Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx, or voice box, that interferes with speech. Early symptoms include a tickling dry cough, hoarseness, and a sore throat. In more serious cases, a person may have no voice at all, and both swallowing and breathing may also be difficult. The cause is usually a viral infection that begins as a cold or sore throat and travels down to the voice box. As the vocal cords and surrounding tissues become irritated by the infection, they swell and can no longer vibrate freely to produce the sounds of speech. In young children, a similar infection may produce croup and its characteristic barking cough. Laryngitis can also result from strep throat or another bacterial infection, or from irritation caused by alcohol, very hot beverages, toxic vapors, dust, and tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke. Screaming and yelling produce inflammation of the larynx, and such misuse of the voice can cause hoarse ness and the development of vocal cord nodules. Without treatment, these nodules can permanently distort the voice.
Diagnostic Studies And Procedures
A doctor should be consulted if the laryngitis is accompanied by a fever, becomes acutely painful, or lasts more than two weeks. He can usually gauge the cause and seriousness simply by inspecting the throat with a bright light and tongue depressor. When a physician suspects a bacterial infection, he will collect a throat sputum specimen for a laboratory culture to identify the causative organism. When closer inspection is needed, indirect laryngoscopy may be done. In this examination, a tube with fiberoptic viewing devices is inserted into the throat and a tiny camera inside takes video pictures that are projected onto a monitor. Using this apparatus, a doctor can determine whether a tumor, polyps, or nodules are causing the hoarseness. If the lower part of the larynx is to be inspected, the tongue and throat are first sprayed with a local anesthetic to prevent gagging. Biopsy samples of any growths or nodules can be collected during this examination.
Medical Treatments
Viral laryngitis does not require drug therapy, but if a bacterial infection has been diagnosed, Ampicillin, tetracycline, or another broad-spectrum anti biotic will be prescribed, typically for 10 days. Laryngitis due to vocal abuse or irritants is best treated with rest and inhalation of moistened air. A singer, actor, or public figure who must use his voice during a bout of mild laryngitis may be helped by spraying a few drops of epinephrine directly onto the vocal cords. This is especially effective in countering allergic laryngitis, the condition that plagued President Clinton during his 1992 campaign. It can, however, also produce numerous side effects, especially headaches, irregular heartbeat, and nervousness. There fore, it is not always the most suitable approach to treatment. Hoarseness due to polyps, nodules or other benign growths on the vocal cords may be treated by surgical removal of vocal cords swollen and inflamed vocal cords the growths.
Alternative Therapies
Herbal Medicine
To reduce inflammation in the larynx, herbalists advise gargling several times a day with sage tea mixed with a teaspoon of cider vinegar. Sucking on honey and eucalyptus lozenges may also help.
Speech Therapy
Professional voice training may help to prevent chronic laryngitis from overuse or misuse of the voice. This may involve learning to speak or sing at a lower pitch and learning proper breathing and voice projection techniques.
Self Treatment
Self care based on common sense is all that is needed for most cases of laryngitis. The most effective measure is to rest the vocal cords by not talking at all. You should also avoid whispering, which is even harder on vocal cords than ordinary speech, because it puts stress on the cords by forcing them together. If you must communicate by speaking instead of writing, try to use your voice as normally as possible, despite the hoarseness. Drink plenty of warm fluids. Try chewing sugarless gum to stimulate saliva flow and moisten the vocal cords. Use a coolmist humidifier to keep the air moist. Do not take cold pills that contain antihistimines. These medications have a drying effect and therefore increase hoarseness.
Other Causes of Hoarseness and Laryngitis
Smoking and heavy use of alcohol irritate the vocal cords, sometimes resulting in hoarseness. Hay fever and other allergies may also bring about hoarseness and other vocal changes.
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