Laryngitis

Laryngitis – Inflammation of the Larynx/Voice Box

Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx or the voice box which could be due to irritation, overuse or some infection. In several cases, it tends to get better without treatment in a weeks’ time.The vocal cords in the larynx have a twofold of mucous membrane covering muscle and cartilage and as the vocal cords open and close smoothly,it forms sound through their movement and vibration.

The larynx or the voice box is a tube type of a structure which is at the entrance of the windpipe and the lump in the front of the throat is called the Adam’s apple which is the larynx. It helps to channel oxygen in the windpipe when one breathes, acts like a valve closing off the windpipe when one swallows to prevent food of liquid getting into the airways and contains the cord which vibrate as the air passes through producing the sound of the voice.

But in laryngitis, the vocal cords get inflamed and irritated with swelling that causes distortion of sound produced by air passage resulting in a hoarse voice. In a few cases of laryngitis, the voice could be almost undetectable.

The condition of laryngitis could be short lived or long lasting with several cases of laryngitis triggered by temporary viral infection or vocal strain which are not really serious. Sometimes, persistent hoarseness could indicate a serious underlying medical condition. Symptoms of laryngitis include: loss of voice, sore throat, dry throat, dry cough, tickling sensation and rawness of the throat and hoarseness and often tends to get belter without treatment.

Symptoms of Laryngitis 

The need to consult a physician arises if the condition tends to get serious or last longer than three weeks. Immediate medical attention is needed if the person experiences noisy high pitched breathing sounds when inhaling, drools more than usual, has trouble swallowing, with difficulty in breathing and runs a temperature higher than 103 F.

Laryngitis in most cases is caused by viral infection like cold or straining of the voice and in such cases, the symptoms tend to disappear within a week. This type of condition is known as acute laryngitis. Laryngitis occasionally may have other causes like smoking, allergic reaction or alcohol misuse where the symptoms could last much longer and is known as chronic laryngitis.

To help in the healing of the vocal cord, it is advised to refrain from smoking and avoid smoky atmosphere, drinking of plenty of fluids especially water and provide sufficient rest to your voice as much as possible.

Preventing Laryngitis 

If the case is related to allergic reaction it is necessary to avoid the substance causing the allergy or take medication to help in controlling the body’s reactions to the substance. It is not always possible in preventing laryngitis since it is caused very often by common infections like cold and flu which are difficult to avoid.

As per the physicians’ advise, taking the annual flu vaccine could help to reduce the risk of suffering from laryngitis. Besides this, there are also other ways to help in reducing the chances of this condition like avoid straining the voice and consumption of plenty of liquid.