Why do people suddenly lose their voice. What are the most common causes of voice loss. How can you prevent and treat hoarseness. What medical conditions can lead to a raspy voice.

The Science Behind Voice Production and Loss

Understanding how our voice works is crucial to comprehending why we might lose it. When we speak, air from our lungs passes through the voice box (larynx) in our throat, causing two bands called vocal cords to vibrate. This vibration produces the sounds we recognize as our voice. However, various factors can interfere with this delicate process, leading to voice loss or hoarseness.

What exactly happens when we lose our voice? In most cases, the vocal cords become inflamed, swollen, or irritated, affecting their ability to vibrate normally. This alteration in vibration results in changes to our voice quality, ranging from slight raspiness to complete loss of sound.

Common Symptoms of Voice Loss

• Hoarseness or raspiness
• Difficulty speaking or singing
• Pain or discomfort when talking
• Complete loss of voice
• Changes in pitch or volume

The Common Cold: A Major Culprit in Voice Loss

One of the most frequent causes of temporary voice loss is the common cold. How does a cold affect our voice? When we catch a cold, the throat becomes inflamed and sore. This inflammation extends to the vocal cords, causing them to swell. The swollen vocal cords can’t vibrate as freely as they normally would, resulting in a hoarse or raspy voice.

Is there a quick fix for cold-related voice loss? Unfortunately, there’s no instant cure, but there are ways to manage the symptoms:

• Rest your voice as much as possible
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids
• Use over-the-counter pain relievers to manage throat discomfort
• Try throat lozenges to soothe irritation
• Use a humidifier to keep the air moist

With proper care and rest, your voice should return to normal as you recover from the cold.

Vocal Strain: When You Push Your Voice Too Far

Have you ever lost your voice after a concert or a night out with friends? This is likely due to vocal strain. Our vocal cords are muscles, and like any muscle in our body, they can become fatigued with overuse. Prolonged periods of talking, singing, or yelling can lead to vocal cord strain and subsequent voice loss.

What activities commonly cause vocal strain?

• Excessive talking or singing
• Yelling or screaming
• Speaking in an unnaturally high or low pitch
• Chronic coughing or throat clearing
• Improper breathing techniques while speaking or singing

How can you prevent vocal strain? Here are some tips:

1. Practice good vocal hygiene by staying hydrated and avoiding irritants like smoke
2. Use proper breathing techniques when speaking or singing
3. Take regular breaks during long periods of voice use
4. Avoid speaking in noisy environments where you need to raise your voice
5. Consider voice training if you use your voice professionally

Smoking and Voice Loss: A Dangerous Connection

The harmful effects of smoking extend beyond lung health to voice quality. How does smoking impact our vocal cords? Cigarette smoke irritates the delicate tissues of the vocal cords, leading to inflammation and swelling. Over time, this chronic irritation can cause long-term voice problems and increase the risk of developing vocal cord polyps.

What are the specific ways smoking affects voice quality?

• Deepening of the voice
• Increased hoarseness and raspiness
• Reduced vocal range
• Decreased ability to project the voice
• Increased risk of laryngeal cancer

Quitting smoking is the most effective way to protect your voice from these harmful effects. If you’re struggling to quit, consider seeking help from a healthcare professional or support group.

Allergies: An Unexpected Cause of Voice Changes

While most people associate allergies with sneezing and itchy eyes, they can also significantly impact voice quality. How do allergies affect our voice? Allergic reactions can cause inflammation in the vocal cords, leading to swelling and changes in voice quality. Additionally, postnasal drip – a common allergy symptom – can irritate the vocal cords and trigger excessive throat clearing, further straining the voice.

What are some ways to manage allergy-related voice issues?

