ACUTE CATARRHAL LARYNGITIS
This incoördination is found in children from one to five years of age. It may be severe and even cause death. It may be a secondary condition following measles, scarlet fever, influenza and other like incoördinations; however, it may result directly and not be associated with any other condition. It is often aggravated by inhaling steam, gases or irritating dusts.
There is congestion and inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the larynx; there is swelling and dryness of the membrane followed by an exudate which may become profuse. If the swelling is exaggerated there will be stenosis of the larynx. The vocal cords become swollen and produce aphonia.
Symptoms
The symptoms are hoarseness, dry metallic cough, which may become very severe and teasing. The onset is sudden with a marked tendency to cough, especially during the night. The voice often is entirely lost and the larynx becomes sore and painful. There is dyspnea and the respirations are short and shallow.
In some cases which develop more slowly there will be coryza for a day or two preceding the severe attack, or the laryngeal symptoms may precede the acute symptoms. The onset, however, may be very rapid and the most severe symptoms be present within a very few hours after the manifestation of the first symptom. In the well developed, case the cough is dry, metallic, barking and stridulus. The inspiration is labored. The dyspnea is severe, occurring in paroxysms during the night. There is temperature, rapid pulse and increased respiration. If the inflammation extends down into the bronchi it will result in bronchopneumonia. Laryngeal obstruction may occur often and prove very severe.
It is sometimes very difficult and in some cases impossible to distinguish acute catarrhal laryngitis from membranous laryngitis or laryngeal diphtheria. This is not so important to the chiropractor, for if adjustments are given soon enough results will be obtained before positive diagnostic symptoms have time to develop. However, it is well to be thoroughly informed on the difference in the symptoms since the chiropractor is sometimes not called in until the condition is well under way. At the onset the two conditions are very much alike, which is very reasonable to the chiropractor, since the only difference is in degree of severity, due to a different combination, and a difference in degree of the functions involved resulting from the same combination o£ subluxations. In the catarrhal condition the temperature is usually greater than in the membranous form. The dyspnea in catarrhal laryngitis is usually paroxysmal; it is less exaggerated during the day but worse at night, while the membranous type is constant and rapidly becomes more exaggerated. The dyspnea occurs on both inspiration and expiration, while in the catarrhal form it occurs only on inspiration. If the culture shows Klebs-Loeffler bacilli it is considered laryngeal diphtheria.
Major Adjustment
As has been stated, the chiropractor gives the same adjustment whether it is membranous or catarrhal. The major combination is L.C. and S.P. with K.P. Excellent results are obtained from adjustments in these cases. When the first symptoms are manifest adjustments should be given immediately in order to get the best results. The usual difficulty in such cases is that the parents consider the condition only a cold and of little importance. Therefore, they neglect taking the child to a chiropractor until great momentum has developed. Such cases necessitate a greater amount of time before results are obtained.