams) of chicory and thyme grass, a half tablespoon of black currant leaves and walnut leaves. Pour 150-200 ml of boiling water, put in a tightly closed thermos for about 10 hours. Take 1/2 cup every 2-3 hours.
Take 5 grams of foalfoot and raspberries leaves, infuse in a tightly closed thermos for about 10 hours. Make inhalations and rinse.