• Use allergy medications as prescribed by your doctor
• Stay hydrated to thin mucus secretions
• Use a saline nasal spray to clear nasal passages
• Avoid known allergens when possible
• Consider immunotherapy for long-term allergy management

It’s important to note that some allergy medications, particularly antihistamines, can dry out the throat and potentially worsen voice problems. If you’re experiencing persistent voice issues due to allergies, consult with an allergist or ENT specialist for personalized advice.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Surprising Link to Voice Problems

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is primarily known for causing joint pain and stiffness, but it can also affect the voice. How does RA impact vocal health? This autoimmune condition can affect the tiny joints in the face and throat, potentially leading to breathing difficulties and changes in vocal cord function. Approximately one in three people with RA experience vocal problems, including sore throat and voice loss.

What are the specific ways RA can affect the voice?

• Inflammation of the cricoarytenoid joint, which helps move the vocal cords
• Reduced mobility of the vocal cords
• Changes in voice quality, including hoarseness or weakness
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Increased susceptibility to laryngitis

If you have RA and are experiencing persistent voice changes, it’s crucial to discuss these symptoms with your rheumatologist. They may recommend additional treatments or refer you to an ENT specialist for further evaluation.

Thyroid Disorders: When Hormones Affect Your Voice

The thyroid gland plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including voice production. How can thyroid disorders impact our voice? Both hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can lead to voice changes. In hypothyroidism, the voice may become deeper and hoarser, while hyperthyroidism can cause tremors in the voice.

What are some thyroid-related conditions that can affect voice quality?

• Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland)
• Thyroid nodules
• Thyroid cancer
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Graves’ disease

If you’re experiencing unexplained voice changes along with other symptoms like fatigue, weight changes, or mood swings, it’s important to consult with your healthcare provider. They may recommend thyroid function tests to determine if a thyroid disorder is the underlying cause of your voice issues.

GERD: When Stomach Acid Affects Your Voice

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is commonly associated with heartburn, but it can also have a significant impact on voice quality. How does GERD affect the voice? When stomach acid flows back into the esophagus and throat, it can irritate the vocal cords, leading to inflammation and swelling. This irritation can result in a hoarse, weak, or breathy voice.

What are the signs that GERD might be affecting your voice?

• Chronic hoarseness or raspiness
• Frequent throat clearing
• Sensation of a lump in the throat
• Excessive mucus production
• Voice fatigue or weakness

How can you manage GERD-related voice problems?

1. Avoid trigger foods that exacerbate acid reflux
2. Eat smaller, more frequent meals
3. Don’t lie down immediately after eating
4. Elevate the head of your bed
5. Use over-the-counter or prescription medications as recommended by your doctor

If you suspect GERD is affecting your voice, consult with a gastroenterologist or ENT specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Laryngitis: Understanding Acute and Chronic Forms

Laryngitis is a common condition characterized by inflammation of the larynx (voice box). How does laryngitis affect our voice? The inflammation causes swelling of the vocal cords, which interferes with their normal vibration and results in a hoarse, raspy voice or even complete voice loss.

What are the differences between acute and chronic laryngitis?

Acute Laryngitis

• Typically lasts less than three weeks
• Often caused by viral infections or vocal strain
• Usually resolves on its own with rest and proper care

Chronic Laryngitis

• Persists for more than three weeks
• Can be caused by long-term exposure to irritants, GERD, or certain medical conditions
• May require medical intervention for proper management

How can you manage laryngitis and promote voice recovery?

1. Rest your voice as much as possible
2. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids
3. Use a humidifier to keep the air moist
4. Avoid irritants like smoke and alcohol
5. Try over-the-counter pain relievers for discomfort

If your laryngitis persists for more than two weeks or is accompanied by severe symptoms, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and treatment.

Vocal Cord Growths: Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts

Non-cancerous growths on the vocal cords can significantly impact voice quality. What are the most common types of vocal cord growths? The three main types are nodules, polyps, and cysts. Each of these can affect the vibration of the vocal cords, leading to voice changes or loss.

Vocal Nodules

These are callus-like formations that typically develop in the middle of the vocal cords. They’re often caused by prolonged vocal abuse or misuse. With proper voice rest and therapy, nodules may resolve on their own.

