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Laryngitis
Definition
Laryngitis is an inflammation of your voice box (larynx) due to overuse, irritation or infection. Inside the larynx are your vocal cords — two folds of mucous membranecovering muscle and cartilage. Normally your vocal cords open and close smoothly, forming sounds through their movement and vibration. But in laryngitis, your vocal cords become inflamed or irritated. This swelling causes distortion of the sounds produced by air passing over them. As a result, your voice sounds hoarse. In some cases of laryngitis, your voicecan become so faint as to be undetectable.Laryngitis may be short-lived (acute) or long lasting (chronic). Most cases of laryngitis are triggered by temporary viral infection or vocal strain and are not serious.But persistent hoarseness can sometimes signal a more serious underlying medicalcondition.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of laryngitis can include:
Hoarseness
Weak voice or voice loss
Tickling sensation and rawness of your throat
Sore throat
Dry throat
Dry cough
Difficulty breathing (in children)
Causes
Laryngitis
Most cases of laryngitis last less than a few weeks and are caused by somethingminor, such as a cold. Less often, laryngitis is caused by something more serious or long lasting.
Acute laryngitis
Most cases of laryngitis are temporary and improve after the underlying cause gets better. Causes of acute laryngitis include:
Viral infections such as those that cause a cold
Vocal strain, caused by yelling or overusing your voice
Viruses such as measles or mumps
Bacterial infections such as diphtheria — this is rare
Chronic laryngitis
Laryngitis that lasts more than three weeks is known as chronic laryngitis. This typeof laryngitis is generally caused by irritants over time. It can cause vocal cord strain,injuries or growths on the vocal cord (polyps or nodules). These injuries can becaused by:
Inhaled irritants, such as chemical fumes, allergens or smoking
Acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Chronic sinusitis
Excessive alcohol use
Habitual overuse of your voice (such as with singers or cheerleaders)
Smoking
Less common causes of chronic laryngitis include:
Bacterial or fungal infections
Infections with certain parasites
Cancer
Vocal cord paralysis, which can result from injury, stroke or a lung tumor, or other healthconditions
Risk factors
Risk factors for laryngitis include:
Having a respiratory infection, such as a cold, bronchitis or sinusitis
Exposure to irritating substances, such as cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol,stomach acid or workplace chemicals
Overusing your voice, by speaking too much, speaking too loudly, shouting or singing
When to seek medical advice
You can manage most acute cases of laryngitis with self-care steps, such as restingyour voice, drinking plenty of fluids and sucking on lozenges, and breathinghumidified air.Make an appointment with a doctor if hoarseness lasts for more than two weeks.See a doctor right away if your child appears to have severe symptoms caused bycroup. While croup — inflammation of the larynx and the airway just beneath it — can usually be treated at home, seek immediate medical attention if your child:
Makes noisy, high-pitched breathing sounds when inhaling
Drools more than usual
Has trouble swallowing
Has difficulty breathing
Has a fever higher than 103 F (39 C)
Tests and diagnosis
The most common sign of laryngitis is hoarseness. Changes in your voice can varywith the degree of infection or irritation, ranging from mild hoarseness to almost totalloss of your voice. Your doctor may ask whether you smoke or if you have any healthconditions — such as a cold or allergies — that may be causing vocal irritation. Your doctor may also ask you whether any overuse of your vocal cords — such as singingor shouting — may have irritated your vocal cords.If you have chronic hoarseness, your doctor may want to listen to your voice and toexamine your vocal cords and may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist.These techniques are sometimes used to help diagnose laryngitis:
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