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Laryngospasm in adults
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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A sharp contraction of the laryngeal muscles with breathing difficulties is laryngospasm. In adults, it occurs due to the impact of external and internal irritants on the body.
According to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision ICD-10, the pathological process is most often associated with category X Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99).
Features of laryngospasm:
- Characterized by instantaneous contractile spasm of the laryngeal muscles.
- Leads to narrowing or complete closure of the vocal opening.
- It can occur simultaneously with tracheospasm or bronchiospasm, that is, contraction of the smooth muscles of the trachea and bronchi.
- It is unconscious in nature and causes panic among people.
The most acute period of the disorder falls on the winter and spring period, when the body suffers from a deficiency of calcium, vitamin D and other useful substances. It can manifest itself in absolutely anyone, both adults and children. At the same time, children from 3 months to 2 years old most often face this problem.
Epidemiology
According to medical statistics, more than 2 million people are diagnosed with laryngospasm every year, half of them are children. The pathological condition most often occurs in infancy and in children under 16. In adult patients, involuntary spasms are associated with constant inhalation of substances dangerous to the body, bad habits, infectious diseases and other factors that lead to irritation of the laryngeal mucosa.
Risk factors
There are many prerequisites for the development of laryngospasms, but all of them are caused by a disruption in the coordinated work of the nervous system, muscles and metabolism. The interaction of these causes leads to increased nervous excitability and pathological symptoms.
The main risk factors for the development of laryngospasm in adults include:
- Inflammatory diseases of the throat: laryngitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis.
- Irritation of the recurrent or vagus nerve: stress, aortic aneurysm, goiter, esophageal tumors.
- Inhalation of air containing a large number of irritants and allergens.
- Ingestion of allergens.
- Mental disorders.
- Foreign objects in the throat.
In some cases, spasms occur when swallowing while eating. Most often, this condition is directly related to food particles getting stuck in the throat. If the vocal cords close when swallowing saliva and are accompanied by a sore throat, a feeling of a lump, difficulty breathing, then these may be infectious factors or tumor lesions.
Read about other causes of laryngospasm in children and adults in this article.
Pathogenesis
The mechanism of origin and development of laryngeal spasms is associated with the impact of various factors on the body. Laryngospasm manifests itself in short-term attacks of suffocation and is one of the most dangerous diseases of the respiratory system. Both adults and children are susceptible to it.
A sharp “interception” of the larynx is an unconscious contraction of its muscles and has the following mechanism of development:
- The glottis narrows sharply or closes completely.
- Inspiratory dyspnea, a person can inhale, but exhalation is difficult.
- Tracheal spasm, that is, an involuntary contraction of smooth muscles.
All this leads to a sharp and involuntary contraction of the larynx muscles. Attacks can be mild, when the laryngeal lumen narrows slightly, and very severe, when it is completely closed. In the latter case, emergency medical care is required.
Symptoms laryngospasm in adults
The symptoms of laryngospasm depend on its form. The disease has the same manifestations in both children and adults. The main symptoms of laryngeal spasm include:
- Difficulty breathing, noisy breathing with wheezing.
- Unsuccessful attempts to cough.
- Paleness of the skin.
- Pronounced nasolabial triangle.
- Increased sweating.
- Head thrown back and mouth wide open.
- Tense muscles of the body: face, neck, stomach.
- Weak pulse.
- The pupils do not react to light.
- Convulsions, foaming at the mouth, involuntary urination.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Heart failure.
The last points are typical for a severe form of laryngospasm, which is dangerous and can result in death. The duration of the attack is a couple of minutes, but if there are complications, then longer. Very often, spasms of the glottis in adults are confused with epilepsy.
The attack ends with a deep breath. Gradually, the respiratory system is restored and the pathological symptoms disappear. At the same time, spasms can occur at any time of the day, several times a day.
First signs
In terms of its symptoms, glottis spasm occurs in the same way in children and adults. The first signs of laryngospasm are noisy and difficult inhalation. The voice becomes hoarse, it is impossible to cough. Against this background, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle appears, the neck muscles are maximally tense. The patient opens his mouth wide and throws his head back in an attempt to take a normal breath.
At this point, sweating increases, there are large beads of sweat on the forehead. The pulse becomes threadlike. The rapid increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the body leads to irritation of the respiratory center. The patient takes a deep, choking breath. The respiratory function stabilizes, the skin acquires a normal color, the attack passes.