Vocal Polyps

Polyps are usually larger than nodules and often appear on one side of a vocal cord. They can vary in size and shape and may require surgical removal if they don’t respond to conservative treatment.

Vocal Cysts

These are fluid-filled sacs that form within the vocal cord tissue. They can be congenital or develop over time due to vocal misuse or trauma.

How can you prevent vocal cord growths?

• Practice good vocal hygiene
• Avoid excessive voice use or abuse
• Stay hydrated
• Use proper breathing techniques when speaking or singing
• Seek professional voice training if you use your voice extensively for work

If you’re experiencing persistent voice changes or hoarseness, especially if you’re a professional voice user, it’s important to consult with an ENT specialist or laryngologist for proper evaluation and treatment.

Neurological Conditions and Voice Disorders

Various neurological conditions can affect voice production and quality. How do nervous system diseases impact our voice? These conditions can interfere with the complex coordination required for speech and voice production, leading to a range of voice disorders.

What are some neurological conditions that can cause voice problems?

• Parkinson’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Myasthenia gravis
• Stroke

How do these conditions affect the voice?

1. Weakness or paralysis of the vocal cords
2. Changes in voice quality (e.g., breathiness, hoarseness)
3. Difficulty controlling pitch or volume
4. Tremor in the voice
5. Slurred or unclear speech

Treatment for neurological voice disorders often involves a multidisciplinary approach, including neurologists, speech-language pathologists, and ENT specialists. Voice therapy, medication, and in some cases, surgical interventions may be recommended to manage voice symptoms associated with these conditions.

Laryngeal Cancer: A Serious Cause of Voice Changes

While less common than other causes of voice loss, laryngeal cancer is a serious condition that can significantly impact voice quality. What are the early signs of laryngeal cancer? Persistent hoarseness lasting more than three weeks is often the first symptom. Other signs may include difficulty swallowing, ear pain, or a lump in the neck.

Who is at higher risk for developing laryngeal cancer?

• Smokers
• Heavy alcohol users
• People with a history of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection
• Those exposed to certain workplace chemicals
• Individuals with a family history of head and neck cancers

How is laryngeal cancer diagnosed and treated?

1. Physical examination and medical history review
2. Laryngoscopy to visualize the larynx
3. Biopsy to confirm diagnosis
4. Imaging studies (CT, MRI) to determine the extent of the cancer
5. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these

If you’re experiencing persistent voice changes, especially if you have risk factors for laryngeal cancer, it’s crucial to seek medical attention promptly. Early detection and treatment can significantly improve outcomes for this type of cancer.

Why Am I Losing My Voice? 11 Possible Causes Of Voice Loss

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by David Zelman, MD on November 27, 2022

• A Cold
• You Use Your Voice Too Much
• Smoking
• Allergies
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Trouble With Your Thyroid
• GERD
• Laryngitis
• Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts
• Nervous System Diseases
• Laryngeal Cancer
• More

Maybe you first notice something is wrong when your normally clear-as-a-bell voice gets a little bit husky. Pretty soon all that your friends can hear is a lot of croaking when you try to speak up. Too much singing in the shower, you wonder, or is something more serious to blame?

Check out these culprits that could explain why you’re hoarse.

When you speak, air passes through the voice box in your throat and hits the two bands called vocal cords. Your voice makes sounds when they vibrate.

A cold can throw a wrench into this smooth-running machine. Your throat gets inflamed and sore. Then your vocal cords swell, which affects the way they vibrate. The end result: You’re hoarse.

Rest your voice and drink plenty of fluids. Your volume will return when you recover.

Learn more ways to treat the common cold.

Each time you talk or sing, you use different muscles, including some in your mouth and throat. Just like other muscles in your body, overuse of the ones that help you speak can lead to fatigue, strain, and injury. The wrong technique can also bring on hoarseness.

