Acute laryngitis facts

Introduction

Laryngitis is a medical condition which is characterized byan inflammatory condition which affects the larynx and it may get manifested inboth chronic and acute forms. Chronic laryngitis is characterized by a longerduration of the symptoms and it takes much longer to develop than the acutelaryngitis. It can be triggered by various harmful environmental factors suchas polluted air, cigarette smoke, irritation from asthma inhalers, gastroesophagealreflux disease, vocal misuse and many others. Vocal abuse is often a result ofacute laryngitis, and not vice versa, as is the common belief. Hoarse voicegets triggered by an inflammatory condition or an underlying infection. Acutelaryngitis is much more different because it occurs abruptly and in most casesit usually limits itself. If the condition persists for more than 3 weeks itcan be classified as a chronic type of laryngitis. The most common triggers andfactors which cause the onset of acute laryngitis include viral or bacterialinfectious agents, upper respiratory tract infections, exposure to noxious agentsand vocal misuse. In some rare cases, inflammatory conditions of the larynx maybe triggered by certain types of autoimmune medical conditions such assarcoidosis, Wegener granulomatosis, relapsing polychondritis and rheumatoidarthritis.

Pathophysiology

Acute laryngitis is an inflammatory condition which affectsthe larynx and the vocal cord mucosa for no more than 3 weeks. The vocal foldsbecome edematous and their vibration gets effected because the white bloodcells tend to remove all the harmful microorganisms during the process ofhealing. The hoarseness of the voiceoccurs because it rather difficult to generate adequate phonation pressures ina normal way. As the membranous covering of the vocal cords becomes swollen andred, it also gets thicker which leads to a lowered pitch in all those whosuffer from laryngitic patients. There are certain standardized treatmentmethods which are usually sufficient in restoring the vocal folds to theirnormal vibratory activity. It is almost impossible to determine the exactprevalence of acute laryngitis because most patients treat themselves at theirhome without seeking any medical consultation with a healthcare provider. Thesymptoms are usually accompanied by an infection which affects the upperrespiratory tract, so the condition is even easier to cure. There are nosignificant mortalities or morbidities associated with acute laryngitis,because it is a self-limited medical condition. Acute laryngitis usuallyaffects adults between 18 and 40 years of age.