Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of your voice box (larynx) due to overuse, irritation or infection. The larynx is a framework of cartilage, muscles and mucous membranes that forms the entrance of your windpipe (trachea). 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. They swell, causing 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. Laryngitis may be short-lived (acute) or long-lasting (chronic). Although acute laryngitis usually is nothing more than an irritation and inflammation from a virus, persistent hoarseness can signal a more serious problem.
Signs and symptoms
Laryngitis often makes you feel the need to constantly clear your throat. Other signs and symptoms may include:
- Hoarseness
- Weak voice
- Tickling sensation and rawness of your throat
- Sore throat
- Dry throat
- Dry cough
Usually a viral infection causes acute laryngitis. A bacterial infection such as diphtheria also may be the cause, but this is rare. Acute laryngitis may also occur during the course of or after another illness, such as a cold, flu or pneumonia. Common causes of chronic laryngitis include constant irritation from excessive alcohol, heavy smoking or reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus and throat, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In adults, other causes of chronic hoarseness may include:
- Sores (contact ulcers) on the vocal cords
- Growths (polyps or nodules) on the vocal cords
- Loosening of vocal cords due to aging
- Vocal cord paralysis, which can result from injury, stroke or a lung tumor.
Treatment depends on the cause of the laryngitis. The best treatment for the most common cause, a virus, is to rest your voice as much as possible and avoid clearing your throat. If an inhaled irritant is to blame, avoid the irritant. It may also help to inhale steam from a bowl of hot water or warm shower. If your infant or toddler has laryngitis associated with croup, your child's doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid such as dexamethasone.
For chronic laryngitis associated with other conditions, such as heartburn, smoking or alcoholism, managing the underlying condition is necessary for improvement. If you smoke, stop. In addition, if you're a smoker and develop persistent hoarseness, see your doctor and get a thorough examination of your vocal cords to be sure cancer isn't present. Detected early, cancer of the larynx generally can be successfully treated with surgery or radiation. If alcohol consumption is responsible for your laryngitis, stop drinking. If you can't voluntarily give up alcohol, get treatment to help.
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.
- Limit alcohol and caffeine to prevent a dry throat. If you have laryngitis, avoid both substances.
- Avoid 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.
Credit: National Institute of Health.