Here are some common things that you may be doing wrong:
 

• Speak, sing, yell, or cough too much
• Use a pitch that’s higher or lower than normal when you talk
• Cradle your phone between your head and shoulder

Cigarette smoke irritates your vocal cords, which can lead to long-term voice problems. Studies show that former and current smokers are about three times more likely to have a voice disorder than people who never smoke.

Smoking can also raise your risk of developing a small, noncancerous growth called a polyp on your vocal cords. It can cause your voice to become low, breathy, and hoarse.

Find out how smoking can also affect your heart.

When you think about allergies, you probably think of a runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. But they can also take a toll on your voice in several ways:

• An allergic reaction can cause your vocal cords to swell.
• Postnasal drip — when mucus moves from your nose into your throat — can irritate your vocal cords.
• Coughing and clearing your throat can strain your vocal cords.
• Antihistamine drugs for allergies can dry out mucus in your throat. This may harm your vocal cords, which need moisture to work.

Learn ways you can allergy-proof your environment.

It’s an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints. About 1 in 3 people with RA get vocal problems, including a sore throat and loss of voice. That’s because the condition can affect tiny joints in your face and throat, which leads to problems with your breathing and the way your vocal cords work.

Read more about how RA can affect your body.

This butterfly-shaped gland in your lower neck pumps out a hormone that controls a number of functions in your body. When your thyroid doesn’t make enough of it, one symptom you might have is a hoarse voice.

If you have a goiter — when your thyroid gets larger — you may cough a lot and have problems with your speech. A growth on the thyroid, or a nodule, can also affect the way you speak.

Learn more about thyroid nodules.

It’s a condition that makes stomach acid wash back up into the esophagus, a tube that leads into your throat. The main symptom is heartburn, but GERD can also weaken your voice.

Stomach acid can irritate your vocal cords, throat, and esophagus. This leads to a hoarse voice, wheezing, and too much mucus in your throat.

Find out how GERD is diagnosed and treated.

It’s not a disease, but a catch-all word that means you’ve lost your voice. If it happens suddenly, it’s called “acute” laryngitis. You can get it from a cold or overusing your voice.

You can get long-term laryngitis if you breathe in something irritating, like smoke or chemical fumes. It also develops if you get yeast infections of the vocal cords, which can happen if you use asthma inhalers or have problems with your immune system, the body’s defense against germs.

Learn more about laryngitis symptoms.

Although experts aren’t sure why, non-cancerous growths can appear on your vocal cords. They believe that heavy overuse of the voice, such as too much yelling or speaking, can be a cause. There are three types:

Nodules. These callus-like formations usually grow in the middle of the vocal cord. They tend to go away if you give your voice enough rest.

Polyps. These typically appear on one side of the vocal cord. They have a variety of sizes and shapes. Unlike nodules, they often need to be removed surgically.

Cysts. They’re fluid-filled or semi-solid masses of tissue that grow near or beneath the surface of your vocal cord. If they make serious changes to your voice, your doctor will likely recommend surgery to remove them.

A condition that affects your nerves, like Parkinson’s disease, can affect the muscles in your face and throat. Nearly 90% of people with Parkinson’s get some form of a speech or voice disorder.

Parkinson’s causes the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination to decline. This may mean that you’re no longer able to control the muscles needed for speech.

Learn how doctors diagnose Parkinson’s disease.

Long-term hoarseness or voice loss may be a sign of throat cancer. Other symptoms for the disease are:

• Pain when swallowing
• Pain in the ear
• Trouble breathing
• Lump in the neck

Get more information on throat cancer diagnosis and treatment.

If your voice problems last for more than 2 weeks, see a doctor.

Top Picks

Why Am I Losing My Voice? 11 Possible Causes Of Voice Loss

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Medically Reviewed by David Zelman, MD on November 27, 2022

• A Cold
• You Use Your Voice Too Much
• Smoking
• Allergies
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Trouble With Your Thyroid
• GERD
• Laryngitis
• Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts
• Nervous System Diseases
• Laryngeal Cancer
• More

Maybe you first notice something is wrong when your normally clear-as-a-bell voice gets a little bit husky. Pretty soon all that your friends can hear is a lot of croaking when you try to speak up. Too much singing in the shower, you wonder, or is something more serious to blame?

