Laryngitis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Laryngitis is the medical term for inflammation and swelling of the larynx, which is also known as the voice box. Most of the causes of laryngitis, such as common viruses or using your voice too much, are not serious. A few causes, however, require medical attention.

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 so faint as to be undetectable.

Causes

Laryngitis may result from prolonged straining of the voice. It also may occur as an isolated local infection of the larynx as part of another, more serious underlying disorder, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. In most cases, however, it is a minor ailment and clears up on its own within a few days or weeks. Acute laryngitis may result from excessive strain on the vocal cords, as occurs with activities such as yelling, cheering, singing, or public speaking.

The voice box (larynx) is located at the top of the airway to the lungs, also called the trachea. The larynx contains the vocal cords. When the vocal cords become inflamed or infected, they swell. This can cause hoarseness, and may sometimes block the airway. The most common form of laryngitis is an infection caused by a virus. It may also be caused by a bacterial infection or a common cold, bronchitis, flu, or pneumonia.

Symptoms

A more perplexing problem for professional voice users is laryngitis that is not associated with any signs of infection but which recurs or persists. This form of laryngitis, which lasts weeks or months, is termed chronic laryngitis. Acute laryngitis may become chronic if the appropriate preventive measures are not adhered to rigidly.

Many people with laryngitis get very hoarse or even lose their voice for a short time. You may feel a tickling or rawness in your throat and experience a constant need to clear it. Symptoms vary with how badly the throat is inflamed.

Treatment

In most instances, the symptoms accompanying laryngitis are more directly linked to the causative factor, such as infection. In cases caused by overuse of the voice, symptoms other than vocal impairment may be absent. Laryngitis, hoarseness or breathiness that lasts for more than two weeks may signal a voice disorder and should be followed up with a voice pathologist. This is typically a vocology certified SLP (speech language pathologist) or a laryngologist (voice specialized ENT).

Treatment for laryngitis depends on the underlying cause. The doctor may prescribe medicines to treat mucous and infection. Throat lozenges and gargling may help. Pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen may also be used. Crying, shouting, excessive talking or singing should be avoided. Rest and time are the best remedies to cure hoarseness.