I had a good friend in NY who died last year after his airways closed up on him and the EMT's were unable to intubate. He was age 54, smoked, and had a case of flu going on at the time. Also, he was using inhalers.
A few weeks ago a friend at the gym told me his sister just died recently in similar circumstances. I don't know her location.

I figure this topic deserves a bump.

I had a run in with a hybrid throat bug that started viral and eventually went bacterial despite many precautions and cleansing... The bacterial side was periodic and quickly resolving but reoccurring over and over.

I'm talking the mother of all bugs. It's over a month later and I'm not out of the woods yet.

Glands and soft tissue burning fire engine red, only one tonsil blown up, only partially and the larynx... Oh God the larynx!!!

Started with an itchy throat, than a larynx infection, crackly voice and choking on a seemingly foreign object sensation for days, back to the soft tissue for a few days with a molten hot burning sensation with swelling, *nonswollen tonsil* just about killing me with pain but no inflammation. For the most part the swollen tonsil was painless and very mildly swollen. then BOOM back to the larynx/vocal cords with esophagus left in a relaxed state, allowing stomach acids to burn the crap out of the whole area, inflaming and infecting all over again. It was over a month and still isn't finished completely.

If you get it, get a good antacid like zantac every 12 hours, tums right after a meal to prevent damage should your esophagus be compromised. Have a bottle of salty water ready for gargles and LOTS of lozenges!!! Go on an alkaline diet soon as it starts and elevate your bed as you are going to have temporary acid reflux during it!!!
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I saw a doctor and they dismissed it as viral and 2 separate pharmacists told me every second person coming in has a throat bug but that this time they aren't coming for prescriptions just over the counter stuff. I talk to everyone I can about it for reassurance that I'm not alone. I am definitely not alone but I'm still pretty freaked out by the intensity.

I had tonsillitis 3 or 4 times in my life and back in high school I had MONO in a big way that lasted much of that school year and this mother is worse than all occasions combined! Just a few nights ago I had more pain in the soft pallet than I've probably had in my whole body with every injury I've ever had combined (fractures/bike crashes/falls/burns). No fever, no "peeing from the bum", no cramps, no sniffles, no phlegm. Just one day there was a mild ear/headache accompanying it.

Incredibly powerful ailment and no one else I know personally had it!!! Might have been transmitted during Christmas shopping or coffee runs. Who knows. Maybe airborne! Stay clean and avoid contact with infected people. Believe me you could easily jump off a cliff with pain with this thing.

Other than swelling due to infection or allergic reaction, I don't know of many other contributaries. If the patients were 2 years of age or younger, I suggest epiglotitus.