Check out these culprits that could explain why you’re hoarse.

When you speak, air passes through the voice box in your throat and hits the two bands called vocal cords. Your voice makes sounds when they vibrate.

A cold can throw a wrench into this smooth-running machine. Your throat gets inflamed and sore. Then your vocal cords swell, which affects the way they vibrate. The end result: You’re hoarse.

Rest your voice and drink plenty of fluids. Your volume will return when you recover.

Learn more ways to treat the common cold.

Each time you talk or sing, you use different muscles, including some in your mouth and throat. Just like other muscles in your body, overuse of the ones that help you speak can lead to fatigue, strain, and injury. The wrong technique can also bring on hoarseness.

Here are some common things that you may be doing wrong:
 

• Speak, sing, yell, or cough too much
• Use a pitch that’s higher or lower than normal when you talk
• Cradle your phone between your head and shoulder

Cigarette smoke irritates your vocal cords, which can lead to long-term voice problems. Studies show that former and current smokers are about three times more likely to have a voice disorder than people who never smoke.

Smoking can also raise your risk of developing a small, noncancerous growth called a polyp on your vocal cords. It can cause your voice to become low, breathy, and hoarse.

Find out how smoking can also affect your heart.

When you think about allergies, you probably think of a runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. But they can also take a toll on your voice in several ways:

• An allergic reaction can cause your vocal cords to swell.
• Postnasal drip — when mucus moves from your nose into your throat — can irritate your vocal cords.
• Coughing and clearing your throat can strain your vocal cords.
• Antihistamine drugs for allergies can dry out mucus in your throat. This may harm your vocal cords, which need moisture to work.

Learn ways you can allergy-proof your environment.

It’s an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints. About 1 in 3 people with RA get vocal problems, including a sore throat and loss of voice. That’s because the condition can affect tiny joints in your face and throat, which leads to problems with your breathing and the way your vocal cords work.

Read more about how RA can affect your body.

This butterfly-shaped gland in your lower neck pumps out a hormone that controls a number of functions in your body. When your thyroid doesn’t make enough of it, one symptom you might have is a hoarse voice.

If you have a goiter — when your thyroid gets larger — you may cough a lot and have problems with your speech. A growth on the thyroid, or a nodule, can also affect the way you speak.

Learn more about thyroid nodules.

It’s a condition that makes stomach acid wash back up into the esophagus, a tube that leads into your throat. The main symptom is heartburn, but GERD can also weaken your voice.

Stomach acid can irritate your vocal cords, throat, and esophagus. This leads to a hoarse voice, wheezing, and too much mucus in your throat.

Find out how GERD is diagnosed and treated.

It’s not a disease, but a catch-all word that means you’ve lost your voice. If it happens suddenly, it’s called “acute” laryngitis. You can get it from a cold or overusing your voice.

You can get long-term laryngitis if you breathe in something irritating, like smoke or chemical fumes. It also develops if you get yeast infections of the vocal cords, which can happen if you use asthma inhalers or have problems with your immune system, the body’s defense against germs.

Learn more about laryngitis symptoms.

Although experts aren’t sure why, non-cancerous growths can appear on your vocal cords. They believe that heavy overuse of the voice, such as too much yelling or speaking, can be a cause. There are three types:

Nodules. These callus-like formations usually grow in the middle of the vocal cord. They tend to go away if you give your voice enough rest.

Polyps. These typically appear on one side of the vocal cord. They have a variety of sizes and shapes. Unlike nodules, they often need to be removed surgically.

Cysts. They’re fluid-filled or semi-solid masses of tissue that grow near or beneath the surface of your vocal cord. If they make serious changes to your voice, your doctor will likely recommend surgery to remove them.

A condition that affects your nerves, like Parkinson’s disease, can affect the muscles in your face and throat. Nearly 90% of people with Parkinson’s get some form of a speech or voice disorder.

