Brief overview
- Symptoms: Hoarseness, loss of voice, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, irritable cough, foreign body sensation in the throat, frequent throat clearing.
- Risk factors: Allergies, chronic heartburn (reflux), crooked nasal septum, strained vocal cords, irritants in the air we breathe, sinusitis.
- Causes: Infection with viruses or bacteria, silent reflux.
- Treatment: Rest the voice, avoid spicy or hot foods, smoking, alcohol, inhalation; antibiotics only in case of bacterial infection, symptom relief
- Diagnosis: Based on typical symptoms, by laryngoscope by ear, nose and throat specialist, laboratory determination of pathogens
- Prognosis: Acute form usually heals quickly on its own, chronic often recurs, possibly change in mucous membranes (polyps, increase or drying up of mucous glands)
- Prevention: No safe prevention possible, general strengthening of the immune system, spare voice
What is laryngitis?
In laryngitis, also known medically as laryngitis, the mucous membranes of the larynx as well as the vocal cords are inflamed. It is often the result of a respiratory infection caused by viruses or bacteria. People who put a lot of strain on their voice by talking a lot and loudly or shouting are more likely to develop laryngitis.
Laryngitis: What are the symptoms?
The following symptoms are characteristic of laryngitis:
- Hoarseness
- Voice change (dysphonia)
- Sore throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- Irritative cough
- frequent throat clearing
- foreign body sensation (“lump in the throat”)
- possibly fever (acute laryngitis)
In women and men, the symptoms of laryngitis are similar.
Is laryngitis contagious?
If an infection with viruses and/or bacteria is the cause of laryngitis, affected individuals are potentially contagious to others. Causative viruses such as influenza viruses spread, for example, by adhering to tiny droplets of fluid that are expelled when people speak or cough and are inhaled again by other people.
Anyone who is infected does not necessarily get laryngitis, but rather – to stay with the example of influenza viruses – falls ill with influenza that does not spread to the larynx. How contagious a laryngitis is and for how long varies depending on the pathogen.
Therefore, it is recommended to stay home even if you have laryngitis to protect others from infection.
Causes and risk factors
There are several causes of laryngitis:
Viruses and bacteria
Furthermore, there are several risk factors that favor the development of laryngitis:
Heavily stressed vocal cords
People such as singers or teachers who frequently and heavily strain their voice are more likely to develop laryngitis. The vocal apparatus is then irritated and overstrained.
Irritating breathing air
People who very often breathe in dry air, dust, chemical vapors or irritating pollutants such as cigarette smoke also quickly get laryngitis .
Allergies or sinusitis.
Laryngitis is also a possible consequence of other diseases: For example, if you have a chronically blocked nose due to allergies, you breathe almost exclusively through your mouth, thus promoting pharyngitis and laryngitis. This also applies to chronic sinusitis.
Bent nasal septum
A bent nasal septum also makes breathing more difficult and therefore also favors laryngitis.
Chronic heartburn (reflux disease)
In people with reflux disease, gastric juice repeatedly enters the esophagus. This also often inflames the larynx, or it becomes so irritated that laryngitis develops. The doctor refers to laryngitis caused by reflux as laryngitis gastrica. This form of reflux is often unnoticed because no heartburn occurs and is therefore also called silent reflux.
