Laryngitis occurs when your larynx (also known as your voice box) and its vocal cords become inflamed, swollen, and irritated. This fairly common condition often causes hoarseness or loss of voice, which is generally temporary.

A range of issues can causelaryngitis, including:

  • long-term tobacco smoking
  • stomachacid reflux
  • overusing your voice
  • viral infections, such as cold and flu viruses

如果您有过敏或pneumoniaor if you regularly come into contact with irritating chemicals.

治疗usually involves adequate rest and hydration, but some cases, may require medication. If you have a serious case, you may need surgery.

Recovery usually depends on the cause and severity of your condition. Most cases are short-term (lasting less than 14 days) and can be treated at home.

Chronic laryngitis is different from standard laryngitis. In these cases, symptoms last longer than 3 weeks. You should call your doctor if your condition has lasted longer than 3 weeks.

Common symptoms of chronic laryngitis include:

Acute laryngitis will typically clear up within 2 weeks. Your doctor should evaluate symptoms that last longer than 2 weeks as soon as possible.

A variety of factors can cause chronic laryngitis. Long-term cigarette smoking can irritate your vocal cords and cause your throat to swell.

Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)导致胃中的胃酸进入食道。这会随着时间的流逝而刺激您的喉咙。过度接触有毒化学物质也会导致慢性喉炎。

Other conditions that may be associated with, or lead to, chronic laryngitis include:

Your doctor can diagnose chronic laryngitis. You’ll want to see your doctor if your voice has started to become hoarse or you’ve had any other laryngitis symptoms lasting 3 weeks or longer.

It’s better to try to address and treat the cause of laryngitis sooner than later. Laryngitis that lasts for longer than 3 weeks is considered to be chronic laryngitis.

Your doctor may want you to see a specialist who can perform alaryngoscopyto look at your larynx. If anything looks out of the ordinary, a biopsy of the affected area might be done.

Types of laryngoscopies

There are a few types of laryngoscopies that involve different levels of involvement. These are called:

  • direct laryngoscopy：大多数涉及的类型，其中拆除并测试了组织样品
  • indirect laryngoscopy: least involved where doctors examine the throat with a light and small mirror
  • direct fiber-optic laryngoscopy: a common procedure where a telescope goes through the nose and into the throat

Chronic laryngitis in children

It’s important to take your child to their doctor if their symptoms last for more than 2 weeks. If your child has trouble breathing or swallowing, this could be a medical emergency and you should take them to the emergency room immediately.

Call your child’s doctor if your child has symptoms of vocal cord swelling accompanied by any of the following:

  • a barking cough
  • fever
  • sore throat
  • dry cough

These may also be signs ofcroup, which causes swelling of the area around the vocal cords. This is more common in infants and younger children.

Your doctor will examine your throat to determine the cause of the laryngitis. Treatment will be based on the cause of your condition.

Laryngitis symptoms can be caused by aninfection在您的呼吸道中。如果您是吸烟者，并且患有喉炎症状超过3周，则可能需要看到耳朵，鼻子和喉咙专家。

Rest

People who speak or sing for a living will need to rest their voices until the inflammation subsides. You should limit how much you use your voice after you recover to prevent the condition from flaring up again.

Getting extra rest will help your body recover even if singing or speaking isn’t part of your profession.

Hydration

Your doctor may also recommend that you use a humidifier in your home to add moisture to your environment and help soothe your scratchy throat. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

避免使用咖啡因和酒精，因为这些物质会导致喉部炎症增加。您也可以通过吸吮lozenges来保持喉咙湿润。请小心避免会刺激您的喉咙的物质，例如含有薄荷醇的咳嗽滴。

Medications

Viruses cause the majority of cases of infectious laryngitis, which is usually acute laryngitis that clears up over time. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics in the rare case that your condition is caused by a bacterial infection.

治疗for chronic laryngitis is aimed at the underlying cause and will vary. Your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine, pain relievers, or a glucocorticosteroid. If you have stomach acid reflux that’s irritating your voice box, your doctor may prescribe therapy to address this.

Surgery

导致声带息肉或声带瘫痪的慢性喉炎被认为更为严重。如果这些疾病中的任何一个都引起了严重的声带功能障碍，您的医生可能会建议手术。

Vocal cord polyp removal is typically an outpatient procedure. Your doctor may recommend collagen injections or surgery for loose or paralyzed vocal cords.

General healthy practices will help you to avoid chronic laryngitis. Washing your hands and avoiding contact with others who have the flu or cold will limit the risk of catching a virus.

People who use their voices excessively for a living should take frequent breaks. Talk to your doctor about other ways you can reduce the possibility of inflammation.

You should avoid working in locations that constantly expose you to harsh chemicals. People who smoke should quit immediately to lower their risk of inflammation.

Properly treating stomach acid reflux can also lower one’s risk for chronic laryngitis. Avoiding excessive alcohol intake is also recommended.

Laryngitis may be acute or chronic. Chronic laryngitis can develop over long periods of time and last for weeks or months. Acute laryngitis usually comes on suddenly and clears up in less than 14 days.

People at a higher risk for chronic laryngitis are tobacco smokers and those who are regularly exposed to irritating inhalants or toxic chemicals. You also have a greater risk if you:

  • overuse your voice on a regular basis
  • have chronic sinus inflammation (sinusitis)
  • drink a lot of alcohol
  • have allergies

You can also develop ulcers or growths, such as polyps or cysts, on your vocal cords over time if you talk or sing excessively. Vocal cords can lose their ability to vibrate as you age. This makes you more susceptible to chronic laryngitis.

可以引起喉炎by a variety of different factors, such as overusing your voice or persistent acid reflux. It’s important to keep track of how long your symptoms last since that can be the differentiating factor between whether it’s standard laryngitis or chronic. If symptoms last longer than 3 weeks, consult your primary care physician for the proper steps to take toward treatment.