Parkinson’s causes the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination to decline. This may mean that you’re no longer able to control the muscles needed for speech.

Learn how doctors diagnose Parkinson’s disease.

Long-term hoarseness or voice loss may be a sign of throat cancer. Other symptoms for the disease are:

• Pain when swallowing
• Pain in the ear
• Trouble breathing
• Lump in the neck

Get more information on throat cancer diagnosis and treatment.

If your voice problems last for more than 2 weeks, see a doctor.

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Lost voice

To the guide

Change or complete disappearance of the voice is one of the typical symptoms of ENT pathologies.

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The change or complete disappearance of the voice in medical practice is called aphonia (from the Greek “aphonia” – “lack of voice, sound”).

Why does my voice disappear?

Often this occurs with laryngitis, which is usually provoked by viral agents or occurs against the background of general hypothermia. Due to the inflammatory process in the larynx, the vocal cords stop vibrating, which means they cannot create sound waves when air is exhaled from the lungs. Consequently, a person loses the ability to pronounce sounds.

Another common cause is pharyngitis. Inflammation of the pharynx, accompanied by sore throat and swelling, with a long course, can also lead to the patient losing his voice.

But loss of voice is not always a manifestation of diseases of the ENT organs. Sometimes the reasons for this can be:

• Nervous breakdowns that affect the functioning of all body systems, in particular, the muscles of the larynx.
• Often, the absence of a voice is the result of a sharp overstrain of the vocal cords. Such a picture can be observed in ardent football, hockey or other sports fans who use the voice as the main tool for expressing their emotional state.
• Also at risk are people who abuse caffeinated drinks, smokers and patients suffering from thyroid disorders.

Treatment

A throat treatment scheme will help restore the functioning of the vocal cords, which can be obtained during examination and diagnosis of the disease from the doctors of the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic.

Essential components of treatment:

• rinsing with furacilin solution;
• irrigation of the pharynx with anti-inflammatory sprays;
• physiotherapy (inhalation, electrophoresis, exposure to laser radiation).

Self-treatment

Self-medication often leads to complications that may require surgery. Traditional medicine can only supplement therapy aimed at suppressing the parasite. Along with this, the patient is shown a diet. It consists in the exclusion from the diet of foods that irritate the mucous membrane. This list can include all salty, peppery and spicy dishes that are served hot.

You can return your voice in the absence of an inflammatory process yourself. Plant extracts that have a sedative effect (valerian solution or motherwort decoction) will help relieve nervous strain.

In case of dysfunction of the vocal cords, for example, after a football match, their rehabilitation will be facilitated by raspberry or blackberry juice and eggnog with the addition of a tablespoon of cognac. After their adoption, it is recommended to remain silent so as not to burden the ligaments. Whispering is not welcome, as this puts an additional load on the muscles of the larynx, which can only aggravate the situation. If you can’t completely eliminate talking, you should speak more slowly than usual. All words must be pronounced clearly.

Seeing a doctor early can help keep you healthy.

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Laryngitis: symptoms, causes and treatment

Laryngitis is a disease with a very characteristic symptom. If you hear someone whisper, “I’ve lost my voice,” be sure it’s laryngitis. In this article, we will look at the symptoms, causes and treatment of this disease.

Our larynx functions as a vocal apparatus. Thanks to the vibrating movements of its muscles, which are called vocal cords, we can speak. If the ligaments become inflamed or swollen, only a wheeze, squeak and whisper remains from our voice. Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx and vocal cords.

Why does the voice disappear? Due to swelling of the vocal cords, their vibration changes, and with it our voice. Depending on how much the ligaments are swollen, the voice becomes a little hoarse, turns into a wheeze and a whisper, and sometimes completely disappears for a while.

The most common cause of this disease is a viral infection, and sometimes bacterial. The larynx also becomes inflamed due to prolonged screaming or very loud singing. In this case, the vocal cords hit each other, which leads to their inflammation.

