Laryngitis is a medical term used for the inflammatory condition of the voice box which is also referred to as larynx. The most common symptoms of this medical condition include sore throat, loss of voice and hoarseness. Other common symptoms of laryngitis include a constant need to clear the throat, irritating cough, headaches, mild fever, difficulty speaking and throat pain.
About Chronic Laryngitis
Some people who suffer from laryngitis cannot talk at all, while some others can only croak or whisper. The condition is usually aggravated towards the end of the day, and these difficulties may last for days after the other symptoms have disappeared. In most cases, laryngitis is associated with certain other medical conditions such as tonsillitis, throat infection, flu or a common cold, so it is usually accompanied by several other symptoms such as feeling achy, feeling tired, pain on swallowing, runny nose and swollen neck glands. Chronic cases of laryngitis may sometimes last for months and they can lead to lasting hoarseness and permanent damage to the voice box. This type of laryngitis is often recurring. Laryngitis may also sometimes be associated with breathing difficulties, due to the fact that the condition involves swelling of the larynx. This usually occurs in children much more often than it does in adults.
The Larynx
The larynx itself is a structure located at the entrance of the windpipe and it looks like a tube. It is the lump which is always referred to as the Adam’s apple. It contains the vocal cords which produce the sound of the voice when the air passes through them. Larynx is also the valve which closes off the trachea so that no foods or liquids can enter the airways. It is also responsible for channeling the oxygen into the trachea during the process of breathing. When laryngitis occurs, the vocal cords get inflamed and they cannot vibrate the way they are supposed to. Acute laryngitis is a condition in which the symptoms do not last longer than three weeks, while the chronic laryngitis involves symptoms which last for more than three weeks. Common causes of acute laryngitis include various viral infections, overusing or misusing the voice and several others. The most common causes of chronic laryngitis include different types of infections, chemicals, fumes, dust, different environmental factors, gastroesophageal reflux disease, alcohol misuse and cigarette smoke. Laryngitis is not a serious medical condition and it gets resolved easily without any complications.
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