Be careful of acute epiglottitis, throat pain can be fatal!

"A 26-year-old girl went to the hospital for a sore throat, and in just 10 minutes, a young life was lost" has caused a heated discussion online. "Sore throat" is very common in life, but why does such a tragedy happen? Let's learn more about acute epiglottitis .

What is the epiglottis?

The epiglottis is located behind the tongue root. When eating, the epiglottis automatically closes to prevent food from entering the lungs. Since the tissue space around the epiglottis is loose, once acute inflammation occurs, the epiglottis will swell and cause airway obstruction, which can easily cause breathing difficulties or even death.

What is acute epiglottitis?

Acute epiglottitis, also known as acute supraglottic laryngitis, is a common acute infectious disease in laryngology. It mainly affects the epiglottis and surrounding tissues in the supraglottic area of ​​the larynx, and is characterized by severe edema of the epiglottis. This disease is mainly caused by type B hemophilic influenzae, hemolytic streptococci, staphylococci and pneumococci, or combined with viral infection, and is mostly transmitted through the respiratory tract . In addition, type I hypersensitivity reactions caused by allergens, neck trauma, and acute infections of adjacent organs (such as rhinitis, epiglottic cyst infection, acute tonsillitis, etc.) can all cause acute epiglottitis.

The following symptoms should alert you to acute epiglottitis

Local symptoms :

① Sore throat : severe pain in the throat, which worsens when swallowing. In severe cases, there may be coughing when drinking water, drooling, etc.; ② Difficulty breathing : a foreign body sensation in the throat or even difficulty breathing, which may be accompanied by wheezing or snoring; ③ Slurred speech : swelling of the epiglottis mucosa causes slurred speech.

Systemic symptoms : Mild cases have no obvious symptoms; severe cases have an acute onset and may be accompanied by fever, headache, fatigue and other symptoms.

Prevention of acute epiglottitis is key

1. Pay attention to throat pain;

2. If you have any discomfort in your throat, tonsils or nose, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible;

3. Seasons change, avoid colds;

4. Maintain good oral hygiene;

5. Exercise moderately, stay up late less, and enhance your immunity

Warm reminder : Patients tend to mistake acute epiglottitis for tonsillitis, colds, pharyngitis and other diseases. Since acute epiglottitis has an acute onset and is a serious condition, the mortality rate is extremely high if rescue is not timely. The editor recommends that if you experience the above symptoms, you must seek medical attention in time.