Laryngitis

Alternative Names

Laryngitis

What is Laryngitis

Laryngitis is an inflammation of your voice box called larynx from overuse, irritation or infection.

Inside the larynx are your vocal cords — two folds of mucous membrane covering 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 voice can become almost 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. Persistent hoarseness can sometimes signal a more serious underlying medical condition.

Signs and symptoms

The most common sign and symptom of laryngitis are:

• hoarse,
• weak,
• raspy,
• breathy voice.

In some cases, you may not be able to talk at all. You may have a sore throat before you begin to have voice problems. And you may continue to have some throat discomfort as the quality of your voice declines. You may first notice voice-related symptoms when you wake up in the morning. It may take more effort for you to speak, and your voice may not sound normal. You also may cough or feel an urge to clear your throat, especially if your condition is caused by a virus or other infection.

Sometimes symptoms are temporary unless there is another problem. If your symptoms also include these, you should immediately call your doctor:

• severe pain,
• problems swallowing,
• coughing up blood,
• noticeable lump in your neck

A child who has severe pain, drooling, and problems breathing may have epiglottitis, a serious condition that requires emergency care. Adults also get epiglottitis, but it is more common in children.

Possible complications

If the cause of laryngitis is vocal cord paralysis, the swallowing mechanism may also be affected, and food particles may enter the larynx and lungs, leading to coughing. This process can also lead to pneumonia and its accompanying symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) when the food is aspirated deep into the lungs and causes irritation and inflammation of lung tissue.

What causes

Infection that is the most common form of laryngitis caused by a virus. It may also be caused by:

• Allergies
• Bacterial infection
• Bronchitis
• Common cold
• Flu
• Injury
• Irritants and chemicals
• Pneumonia
• Laryngitis often occurs with an upper respiratory infection.

Several forms of laryngitis occur in children that can lead to dangerous or fatal respiratory blockage. These forms include:

• Croup
• Epiglottitis

Prevention

To prevent dryness or irritation to your vocal cords:

• Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoke dries your throat and irritates your vocal cords.
• Drink plenty of water. Fluids help keep the mucus in your throat thin and easy to clear.
• Stop clearing your throat. This does more harm than good, because it causes an abnormal vibration of your vocal cords and can increase swelling. Clearing your throat also causes your throat to secrete more mucus and feel more irritated, making you want to clear your throat again.
• Avoid upper respiratory infections. Make sure to get your annual flu shot if your doctor recommends it. Wash your hands often, and avoid contact with people who have upper respiratory infections such as colds.

Treatment

Medications as treatment can be used in some cases include:

• Antibiotics. In almost all cases of laryngitis, an antibiotic won't do any good because the cause is viral. But if you have a bacterial infection — a rare cause of laryngitis — your doctor may recommend an antibiotic.
• Corticosteroids. Sometimes, corticosteroids can help reduce vocal cord inflammation. However, this treatment is used only when there's an urgent need to treat laryngitis — for example, when you need to use your voice to sing or give a speech or oral presentation, or in some cases when a toddler has laryngitis associated with croup.

It is important to note: Acute laryngitis caused by a virus often gets better on its own within a week or so. Self-care measures can also help improve symptoms.