Neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve: symptoms, causes, treatment and prognosis

Characteristics of the disease

With the development of a pathology such as neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve, the patient complains of unilateral pain localized in the throat. As it progresses, unpleasant sensations begin to radiate to the ear area and along the lower jaw.

Pathology of the laryngeal nerve is manifested by difficulty swallowing and pain radiating to the ears. The cause of the disease has not been established.

After excluding other diseases with a similar clinical picture, anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy are prescribed.

Mostly attacks occur during eating or during the act of swallowing, and provoke coughing and malaise throughout the body. The patient's pain point can be felt on the lateral surface of the neck above the thyroid cartilage.

During an attack of neuralgia, you can take a painkiller or use an ointment with an anti-inflammatory or analgesic effect.
To identify the cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment, you should definitely contact a neurologist.

Neurologist, reflexologist, hirudotherapist

Kislitsyna Ekaterina Nikolaevna

10 years of experience

The active development of such neuritis ends with the swallowing reflex completely disappearing or decreasing and the sensitivity of the epiglottis being impaired. In addition, problems arise with the mobility of the affected part of the larynx, and this pathological condition is complemented by a narrowing of the glottis.

Indications

N. is most often performed in cases of nerve damage while maintaining its anatomical integrity, namely: in case of traumatic stretching of the nerve trunks, ulnar palsy, carpal tunnel syndrome, “Guyon’s bed” syndrome and the deep branch of the ulnar nerve, traumatic aneurysms with nerves involved in scars, combined injuries of bone and nerve. The use of N. has become more frequent for partial nerve injuries, injuries to the digital branches of nerves, pseudoneuromas, injuries of the brachial plexus, and after an unsatisfactory nerve suture.

Symptoms

Neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve is considered a cyclical disease in which the acute stage is followed by periods of remission. The most characteristic symptom that occurs with this pathology is an attack of sudden pain. The duration of such spasms can vary and can reach 2-3 minutes.

Symptoms of neuralgia

Neuralgia is a pathological process that can occur suddenly.

An attack of neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve usually causes the development of the following symptoms:

sharp burning pain that occurs in the larynx and corners of the lower jaw;
general weakness of the whole body;
spread of pain in the chest , hearing organs, collarbone and orbit;
decrease in the lumen of the vocal cords, that is, the development of laryngospasm;
increased spasms with any turn of the head.

A feeling of stiffness in the chest may indicate the development of neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve in a patient. In addition, severe pain appears in the sublingual area, and spasms cannot be relieved with conventional non-narcotic medications.

Often, during attacks of neuralgia, the patient develops a cough, hiccups, and increased salivation. Swallowing, chewing and the desire to blow your nose are accompanied by increased pain, and a change in heart rate is also observed. The development of such disorders is associated with irritation of the vagus nerve.

An abnormal heart rhythm may indicate that the disease is actively developing and that neuralgia may progress to the stage of neuritis. In the absence of effective therapy, problems with the skin may appear, that is, they begin to peel off and turn red.

Reasons for development

In recent years, many specialists have paid special attention to the problem of neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve. Until now, it has not been possible to find out the main reason that may provoke its development.

Doctors identify certain factors, the presence of which can cause pathology:

age over 40 years;
drug therapy with individual drugs for a long time;
toxic effects on the body of bacteria and heavy metals;
rare visits to the dentist;
frequent hypothermia of the body.

Often, neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve develops when the following diseases are present in the human body:

chronic otitis
various types of allergic reactions;
disruption the cardiovascular system;
syphilis;
tuberculosis;
HIV.

Often, the development of neuralgia occurs when there is insufficient intake of B vitamins into the human body. In rare situations, mental disorders in a person become the cause of spasms in the jaw and throat.

Surgical treatment of limb nerve injuries at Noahklinik

At Noahklinik all types of peripheral nerve surgeries are performed in various options:

nerve suturing. Since the best results are obtained by suturing sections of the damaged nerve end-to-end, every opportunity is used to reduce their divergence. For example, isolating a nerve from tissue and moving it to another bed to reduce its length. This creates the best conditions for the fusion of nerve conductors, as it eliminates their tension and ensures adequate nutrition. When applying a suture to a nerve, painstaking work is done - not only the shells of the segments are sewn together, but also sequentially all the corresponding bundles of fibers inside them;
neurolysis The operation is performed when the nerve is compressed by adhesions and rough post-traumatic scars. They are excised, the nerve is isolated and moved into a bed formed from the surrounding muscles;
nerve plastic. It is performed when there is a pronounced divergence of segments of the damaged nerve using the transplantation of a fragment of another nerve taken from the donor site. Most often these are the subcutaneous branches of the sural, peroneal, ulnar and radial nerves. Their removal causes only minor and often transient sensory disturbances in a limited area without impairing motor functions. Professor Noah performs all types of microsurgical nerve plasty: whole trunk, separate bundles, vascularized and non-vascularized neurotransplant, nerve tubulization, flap plasticity, nerve plasticity with its branches.