If the spasm is severe, deep breathing does not occur. Convulsions of the entire body occur due to the patient's attempts to restore breathing. Involuntary urination, foaming at the mouth, and loss of consciousness are possible.
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Attack of laryngospasm
A sudden involuntary contraction of the laryngeal muscles with partial or complete blockage of the airways is an attack of laryngospasm. It can occur in both young children and adults. Most often, the painful condition is associated with metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances, viral infections, ENT diseases, and allergic factors.
The attack is accompanied by noisy, difficult breathing, blue skin and tension in the respiratory muscles. If the convulsion is mild, breathing is restored in a couple of seconds. In severe cases, there is a risk of loss of consciousness, hypoxia and other life-threatening complications.
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Laryngospasm at night in adults
Sudden involuntary contraction of the laryngeal muscles with narrowing of the glottis occurs regardless of the time of day. Night attacks occur with severe coughing, reddening of the face, noticeable tension in the neck muscles and breathing difficulties.
In most cases, laryngospasm at night occurs due to the following factors:
- Strong emotional experiences.
- Mental trauma.
- Inhalation of polluted air.
- After consuming allergenic food or drinks that irritate the larynx.
An attack can also be associated with chronic or acute diseases of the ENT organs, and can occur during laughter, crying, or fear.
The main rule to follow when having a throat spasm is not to panic. Panic will only make the attack worse. The patient needs to get some fresh air, and if possible, give them some water to drink or wet their face. Irritating actions are considered effective: patting on the back, light pinching, etc. You can also inhale ammonia vapors or induce a gag reflex. If the attack is mild, it will last no more than a minute, after which the patient falls asleep again.
Complications and consequences
If laryngospasm is severe and occurs in several attacks per day, which are difficult to treat, then this threatens serious consequences and complications for the body.
Severe convulsions during respiratory failure can cause trauma to the patient. The inability to take a breath leads to oxygen starvation of the entire body and hypoxia of the brain. Without timely assistance, the attack can end in death.
Diagnostics laryngospasm in adults
To diagnose laryngospasm, a set of various diagnostic procedures is carried out. The doctor studies the clinical picture, collects anamnesis and analyzes the patient's complaints. A physical examination is mandatory, which is aimed at assessing respiratory failure, palpating the neck for tumors.
All diagnostic procedures are performed in a hospital. The patient is examined by a therapist, pulmonologist and a number of other specialists (neurologist, surgeon, infectious disease specialist). After the initial assessment of the disorder, the doctor prescribes laboratory and instrumental studies. They are necessary to determine the general condition of the patient and help to identify the root cause of painful attacks. Based on the results of the diagnostics, treatment, corrective and preventive methods are prescribed.
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Tests
Laboratory diagnostics of laryngospasm consists of the following studies:
- Blood test – reveals changes in the composition of biological fluid that can be provoked by attacks of respiratory failure and indicate their underlying cause. Particular attention is paid to the level of leukocytes, erythrocytes, ESR, hemoglobin, eosinophilins, and an increase in hematocrit. If spasms are associated with an acute inflammatory process, then C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, an increase in seromucoid and fibrinogen are detected. Antibodies to infectious agents can also be detected.
- Urine analysis – if the attacks are caused by a state of shock, the amount of urine excreted is greatly reduced or renal filtration is completely absent. The level of protein, red blood cells and the presence of columnar epithelium are assessed.
- Blood gas composition - a spectrophotometric sensor reads the level of oxygen saturation in the blood. This analysis allows you to assess the effects of frequent seizures with respiratory failure.
- Bacteriological analysis of sputum is another mandatory test that is performed on all patients. The presence of sputum indicates active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms in the respiratory tract.
The results of the analyses performed are assessed in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures.
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Instrumental diagnostics
Another mandatory component of the examination for involuntary closure of the glottis is instrumental diagnostics. It consists of several methods:
- Radiography – reveals various pathological processes in the lungs (darkening of a lobe, lesion or the entire organ), damage to the respiratory center and its muscles.
- Electrocardiography – allows you to evaluate the work of the heart muscle. During the study, cardiovascular disorders, signs of arrhythmia or myocardial infarction, which provoke spasmodic contractions of the larynx, can be detected.
- Bronchoscopy – an endoscope is inserted into the lumen of the bronchi, with the help of which the doctor examines the condition of the mucous membrane of the trachea and large bronchi.
- Laryngoscopy – a flexible fiberoptic laryngoscope is inserted into the pharynx, with the help of which the doctor examines the larynx. During an attack, the ligaments partially overlap one another or completely close. In some cases, the vocal processes of the right arytenoid laryngeal cartilage overlap the left.
