Laryngitis

Definition

Laryngitis is an inflammation of your voice box (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 aren't serious. Persistent hoarseness can sometimes signal a more serious underlying medical condition.

Symptoms

In most cases laryngitis symptoms last less than a couple of weeks and are caused by something minor, such as a virus. Less often, laryngitis symptoms are caused by something more serious or long lasting. Laryngitis signs and symptoms can include:

• Hoarseness
• Weak voice or voice loss
• Tickling sensation and rawness of your throat
• Sore throat
• Dry throat
• Dry cough

When to see a doctor

You can manage most acute cases of laryngitis with self-care steps, such as resting your voice and drinking plenty of fluids. Strenuous use of your voice during an episode of acute laryngitis can damage your vocal cords.

Make an appointment with a doctor if hoarseness lasts more than two weeks.

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 (39.4 C)

These signs and symptoms may indicate croup — inflammation of the larynx and the airway just beneath it. Although croup can usually be treated at home, severe symptoms require medical attention. These symptoms also can indicate epiglottitis, an inflammation of the tissue that covers the windpipe (trachea), which can be life-threatening for children and adults.

Causes

Acute laryngitis

Most cases of laryngitis are temporary and improve after the underlying cause gets better. Causes of acute laryngitis include:

• Viral infections similar to those that cause a cold
• Vocal strain, caused by yelling or overusing your voice
• Bacterial infections, such as diphtheria, although this is rare

Chronic laryngitis

Laryngitis that lasts longer than three weeks is known as chronic laryngitis. This type of laryngitis is generally caused by exposure to irritants over time. Chronic laryngitis can cause vocal cord strain and injuries or growths on the vocal cord (polyps or nodules). These injuries can be caused by:

• Inhaled irritants, such as chemical fumes, allergens or smoke
• 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

Other causes of chronic hoarseness include:

• Cancer
• Vocal cord paralysis, which can result from injury, stroke, a lung tumor or other health conditions
• Bowing of the vocal cords in old age

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

Complications

In some cases of laryngitis caused by infection, the infection may spread to other parts of the respiratory tract.

Test and diagnosis

The most common sign of laryngitis is hoarseness. Changes in your voice can vary with the degree of infection or irritation, ranging from mild hoarseness to almost total loss of your voice. If you have chronic hoarseness, your doctor may want to listen to your voice and to examine your vocal cords, and he or she may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist.

These techniques sometimes are used to help diagnose laryngitis:

• Laryngoscopy. Your doctor can visually examine your vocal cords in a procedure called laryngoscopy, by using a light and a tiny mirror to look into the back of your throat. Or your doctor may use fiber-optic laryngoscopy. This involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) with a tiny camera and light through your nose or mouth and into the back of your throat. Then your doctor can watch the motion of your vocal cords as you speak.
• Biopsy. If your doctor sees a suspicious area, he or she may do a biopsy — taking a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Some self-care methods and home treatments may relieve the symptoms of laryngitis and reduce strain on your voice:

• Breathe moist air. Use a humidifier to keep the air throughout your home or office moist. Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water or a hot shower.
• Rest your voice as much as possible. Avoid talking or singing too loudly or for too long. If you need to speak before large groups, try to use a microphone or megaphone.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration (avoid alcohol and caffeine).
• Moisten your throat. Try sucking on lozenges, gargling with salt water or chewing a piece of gum.
• Avoid decongestants. These medications can dry out the throat.
• Avoid whispering. This puts even more strain on your voice than normal speech does.

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.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine. These cause you to lose total body water.
• Drink plenty of water. Fluids help keep the mucus in your throat thin and easy to clear.
• 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.
• Avoid upper respiratory infections. Wash your hands often, and avoid contact with people who have upper respiratory infections such as colds.

By Doctor Sherazi 

Islamabad Pakistan

0333-5104017