Surgical treatment of neuropathic pain at Noahklinik

Neuroma becomes one of the most common causes of intense chronic pain of neuropathic origin. It develops at the end of the damaged nerve and is its thickening in the area of the scar. It is the neuroma that is the source of continuous severe pain impulses, prone to spreading to neighboring areas. A radical solution to this complex problem is a microsurgical operation that lasts about 2 hours. Professor Noah is brilliant at removing neuromas.

Diagnostics

In the absence of effective therapy, the initial stage of the disease proceeds rapidly. If you refuse treatment for a long time, the result is often the development of severe complications. When the pathology passes into an advanced form, problems with the functioning of the swallowing reflex gradually appear or it completely disappears.

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To identify the cause that triggered the development of neuralgia, you should visit specialists such as an otolaryngologist and dentist. They will conduct a thorough examination of the patient in order to exclude the presence of pathologies of the nose, ears and teeth.

With such a disease, it may be necessary to consult an oncologist if the attending physician suspects a malignant tumor in the brain.

The final diagnosis is made taking into account anamnestic data and an objective examination, as well as based on the results of instrumental research methods. To determine the functional state of the vocal apparatus, diagnostic test methods can be used:

bronchoscopy;
computed tomography of the chest;
laryngoscopy;
MRI;
needle electromyography of the larynx.

A careful study of the diagnostic results allows us to identify the cause of neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve and select the most effective course of treatment.

Treatment of pathology

If characteristic symptoms of such a disease appear, you should seek advice from a specialist and do not self-medicate. The doctor will conduct a comprehensive examination of the patient and select the necessary treatment, taking into account the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient.

Self-medication is dangerous with complications!

Attention

Despite the fact that our articles are based on trusted sources and have been tested by practicing doctors, the same symptoms can be signs of different diseases, and the disease may not proceed according to the textbook.

Pros of seeing a doctor:

Only a specialist will prescribe suitable medications.

Recovery will be easier and faster.

The doctor will monitor the course of the disease and help avoid complications.

find a doctor

Do not try to treat yourself - consult a specialist.

Neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve requires complex therapy, and in the initial stages of its development, such a disease can be successfully treated. To eliminate this, the following procedures can be carried out:

taking anti-inflammatory medications ;
acupuncture.

In addition, various physiotherapeutic procedures are widely used, for example, phonophoresis or ultrasound. By identifying the disease at the very beginning of its development and prescribing effective treatment, many complications can be avoided. If neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve is provoked by concomitant pathologies in the human body, their mandatory treatment is required.

When such a disease is detected in people of speaking professions, voice rest is necessarily prescribed for a certain time. Low-frequency pulsed currents are selected for the complex of treatment procedures involving the sanitation of the resulting focus of pathology.

The implementation of such treatment is determined by the stage of severity of discomfort, trophic changes in the mucous membrane and motor apparatus of the larynx.

To eliminate neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve, antiepileptic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antiplatelet agents are used.

In addition, drug therapy can be supplemented by taking vitamins and using local anesthesia. It is often possible to get rid of painful paroxysm by lubricating the root of the tongue, pharynx and tonsils with a local anesthetic.

How is brachial neuritis diagnosed and treated?

The inflammatory process develops in the shoulder area and affects the nerve fibers of the brachial plexus. Treatment begins at the first signs of illness. Full recovery will take 2-4 weeks.

Causes of inflammation

The pain syndrome mainly affects the right side. Brachial plexus neuralgia develops due to a number of predisposing circumstances:

due to hyporthermia (hypothermia);
joint bruise or injury to the bones of the collarbone;
ARVI, infection of soft tissues in the shoulder area by a virus;
physical fatigue;
inflammation of the ligaments.

The cause of brachial nerve neuritis is cold in rainy or frosty weather. Problems arise in the summer due to cold air from a working air conditioner, due to a draft. Staying in low temperature water for a long time will provoke a relapse. When diagnosing, it is important to know the root cause of the development of plexitis.

