What are common symptoms of epiglottitis in children?

Common symptoms of epiglottitis in children include stridor, drooling, and difficulty swallowing.

Stridor is a high-pitched wheezing sound resulting from turbulent airflow in the upper airway, which often occurs due to swelling in this area. In the case of epiglottitis, the inflammation can obstruct the airway, leading to this respiratory distress.

Drooling is another key symptom as children with epiglottitis may struggle to swallow due to pain or difficulty passing food and liquids past the swollen epiglottis. This leads to drooling instead of swallowing normally.

Difficulty swallowing, or odynophagia, is prominent because the inflammation causes significant pain when attempting to swallow. This symptom is critical in identifying the condition, especially when characterized by the other hallmark signs.

The combination of stridor, drooling, and difficulty swallowing forms a classic triad that is crucial for recognizing this potentially life-threatening condition.