Definition
Laryngeal inflammation can have different causes. Accordingly, there are causes that are not contagious. These include chemical stimuli such as cigarette smoke.
But also voice overload, dry, dusty air, air conditioning or enormous temperature fluctuations can trigger infection-free laryngitis. These causes can be triggers for acute or chronic laryngitis. In addition, there are causes that involve a risk of infection.
Certain contagious underlying diseases, such as colds, can cause laryngitis, for example. But other viruses or bacteria can also cause infectious laryngitis. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract in particular precede an acute laryngitis. More rarely, an acute laryngitis arises from an underlying bronchial disease.
The level of the risk of infection
In principle, the risk of infection is relatively high due to the route of infection. But since the risk of infection depends on the pathogens and the body’s own defense system, the risk is individually greater or smaller. A laryngitis caused by cold pathogens is easily spread further.
Often viruses of the upper respiratory tract are the trigger. In the course of the inflammation, additional bacteria often reach the larynx. Possible viruses include rhino- and adenoviruses, as well as parainfluenza and influenza viruses.
The latter two belong to the influenza viruses, which are highly infectious, especially because of their mutability. Bacterial pathogens are mostly so-called streptococci. Especially when the immune system is limited, the risk of infection is high.
But also smokers, babies, small children, elderly people, people who take so-called immunosuppressive drugs, pregnant women, people who have a permanently increased alcohol consumption and people with sensitive mucous membranes have a higher risk of getting a laryngitis. The risk of infection increases here in larger crowds. This can be the case in kindergarten, school, the office, crowded waiting rooms or lecture halls, public transport or other crowds of people.
The risk of infection is often greater in winter. Since a baby does not yet have a fully developed immune system, the risk of infection is very high for a baby. In the first few months, the baby has virtually no natural defenses.
It has only received the so-called nest protection of the mother. The baby may receive other immune-strengthening substances in breast milk. Nevertheless, these are very small in comparison to an immune-strong adult.
The younger the child is, the higher the risk of infection. In addition, the risk of infection is higher due to the different anatomical conditions of the larynx. These also mean that babies and small children can develop a different form of laryngitis, the so-called pseudocroup.
This is a viral inflammation that usually affects children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. It often develops from a previous inflammation of the nasopharynx. The pathogens can be the highly infectious flu viruses or also measles or rubella viruses.
Since vaccination against measles and rubella should only be carried out at the age of 11-14 months, the risk of infection is greater in the period before that. The “real croup”, the so-called diphtheria, can also cause laryngitis in babies and children and is very contagious and must be reported. However, this disease now occurs only rarely in Germany.
Antibiotics can only shorten the risk of infection of a laryngitis if the cause is bacterial. In the case of viral or other triggers, antibiotics are ineffective against both the pathogens and the risk of infection. Since the antibiotics must first kill the pathogens of the laryngitis, there is still a danger of infection in the first 2-3 days of an antibiotic intake.
This is also the case when the complaints are already decreasing. A laryngitis caused by a virus or bacteria can be transmitted by kissing, among other things. For this reason, anyone suffering from laryngitis or who suspects that laryngitis could develop should definitely avoid kissing. The risk of infection can often be difficult to assess subjectively. An objective proof of freedom from infection can only be provided by a pathogen-free smear taken by a doctor.
