Laryngitis is commonly caused by a viral infection which results in the inflammation of the vocal chords.
Often singers, cheerleaders, announcers, politicians and young children who yell and cry are prone to developing laryngitis and may ‘lose’ their voice for a few days. This is caused when your vocal chords are over-stressed 
and thus irritated. Laryngitis is a fairly harmless condition and patients recover on their own within 1-3 days—the period depends on the cause of the problem.
Additionally, smoking and passive smoking may also cause throat irritation and thus laryngitis. People working in construction areas and industries are also exposed to a lot of smoke and are likely to suffer from the problem as well. As long as you are exposed to pollutants and irritating chemicals, the cause and symptoms of the condition are likely to persist.
However, it is important to note that other complications such as croup in children may also exhibit the same symptoms as laryngitis. If you suspect that laryngitis is not the problem, consult your paediatrician or doctor immediately.
Symptoms
- Sore throat
- Dry cough
- Hoarse voice or loss of voice
- Fever
- Difficulty while swallowing
- Tickling sensation of the throat
Treatment
- It helps to suck on a throat lozenge, a cough drop or even hard candy
- It is best to eliminate the cause of the problem, such as smoke or chemicals. This also means you have to quit smoking
- Overuse of your vocal chords is also a main problem, therefore, you must give your voice some rest till you recover
- Use a humidifier or a cool mist to relieve the symptoms. You can also sit near a hot shower.
- To relieve the fever, you may take any over the counter medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen—this will also reduce discomfort of the throat and pain
- Gargle regularly with a warm salt solution. This can be 1 cup of water mixed with ½ teaspoon of salt
- Use a notebook, journal or piece of paper to communicate with your friends and family. Sometimes it hurts to talk so you should speak softly. Do NOT whisper.
- Drinking warm liquids may also alleviate the symptoms. You can drink green tea with honey, lemon and ginger or broth
The hoarseness of your voice and the dry coughs may persist for more than a week, even after you recover. This is typical in many infections and common cold cases; therefore, it doesn’t call for alarm. The problem initially eases out once you are fully recovered from the fever and feeling of sickness.
When to seek medical attention
- You are suffering from breathing difficulties
- Your fever is higher than 101 F
- Your difficulty in swallowing is preventing you from eating your normal meals
- A barking, deep cough in young children
- Your voice is hoarse for about a month and you do not know the exact cause
- The disease is stopping you from performing daily activities
- The symptoms are too severe
In Serious / Extreme Circumstances
Individuals trained in St Mark James first aid and CPR have the skills to provide assisted breathing for patients that can not breathe normally and require immediate help. Learning these valuable skills can mean the difference between life and death.
Related Video to Laryngitis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSj2lC8dMrc
the same thing. Anyway, the thing is is that many of my symptoms that I had last year didn’t go aawyny. I agree that many of them were because of anxiety but I think the some of them are from an actual, physical health issue.Since last January, I’ve had excessive mucus/phlegm (are they the same?) and I used to cough it up everyday in the morning. But in the last month it’s gotten a lot worse. I have coughing fits in which I cough and cough and cough, sometimes to the point where I vomit (both through my mouth AND nose). I can’t breathe properly if I don’t spit the phlegm out sometimes.Some of it drips down my nose, into my throat, but most of the time it just comes up from chest.I’ve coughed to the point where I spat out blood in my mucus/phlegm, but I don’t think it was from my lungs, just from my throat because I’d made it bleed by coughing so much. I’ve had chest pains as well, not currently but several days ago.My mucus is yellow/clear, it’s been that way since Jan.I had a blood test a few months ago for another reason, and my white blood cell count was borderline high and then borderline low (but I’m black, and my white blood count is usually that way so the doctor said is was normal).My cough is worse at night, twice in a row I’ve thrown up at nightime around the same time. I stayed awake coughing last night. I have a white coating over my tongue.Anyway, my mum called the doctor and said some of my symptoms but she didn’t describe them the way I would have and now the doctors going to prescribe me antibiotics.The last time I went to the Dr’s I told her about the cough she just listened to my chest and gave me antihistamines and cough medicine, which I don’t think helped because I wasn’t having a coughing attack AT THE TIME.So now I’m going to have to take another medicine, and I still haven’t got a diagnosis. I want to get a test done on my saliva so that the doctor can find out EXACTLY what’s wrong because I don’t think that just going by symptoms over the phone is going to help me. I suspect that I have the whooping cough, cystic fibrosis (my surname is Irish and I read that Ireland has the highest CF rate and on my mum’s side my Grandmother’s dad was part white. Could I inherit CF???) or post nasal drip but the thing is I DON’T KNOW and neither does the doctor because she has not properly examined me!How can I get my mum to book a proper appointment? She said that that the doctor’s probably tired of me because all the appointments that I’ve had but the thing is I’m always ill, and I think a test will help to put an end to it.Please help me. I’m sorry that this was so long.P.S I’ve never smoked in my life so that wouldn’t cause the excessive mucus, and sometimes the left side of my lower abdomen hurts mildly (is it my kidney?).FEMALES ONLY PLEASE:My period is also late and sometimes I get a swollen lump on my neck, which I think is a swollen lymph node, I also have a lump on the outside of my right vaginal lip. I’ve been to the doctor about spots in my pubic area and she said that it was caused my hair follicles and that I didn’t have an infection. Is it a swollen lymph node, too? I also get small lump over my bellybutton sometimes, is that a lymph node too?Thank you for your time. Please don’t be rude or say that if I’m well enough to be on my laptop, that I’m not sick because it’s only when I have a coughing fit that I feel bad. And if you’re wondering I haven’t been to school since the end of last week because I’m been ill and I’m worried that if I go to school today I’ll throw up and get sent home aawyny.