Symptoms of Epiglottitis

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The first symptoms of epiglottitis are usually a fever (high temperature) and very sore throat, which come on quickly over a few hours. This is followed by severe difficulty in swallowing, with drooling, spitting, fast and very noisy breathing. The child will want to sit straight upright in order to help them breathe more easily, or may sit with their chin forward. In infants there may be problems with sucking when breast or bottle feeding.

As the epiglottis swells and blocks the airways, your child may find it hard to breathe at all, and their skin may turn grey or blue. He or she may be restless and panicky, and have fever or chills. They may be unable to speak or have a very muffled voice, make grunting type noises and may sit leaning forward, trying to keep their airways open.

This condition is an emergency, and you should get the affected person to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department or phone 999 for an emergency ambulance. Do not lie the child down or try to look in their throat, as this can trigger a spasm (muscle seizure) that closes the throat completely, and can cause death within a few minutes.

In adults, the symptoms are similar, but they start more gradually and recovery is usually slower. The main symptom is usually severe pain that is worse on swallowing.