Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis – General Information

Epiglottitis is a severe disorder which appears when the small orifice which spreads over the windpipe swells and blocks the normal flux of the air in the interior of the lungs. There are a lot of causes which can lead to the development of this disease; the most common of these are the burns which result after drinking hot liquids, some bacterial or viral infections or some particular external or internal damages of the throat. Among these, the most common cause is the type b infection with Haemophilus, the bacteria which also determine the appearance of meningitis and pneumonia. The bacteria spread in the air because of the infected coughs or sneezes; it is then harbored through the nose and, in the last stage, it reaches the throat. There are other bacteria which can lead to the inflammation of the orifice and the appearance of Epiglottitis: streptococcus pneumoniae (the common cause for meningitis), candida albicans (causative of oral thrush and vaginal infections), streptococcus A, B and C and varicella zoster (responsible for shingles and chickenpox). On the other hand, physical injuries can also lead to the appearance of the disorder, so you should pay a lot of attention in order to avoid direct bumble to the throat.  
If children benefit from a vaccine against the bacteria which were presented above, the disease is unlikely to develop. However, it remains a great concern for the doctors. If Epiglottitis is diagnosed in due time, it can be successfully treated, without any life-threatening problems. 

Epiglottitis - Symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms which appear in the case of Epiglottitis are: raspy and harsh breathing, painful and difficult swallowing, difficulty breathing, and severe pain during swallowing, anxiety, muffled voice and blue lips or skin. If the disease develops because of one of the bacteria presented above, the signs usually include sore throat and fever. However, in all of the cases, the symptoms develop quickly and cause a lot of pain. Epiglottitis is more common in the case of young children and it does not affect a large number of adults. This is the main reason why doctors nowadays choose the immunization of young babies against some bacteria which lead to the development of the disorder. Because of this, the number of children who suffer from the disease has decreased dramatically. On the other hand, there are some factors which increase the risk of suffering from this disease in the case of adults. In what concerns the sex, men are more likely to suffer from this problem; it is also common knowledge the fact that the disease affects mostly black people and Hispanics and not white people. This may happen because of the lack of medical care in those regions and the reduced possibility to provide immunization of the babies. Other risk factors which can increase the possibility of developing the disorder are: close contact with the sufferers and a weak immune system (this problem can appear after a long hospitalization or after a long period of administrating medications or any other drugs).

Epiglottitis – Treatment

Epiglottitis is a severe and fast-developing disease. This is the main reason why, if you notice any problems during swallowing and breathing, you should immediately announce a doctor and you should go to the closest medical centre in order to take some tests and to receive medical care. If the doctors suspect you of developing Epiglottitis, they will not perform any kind of tests until they open your airways and they make sure that you receive a normal quantity of oxygen. After the stabilization of the patient, the doctors will analyze the patient’s throat, using a fiber-optic tube. In order to reduce the patient’s discomfort and pain, the doctor can use a local anesthetic. Another test which can be necessary is a neck or chest x-ray test. In addition to these, the doctor can also ask for a throat culture or a blood test, in order to detect the presence of bacteria in the patient’s body. 

The first measure which the doctor must take when treating this disease is to assure that the patient is receiving a normal quantity of air; in order to assure that, the doctor can use an oxygen mask or a breathing tube, which is inserted through the mouth or the nose. This tube has to remain into the windpipe until the swelling has decreased, even though this can least a few days. In extreme cases, when none of these measures prove effective, the doctor can choose to create an airway, by introducing a needle into a cartilage of the trachea. In this case, the needle is removed as soon as possible.  When Epiglottitis is caused by an infection, the patient will be administrated intravenous antibiotics; however, until the doctor has a sure result of the tests, the patient is likely to receive a broad-spectrum drug. During the treatment, the antibiotics can be changed, depending on the evolution of the disease. If not treated correctly; this disease can result in severe problems, such as respiratory failure, when the quantity of oxygen in the body is extremely low. If a doctor does not respond quickly, the patient can experience sudden death. Another life-threatening problem is pulmonary edema, which develops when the lungs can not absorb the oxygen.

When Epiglottits is caused by bacteria, it is quite common for the patient to develop other problems as well: meningitis, pneumonia or blood infections. The most common measure to prevent the appearance of Epiglottitis is to provide immunization, using vaccines against the bacteria which cause the problem. In the case of young children, the vaccine is administrated in four doses: when they are 3 months old, 5 months old, 7 months old or 13 up to 16 months old. The vaccine can not be administrated to children older than 4 years old or to adults, as it proves no effect at all. There are, however, a few cases when the vaccine can be useful: when the patient’s immune system was weakened by HIV, by chemotherapy, by certain medications, by a cell disease or by a severe surgery (such as spleen removal).