Laryngitis

Diagnosis

To determine the cause of your symptoms, your doctor will start with a medical history.If you have acute laryngitis, and you also have cold symptoms, most likely your doctor will attribute your symptoms to an upper respiratory tract infection. Chronic laryngitis may involve referral to a specialist. When you first seek treatment for severe or chronic laryngitis, your doctor will take a medical history to identify the most likely underlying cause. The history will include questions about recent respiratory tract infections, smoking, alcohol consumption, use of your voice, possible exposure to dust or environmental contaminants, and potential symptoms of acid reflux disease. Your answers to these questions will help your physician determine the most probable cause and appropriate course of treatment for your illness.

During the examination, your doctor will observe the condition of your throat and vocal cords. When you open your mouth and say, “aaaa,” your doctor will be able to examine the back of your mouth, your tonsils, and throat for any signs of infection or disease. Using an angled mirror or a fiberoptic instrument called a nasopharyngoscope, your doctor will examine the condition of your vocal cords, looking for redness, swelling, lesions, or other signs of irritation, if you have chronic laryngitis.

During the physical examination, your doctor will also look for symptoms of acid reflux. When acid reflux is suspected, your doctor may order a set of sophisticated tests to better characterize the condition, or may prescribe drugs or lifestyle changes to treat the reflux to see empirically whether the laryngitis improves.

Vocal cord nodules, polyps, and contact ulcers can also cause hoarseness or loss of voice. Because these lesions are not generally associated with inflammation, they are not considered to be a sign of laryngitis, even though they have similar causes and treatment.

If a bacterial infection is suspected for recent onset of laryngitis, your doctor may take a throat culture. Bacterial infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and diphtheria can cause laryngitis. Because the most effective treatment for each of these infections requires specific antibiotics, your doctor may take a throat swab and send it to a laboratory for identification. Most likely, your doctor will make an initial diagnosis based on your symptoms, and will start antibiotic therapy before the final results are returned from the laboratory.

Prevention and Screening

If you smoke, quitting will reduce your risk of contracting laryngitis. Avoiding constant exposure to dust or other environmental irritants can reduce your risk as well.

Avoid overusing your voice and refrain from excessive yelling or shouting. Stop speaking as soon as you feel minor pain. If you are in an occupation in which you use your voice extensively, consider voice therapy to learn proper breath support and less strenuous vocalization.