Laryngeal Mirror

Laryngeal Mirror

Laryngitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

 

Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box, or larynx, that causes your voice to become raspy or hoars.Laryngitis can be short-term or long-lasting (chronic). Most of the time, it comes on quickly and lasts no more than 2 weeks.

Laryngitis Causes

Laryngitis is usually caused by a virus or occurs in people who overuse their voice. Occasionally, you may develop laryngitis from bacterial infections and, rarely, from infections such as tuberculosis, syphilis, or a fungal infection. People with prolonged laryngitis should see their doctor to be checked for tumors, some of which may be cancerous. Smokers are especially at risk for cancer.

Laryngitis often occurs with an upper respiratory infection and will go away by itself. Common laryngitis is not normally associated with any breathing difficulty.

Several forms of laryngitis occur in children and can lead to dangerous or fatal respiratory blockage. These include croup and epiglottitis.

Although it sounds odd, sometimes your stomach can cause laryngitis. Just like you have a tube for air to go into and out of your lungs, you have a tube for food to go into your stomach. Sometimes the stomach acid that helps break down that food comes back up your swallowing tube. The acid can irritate your vocal cords.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of laryngitis can include:

Hoarseness

Weak voice or voice loss

Tickling sensation and rawness of your throat

Sore throat

In chronic irritative laryngitis loss of voice quality with voice use, a feeling of irritation or of a lump in the throat, dryness or soreness (often worst in the morning upon wakening) may be features in addition to hoarseness (which often comes and goes).

Diagnosis of Laryngitis

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist may be asked to examine your larynx if the symptoms do not clear up. This may involve a direct visual examination of the inside of your larynx using an instrument called a laryngoscope (a flexible, tube with a light that is used to look at your larynx). The specialist may also carry out an indirect examination of your airway using a mirror. Your larynx may be covered with mucus, be red and swollen and your vocal cords may look thicker, more rounded, and be stiffer than normal.

Treatment of Laryngitis

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 of viral laryngitis depends on the symptoms. Resting the voice (by not speaking), drinking extra fluids, and inhaling steam relieve symptoms and help healing. Whispering, however, may irritate the larynx even more. Treating bronchitis, if present, may improve the laryngitis. An antibiotic is given only for infection caused by bacteria.

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