In addition to the above methods, computed tomography of the larynx, ultrasound of the thyroid gland, X-ray of the esophagus, MRI of the brain and other methods may be prescribed.
Differential diagnosis
The symptom complex of laryngospasm can easily be confused with other diseases with acute respiratory failure. To establish a final diagnosis, differential diagnostics are carried out. Spasms of the glottis are compared with the following pathologies:
- Quincke's edema.
- Acute stenosing laryngotracheitis ( false croup ).
- Laryngeal stenosis.
- Laryngeal spasm in hysteria.
- Laryngotracheobronchitis.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Tumor lesions of the larynx.
The results of differentiation are compared with other diagnostic measures. The doctor makes a final diagnosis and draws up a treatment plan.
What is the difference between laryngospasm and bronchospasm?
Both pathologies belong to the category of laryngeal stenosis. The painful condition can be caused by allergic reactions to food or medications, various infectious diseases, tumors, diagnostic procedures. It can also be a complication of surgical interventions or due to improper administration of anesthesia.
- Laryngospasm is a contractile spasm of the laryngeal muscles of an unconscious nature. It manifests itself as inspiratory dyspnea with noisy breathing. It is accompanied by a violation of cardiac activity, convulsions of the whole body, involuntary urination or defecation, temporary respiratory arrest. Without timely medical care, it can lead to death from asphyxia.
- Bronchospasm is a narrowing of the bronchi caused by muscle contraction due to various factors. It may accompany laryngospasm or occur independently. It is characterized by difficulty breathing with prolonged exhalation, increased tone of the respiratory muscles, wheezing in the lungs, cyanosis, and bradycardia.
The main difference between laryngeal spasm and bronchial spasm is that in the former case, problems with inhalation arise, and exhalation is relatively free, while with bronchospasm, exhalation is impaired during normal inhalation. Both conditions require urgent treatment, as they can cause life-threatening complications.
Laryngospasm or bronchial asthma?
One of the diseases with which laryngospasm must be differentiated is bronchial asthma. It is a chronic non-infectious inflammatory lesion of the respiratory tract. It is accompanied by instantaneous obstruction of the bronchi, which limits the air flow rate and causes suffocation.
Attacks occur very frequently, with a short, sharp inhalation and a heavy, prolonged exhalation. Coughing with phlegm and loud wheezing may occur. One of the differences from laryngeal spasms is that patients feel an approaching bronchospasm.
Chronic bronchial asthma is dangerous due to the development of pulmonary heart disease, pulmonary emphysema and asthmatic status. While the main danger of laryngospasm is asphyxia, that is, death from suffocation.
Who to contact?
Treatment laryngospasm in adults
The main goal of treating laryngeal spasms with closure of the vocal cords is to eliminate the underlying cause of the disorder.
- In case of an allergic attack, antihistamines and antiallergic drugs are used.
- If the suffocation is caused by bronchial asthma, then bronchodilators and medications are used in the form of inhalations.
- For endocrine disorders – hormonal drugs.
- Infectious pathologies – antibacterial, antiviral and other drugs.
- Mental disorders and emotional experiences – antidepressants, sedatives, muscle relaxants.
- In case of tumor lesions, surgical intervention is performed followed by chemotherapy.
During treatment, patients are prescribed multivitamin complexes to strengthen the immune system. Physiotherapy and diet therapy may also be prescribed. Timely initiation and proper treatment is the key to a speedy recovery.
Prevention
Methods for preventing laryngeal spasms are based on eliminating situations that provoke attacks. Prevention comes down to the following simple rules:
- Timely treatment of any diseases, especially respiratory tract lesions and other pathologies that can provoke spasms in the throat.
- A balanced diet with the elimination of allergenic foods, foods with artificial additives, sweeteners, and colorants.
- Taking medications only as prescribed by a doctor and in accordance with the dosage.
- Regular walks in the fresh air.
- Good sleep and rest.
- Moderate physical activity.
- Giving up bad habits: smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction.
Also, prevention of laryngospasm should include taking vitamins and multivitamin complexes to increase the protective properties of the immune system and generally strengthen the body.
Forecast
As a rule, laryngospasm in adults has a favorable prognosis. If it occurs in a mild form, the risk of complications is minimal. In severe attacks with severe respiratory failure and convulsions of the whole body, the prognosis depends entirely on the correct first aid and secondary prevention. In rare cases, laryngospasm ends in asphyxia and cardiac arrest.
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