Coughing compulsion
Compulsive throat-clearing and coughing occur in conjunction with functional voice disorders. These can be associated with laryngitis. The compulsion to clear one’s throat is usually associated with a foreign body sensation in the throat, which can be caused by the swollen laryngeal mucosa or vocal fold nodules.
Fever
Since laryngitis is an inflammatory process, some people get fever. Children in particular tend to get fever, as this is the body’s own way of killing pathogens. A medical clarification is recommended.
If the fever has developed rapidly and is very high, there is a suspicion that it is an inflammation of the epiglottis. This special form of laryngitis is called epiglottitis. Since it is usually caused by bacteria, antibiotic treatment is usually recommended.
Sore throat
Laryngeal inflammation is often accompanied by localized pain. These can radiate into the entire throat. With laryngitis, a lot happens in the body at the cellular level.
A number of mechanisms are triggered and “messenger substances” are activated and released. This eventually leads to sore throat. The strength and extent of the sore throat is very individual.
Pain when swallowing
In laryngitis, the laryngeal mucosa is swollen and thickened to varying degrees. This can make swallowing painful in the case of laryngitis. Since the larynx is moved each time it is swallowed, the swollen laryngeal mucosa becomes very irritated. This can be particularly noticeable during food intake. In some cases, swallowing saliva is already unpleasant to very painful.
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
In laryngitis, the lymph nodes in the neck are often swollen. The swelling can be painless or painful. In the context of a laryngitis this is a sign that the immune system is working.
Different symptoms in adults and children
Since the child’s larynx is anatomically different from the adult larynx, another area of the larynx is often affected. Accordingly, the symptoms are also different.In children, the mucous membrane often becomes inflamed in the area below the larynx. It is correspondingly swollen and the epiglottis is usually bright red and thickened.
This is known as subglottic laryngitis, also known as pseudocroup. Characteristic of this laryngitis, which occurs in childhood, is hoarseness and a dry, barking cough. Accompanying the cough, pathological breathing sounds can be heard due to narrowing of the airways.
This is called stridor in the technical jargon. It is differentiated according to whether it occurs when breathing in or out. Breath sounds that occur during exhalation as part of a child’s laryngitis indicate that the vocal folds are also involved.
Breathing difficulties and shortness of breath can be of varying degrees. Depending on the severity of the severity, the child’s lips and fingers may turn blue, a condition known as cyanosis. As a rule, laryngitis in adults does not cause barking, but only a dry irritable cough. In addition, laryngitis in adults triggers breathing difficulties and breathing sounds only in exceptional cases and as part of complications.
