What are the hidden life dangers of sore throat?
After uncle Zhang had a sore throat, he thought it was just an ordinary sore throat and planned to "deal with it". Who knows, he almost killed him. Speaking of this incident, the old man was scared when he remembered it: first, he had a sore throat, and then he was out of breath. His throat choked and his speech was vague, as if he had something in his mouth. He felt that his throat was blocked, as if he were suffocating, and it was getting worse.
Fortunately, he was sent to the hospital in time by his family and saved his life. The doctor saw under the laryngoscope that the old man's epiglottis, which should have been as thin as a small leaf, had swollen into a ball the size of a walnut due to inflammation, which tightly blocked the airway and was immediately diagnosed as acute epiglottitis. Due to the rapid development of the disease, before treatment, the old man was black and blue, and his life was dying. With rich clinical experience, the doctor performed an emergency tracheotomy for him and saved his life.
Why is a sore throat so dangerous?
Epiepiglottis: Commander of the "crossroads" of trachea and esophagus. Epiglottis is one of the cartilages of the larynx, which is leaflike. When we swallow food, epiglottis covers the trachea, and food enters the esophagus to prevent food from entering the trachea and causing cough. At the "crossroads" of trachea and esophagus, epiglottis guides them to go their separate ways. If this "commander" has an accident (such as acute inflammation), the patient will have many unexpected troubles, even life-threatening.
Acute epiglottis is very dangerous.
Acute epiglottitis, also known as supraglottic laryngitis, is a special acute inflammatory lesion, which mainly involves epiglottis and its surrounding tissues in the supraglottic region of the larynx. The main feature is high edema of epiglottis, and infection is the most common cause of this disease. Acute epiglottitis can occur all year round, especially in winter. The onset of acute epiglottitis is sudden, with fever and chills, and the body temperature can reach 39℃. The patient's speech is vague, like something in his mouth and a burning throat, which is not suitable for swallowing. Acute epiglottitis progresses rapidly, and most patients can be cured after timely treatment. A small number of patients have dangerous conditions, rapid suffocation and high mortality.
Acute epiglottitis is dangerous because the submucosal tissue of epiglottis is loose and easy to edema. In the first few hours, it can swell to several times that of normal epiglottis, and even block the glottis, leading to laryngeal obstruction and suffocation. Laryngoscopy showed congestion, swelling like a hemisphere, and even pus spots on the epiglottis. If you don't rescue in time, your life will be in danger. Many patients need tracheotomy to relieve suffocation, which shows that the disease is quite dangerous.
What should I do if I encounter this kind of "sore throat"
In the eyes of many people, sore throat is a common occurrence. So, what is the difference between common sore throat and acute epiglottitis in symptoms?
Compared with common sore throat, patients with acute epiglottitis have severe and unbearable sore throat. What's more, their throats are choked and their speech is vague, as if there is something in their mouth, and they have symptoms of breathlessness, and it is difficult to swallow and breathe.
Acute epiglottitis must be treated as soon as possible.
To treat acute epiglottitis, it is necessary to find out and use drugs early, apply enough antibiotics in time, and keep breathing unobstructed. If there is laryngeal edema, it is a great threat to the unobstructed respiratory tract. Hormones can be used to reduce swelling, and large doses of hormones are needed. Because hormones have nonspecific anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-shock effects at the same time, the combination of hormones and antibiotics can achieve good results. If you have difficulty eating, you should take intravenous rehydration, supplemented by calcium supplementation and antiallergic drugs, and pay attention to the balance of water and electrolyte.
If there is an abscess locally, it should be cut and discharged, which is beneficial to quickly control the infection. When treating acute epiglottitis, we should pay special attention to relieve dyspnea, deliver oxygen in time or prepare emergency tracheotomy at any time to avoid suffocation. In order to prevent the occurrence of acute epiglottitis, we should strengthen exercise at ordinary times, enhance the body's resistance, treat the acute inflammation of adjacent organs in time, and prevent the spread of infection. Usually quit smoking and drinking, avoid spicy and irritating food, and maintain oral hygiene.