Pathology is caused by regular overload associated with work or sports. Age-related changes, hormonal imbalance, and diabetes mellitus affect the development of inflammation. If 1-2 sections of the nerve are affected, then sensitivity is impaired. If the entire nerve plexus is affected, arm paralysis is possible without proper treatment.

Manifestation of symptoms

The first bell is an involuntary muscle spasm, reminiscent of a trembling in the hand. Occurs temporarily, or the twitching becomes permanent. If you do not pay attention to the symptom, swelling of the muscle tissue will begin, which compresses the nerve endings. In this state of affairs, a dull, aching pain occurs. She worries constantly and is very exhausting. Acute resembles an attack. The pain intensifies with movement.

Gradually, the neuritis spreads to the entire arm. Other unpleasant sensations arise: numbness in certain areas of the shoulder, tingling, a feeling of crawling, difficulty moving the shoulder. The patient's temperature rises and general weakness appears. For treatment of pathology, contact a neurologist. The development of the inflammatory process is judged after examinations.

Treatment course

If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, treatment occurs quickly and there are no further relapses. After diagnosing the causes of inflammation, treatment of plexitis

from relieving pain attacks with the help of painkillers. The second step is to eliminate the inflammation with medications prescribed by the doctor. Conservative treatment is sufficient. Injections are prescribed. Injections suppress the effect of infection and remove harmful substances from the body.

Anesthetic ointments have an anti-inflammatory effect. Warming stimulates blood circulation and restores the functioning of muscle tissue. They are used after complete removal of swelling. The third stage is restoration. Rehabilitation measures include physiotherapy:

laser therapy – the affected nerve is treated with light energy from a laser emitter;
cryotherapy – the nerve plexus is cooled with a special medical device;
electrophoresis is prescribed to introduce medicine through the skin using an electric current;
magnetic therapy – a procedure to stimulate blood circulation;
acupuncture (acupuncture);
hirudotherapy – treat the sore spot with live medicinal leeches.

Physiotherapy helps relieve pain and reduce inflammation. After course procedures, muscle function returns to normal.

As prescribed by the doctor, they undergo a course of paraffin wraps, treatment with ozokerite, and take radon baths. Sea bathing and therapeutic exercises help. Preventive measures include swimming and physical exercise. For brachial neuralgia, therapeutic mud baths and massage are recommended, which will relax the spasmodic shoulder muscles and the swelling will go away. The massage procedure stimulates blood circulation in the affected area.

Therapeutic exercise restores the motor ability of the hand, because after exercise, blood flow in the joints improves and the muscular-ligamentous apparatus is strengthened. Special exercises work on muscle tissue. The training alternates between active and passive movements, gradually increasing the load.

Folk remedies for treatment

Traditional methods will help relieve pain and inflammation and speed up recovery. They are used as complementary therapy. Thermal procedure is used in consultation with the attending physician:

Warm up the shoulder area with heated salt in a bag;
Propolis tincture is used as a compress in combination with olive oil and crushed plantain;
Rub the shoulder with horseradish juice, black radish, and fir oil;
Warm baths with decoctions of sage, chamomile, oak bark, and walnut leaves relieve pain.

Traditional recipes:

Geranium leaves are wrapped in a linen bag and tied to the shoulder for three hours.
The inside of a boiled hot egg is applied to the sore area.
An infusion of willow bark is useful. Pour 10 g of boiling water, the drink is infused for some time. Drink one tbsp 4 times a day. spoon.
An ointment is prepared from boiled lilac buds. The gruel is mixed with pork fat.
A drink made from dried mint leaves helps. They are poured with boiling water and allowed to settle. Drink half a glass of infusion in the morning and evening.

Brachial neuralgia does not depend on age.
It brings discomfort into the life of any person. It is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner and begin treatment in order to eliminate the symptoms that arise quickly. Do not self-medicate. Taking painkillers will give short-term results, but will not eliminate the root cause of the disease. Only a specialist will restore the motor ability of the hand. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Prognosis and complications

If the pathology is detected in the initial stages, it can be successfully treated, and in a short time it is possible to get rid of the characteristic symptoms. If the patient does not seek help from a specialist for a long time, the consequences of neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve can become quite dangerous.

As the disease progresses to the last stage of development, a disruption in the functioning of the swallowing reflex and even a complete loss of the ability to eat may occur.

At the very beginning of its development, neuralgia of the superior laryngeal nerve can be easily eliminated, so when the first signs appear, it is important to immediately seek help from a doctor. To eliminate it, it is important to carry out complex therapy and follow all doctor’s recommendations.