Sore throat and drooling

Some difficulty swallowing normally occurs when you have a sore throat. When your throat becomes so sore that you cannot swallow, drooling occurs. The drooling may mean that you are developing a serious problem, such as epiglottitis or an abscess near the tonsils.

Epiglottitis is inflammation of the epiglottis. The epiglottis is a leaf-shaped flap of tissue over the opening to the large breathing tube leading to the lungs (trachea). This flap of tissue closes when a person swallows to prevent food and fluids from getting into the breathing tubes.

When the epiglottis becomes inflamed and swollen, it can rapidly block the breathing tube. Epiglottitis generally begins suddenly, without a previous upper respiratory infection. In addition, a child with epiglottitis usually does not have a cough. Symptoms may include:

• Difficult or noisy breathing (stridor).
• A high fever.
• Drooling and difficulty swallowing liquids.
• A muffled voice.
• Difficulty lying down. A child with epiglottitis usually prefers to sit up and lean forward with his or her head and jaw forward to breathe.

Most cases of bacterial epiglottitis in children are caused by Haemophilus influenzae. This infection can be prevented with the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine. Because of the widespread use of the vaccine, epiglottitis in children is now rare.

In adults, bacterial epiglottitis is usually caused by a strep infection.

A child with epiglottitis appears very sick and in distress. If your child has symptoms of epiglottitis, seek emergency care.