Therapy
The treatment for laryngeal pain is strictly dependent on the underlying disease. Children suffering from an acute pseudocroup attack should first be sedated. Studies have shown that even sedative measures contribute to rapid improvement of pain and shortness of breath.
In addition, the affected children should be given cold humid air as soon as possible. Parents who have an inhaler can use it at any time. Nevertheless, a pediatrician should be consulted if the first pseudocroup attack with pain in the larynx and shortness of breath occurs.
Inhalation of the active ingredients salbutamol and Atruvent, which have a far-reaching effect on the bronchial tubes, is also particularly helpful. In pronounced cases, a cortisol suppository (e.g. Rectodelt) should be administered.Since a real croup, on the other hand, is caused by a bacterial disease, antibiotic therapy usually has to be initiated with an inpatient stay. Laryngeal cancer must be treated either surgically and/or by chemo- or radiotherapy, depending on the exact location and stage of cell proliferation.
Prognosis
Also the prognosis of the individual illnesses that lead to pain in the larynx sometimes differs greatly. Acute laryngitis (synonym: pseudocroup) can usually be treated promptly during the individual attacks. In addition, it can be observed that many children grow out of this clinical picture while growing up.
This means that the frequency of seizure episodes decreases as the diameter of the airways increases. Most of the affected children are completely seizure-free by around six years of age. Even the “real croup cough” (diphtheria) can now be treated quite well by the targeted administration of antibiotics, and the prognosis for laryngeal pain is correspondingly good.
Pain in the larynx caused by a malignant change in the tissue (laryngeal cancer) has a rather poor prognosis. In many cases the larynx must be completely removed.