If the disease does not recede after 3 weeks, then laryngitis becomes chronic. This may be due to:

• Less common infections such as thrush.
• A job or activity that involves constant public speaking. Teachers, singers, actors – people of these professions often “lose” their voice.
• Allergic reactions, eg hay fever, allergic rhinitis, asthma.
• Acid reflux – in this case, gastric juice enters the larynx and irritates the mucous membrane of the vocal apparatus.
• Neck injury.
• Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Taking or using certain drugs – steroid inhalers, antihistamines, diuretics.

If laryngitis does not go away for more than 3 weeks, it is necessary to contact an otolaryngologist.

Laryngitis: symptoms and duration of illness

In addition to hoarseness, symptoms of this disease may include: Sensation of scratchy pain in the throat throat),

• Constant desire to cough.

If you have viral laryngitis, you may feel pain in the front of your neck. Almost immediately after this, hoarseness appears, or the voice simply begins to sound different. Sometimes the voice completely disappears and the person is only able to whisper. Do not worry, because this is only a short-term phenomenon.

Laryngitis in children discourages the desire to eat and drink. Sometimes in young patients, the temperature rises (up to 38 ° C or higher). Also, the child may experience difficulty breathing, although this is extremely rare.

Sometimes laryngitis appears together with pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and also during a cold or flu. In this case, the patient also has other symptoms:

• Sore throat,
• Headache,
• Feeling tired,
• Runny nose,
• Pain when swallowing.

Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract (bronchitis or pneumonia) can also cause inflammation of the larynx.

How long does the illness last?

Usually the symptoms of viral laryngitis get worse during the first 2-3 days. After that, the patient becomes better and within a week the disease completely disappears. Although often a hoarse voice accompanies a person for about a week after the rest of the symptoms have passed. This is due to the fact that it takes some time to restore the vocal cords.

Does laryngitis have complications?

One of the rare complications is breathing problems. Sometimes this happens with very severe inflammation and swelling of the larynx, which narrows the trachea. This complication almost never occurs in adults.

Laryngitis in a child can cause breathing difficulties due to the fact that the width of the trachea in children is not as wide as in adults. Due to severe inflammation and swelling of the larynx, the already narrow trachea narrows even more, as a result of which it becomes difficult for the child to breathe. If you or your child develops an inflamed throat and difficulty breathing, seek immediate medical attention.

How is laryngitis diagnosed?

Seek medical attention in the following cases:

• Symptoms worsen.
• Breathing difficulties. In this case, you must urgently call an emergency ambulance.
• High fever that “holds on” for more than 2 days.
• Hoarse voice (or voice change) that accompanies the patient for more than 3 weeks.
• Swelling of glands in the neck that does not go away within 2-3 weeks after infection.
• Swollen glands without symptoms of infection.
• Formation of a lump in the neck.

Usually, no tests or special procedures are required to diagnose laryngitis. Sometimes the doctor needs to examine the larynx in more detail using a special tool – a laryngoscope. This is a painless procedure by which the ENT carefully examines the vocal cords.

Treatment of laryngitis

The treatment strategy for this disease can be either passive or active.

Laryngitis is usually caused by a viral infection. In this case, it makes no sense to spend money on any medicines. It is enough to observe a drinking regimen for several days, as well as to talk to a minimum so as not to strain the vocal cords.

Do not do:

• Speak loudly or in a whisper – even a whisper makes our vocal cords tense.
• Smoke, drink alcohol and drink a lot of coffee. All this irritates the mucous membrane of the larynx.
• Spending time in dusty or smoky places.

It is very important to drink plenty of fluids, otherwise the patient’s body will be dehydrated. Even slight dehydration provokes headaches and makes a person very tired. In addition, if the larynx is too dry, the inflammation only intensifies. To avoid this, it is recommended not only to drink plenty of fluids, but also to chew sugar-free gum.

If the patient wants to relieve the treatment of laryngitis, he can use additional methods and means:

• Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen will relieve pain, relieve headaches and help reduce fever.