What can it be when my voice goes away without a cold?
If hoarseness does not occur as part of a cold, it can have many other causes. In addition to the classic viral and bacterial infections that lead to an inflammation of the larynx and vocal cords, hoarseness can also occur in the course of an allergic reaction. Here, too, swelling of the laryngeal mucosa can sometimes occur, which can then be accompanied by hoarseness and breathlessness.
In addition, certain noxious substances (toxins) can impair the voice, so the increased inhalation of smoke (cigarette smoke) or irritant gases also often leads to hoarseness. It also occasionally occurs after intubation under anaesthesia or bronchoscopy (endoscopy of the lower respiratory tract). Benign neoplasms in the area of the vocal cords or vocal folds can also cause the voice to change or disappear.
These include vocal cord cysts, vocal fold polyps or Reinke’s edema. Where there are benign neoplasms, there is always the possibility that malignant ones are present and cause hoarseness. Although this is less common, throat carcinomas and papillomas can also cause such symptoms. Even rarer, but also possible, are paralysis of the vocal cords (due to nerve injuries), laryngeal malformations existing from birth or hormone-induced voice changes.
