Children often make a "roaring" sound, don't always think that there is phlegm in the throat, you should be alert to this disease
Some children often make a phlegm-like sound in their throat, especially when sleeping on their back, the sound of "roaring" is more pronounced, but the child does not have a cold, and there is no foreign body stuck in the throat. What's going on? What's the matter? Is there something wrong with the child's lungs?
This symptom is very likely that the child has laryngomalacia, which is manifested as "wet stridor" at the time of inhalation, that is, "roaring" sound like phlegm.
Laryngomalacia, also known as laryngeal cartilage dysplasia, is the most common congenital laryngeal abnormality.
Due to the softening of the cartilage, it sags during inhalation, resulting in a narrowing of the passage there, and a "roaring" sound resembling phlegm in the throat. This symptom is exacerbated when the child inhales, eats, gets emotional, has an upper respiratory infection, and is lying on his back.
Laryngeal chondromalacia often appears in the neonatal period, and the symptoms of laryngeal larynx are most obvious at the age of 4 to 8 months. With the further growth and development of the child, the symptoms of laryngeal larynx will be relieved within 12 to 18 months of age.
How To Identify Laryngeal Chondromalacia?
Children with mild laryngeal chondromalacia are characterized by "wet stridor" during the inspiratory time, which is often referred to by parents as "phlegm in the throat", and other daily sounds do not appear abnormal such as hoarseness. "Wet stridor" is more pronounced when the child inhales, eats, is agitated, has an upper respiratory infection, and is lying on his back.
In children with moderate laryngeal chondromalacia, in addition to "wet stridor" during inspiration, there will also be obvious depressions in the sternum, clavicle, and intercostal space. It is also accompanied by symptoms such as coughing and difficulty eating.
So when a child has wheezing and coughing symptoms, be careful to distinguish, not necessarily because the child has a cold. Don't use phlegm medicine indiscriminately, because this "phlegm" sound is not really phlegm.
How Is Laryngomalacia Treated?
Mild congenital laryngomalacia is a self-limiting disease that resolves on its own and usually does not require specific treatment. Most of the stridor symptoms can be relieved spontaneously at the age of 12 to 18 months, and at the latest at the age of 2 to 3 years.
Therefore, mild congenital laryngomalacia only requires regular outpatient follow-up.
Moderate or severe congenital laryngomalacia requires medical treatment, especially if symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux are identified.
Drugs for the treatment of congenital laryngomalacia have certain risks to infants and young children, so they must be administered under the guidance of an experienced pediatrician and reviewed regularly.
Surgery is generally recommended for severe children with apnea, cyanosis, or even life-threatening conditions.
The length of hospital stay and recovery from surgery varies depending on the severity of the child. Generally, the patient is hospitalized for 1 to 2 weeks after surgery, and fully recovered in about 3 months.
Children with congenital laryngomalacia who do not need surgical treatment can basically be cured. For children who need surgical treatment, according to the severity of the symptoms, the symptoms can be relieved after surgery. Only a few children need to be treated again. Operation.
It should be noted that if it is acquired idiopathic laryngeal chondromalacia, no matter the degree of symptoms, it generally cannot heal on its own, and drugs or surgical treatment are required to help recovery.
The etiology of laryngomalacia is still unclear, so there is no effective preventive measure.
However, for the vast majority of children with normal growth and development, congenital laryngeal chondromalacia is not very harmful, mild can relieve itself, and the symptoms of conservative treatment will gradually relieve, and will not affect the child's growth development.
For infants with mild laryngeal chondromalacia, daily care should be taken to avoid choking, and the rest can be fed normally.
Moderate or severe children, we should pay attention to small meals. If it is judged that there are symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, the viscosity of the food should be appropriately increased under the guidance of a professional doctor, and no milk should be fed as much as possible. Breastfeeding mothers should also avoid foods such as milk and eggs.
Raising children is a very delicate job. Parents need to take care of them carefully and observe them carefully. When a child's body is abnormal, they should seek medical attention in time to achieve early diagnosis, early treatment, and early recovery.