Everything You Need to Know About Hoarseness

Common causes of hoarseness

Hoarseness is typically caused by a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract. Other common factors that can cause, contribute to, or worsen your condition include:

• stomachacid reflux
• tobaccosmoking
• drinking caffeinated and alcoholic beverages
• screaming, prolonged singing, or otherwise overusing your vocal cords
• allergies
• inhaling toxic substances
• coughing excessively

Some less common causes of hoarseness include:

• polyps(abnormal growths) on the vocal cords
• throat,thyroid, orlung cancer
• damage to the throat, such as from the insertion of a breathing tube
• male adolescence(when the voice deepens)
• poorly functioningthyroid gland
• thoracicaortic aneurysms(swelling of a portion of the aorta, the largest artery off the heart)
• nerve or muscle conditions that weaken the voice box function

What happens at the doctor’s office

While hoarseness typically isn’t an emergency, it may be linked to some serious medical conditions.

Speak with your doctor if your hoarseness becomes a persistent issue, lasting more than one week for a child and 10 days for an adult.

See your doctor promptly if hoarseness is accompanied bydrooling(in a child) anddifficulty swallowingorbreathing.

A suddeninability to speakor put together coherent sentences may indicate a serious underlying medical condition.

Diagnosing the cause of hoarseness

If you arrive at your doctor’s office or the emergency room and are experiencing breathing difficulty, the first mode of treatment may be to restore your ability to breathe.

Your doctor may give you a breathing treatment (using a mask) or insert abreathing tubeinto your airway to assist you in breathing.

Your doctor will likely want to take an inventory of your symptoms with a thorough medical history to determine the underlying cause.

They may ask about the quality and strength of your voice and the frequency and duration of your symptoms.

Your doctor may ask about factors that worsen the condition of your symptoms, such as smoking and shouting or speaking for long periods. They’ll address any additional symptoms, such asfeverorfatigue.

Your doctor will likely examine your throat with a light and tiny mirror to look for any inflammation or abnormalities.

Depending on your symptoms, they may take athroat culture, run a series of plain filmX-raysof your throat, or recommend aCT scan(another type of X-ray).

Your doctor may also take a sample of your blood to run acomplete blood count. This assesses your red and white blood cell, platelet, andhemoglobin levels.

Treatment option for hoarseness

Follow some self-care routines to help alleviate hoarseness:

• Rest your voice for a few days.Avoid talking and shouting. Don’t whisper, as this actually strains your vocal cords even more.
• Drink plenty of hydrating fluids.Fluids may relieve some of your symptoms and moisten your throat.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol.They can dry out your throat and worsen the hoarseness.
• Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air.It can helpopen your airway and ease breathing.
• Take a hot shower.The steam from the shower will help open your airways and provide moisture.
• Stop or limit your smoking.Smoke dries and irritates your throat.
• Moisten your throat by sucking on lozenges or chewing gum.This stimulates salivation and may help soothe your throat.
• Eliminate allergens from your environment.Allergies can often worsen or trigger hoarseness.
• Don’t use decongestants for your hoarseness.They canfurther irritate and dry out the throat.

See your doctor if these home remedies don’t lessen the duration of your hoarseness. Your doctor will be able to help determine the cause of your symptoms and the proper treatment.

If you have persistent andchronic hoarseness, a serious underlying medical condition may be the cause. Early intervention can often improve your outlook.

Identifying and treating the cause of your persistent hoarseness may prevent your condition from worsening and limit any damage to your vocal cords or throat.

Preventing hoarseness

You can take several actions to prevent hoarseness. Some prevention methods that may help protect your vocal cords are listed below.

• Stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.Breathing smokecan cause irritation of your vocal cords and larynx and can dry out your throat.
• 经常洗手。Hoarseness is often caused by a viral respiratory tract infection. Washing your hands will help prevent the spread of germs and keep you healthy.
• Stay hydrated.Drink at leasteight 8-ounce glasses of watera day. Fluids thin the mucus in the throat and keep it moist.
• Avoid fluids that dehydrate your body.These include caffeinated beverages and alcoholic drinks. They may operate as diuretics and cause you to lose water.
• Try to resist the urge to clear your throat.This may increase the inflammation of your vocal cords and overall irritation in your throat.