It’s that time of year when the temperature drops, the weather changes and we all begin to get colds or the flu. With these upper respiratory infections come fatigue, muscle aches, sneezing, coughing, and often laryngitis. The laryngitis may be the most debilitating aspect of the illness because it can be painful and rob us of our ability to communicate, socialize, and work.
“The symptoms of laryngitis can be caused by numerous factors,” says Michael Pitman, MD, Director, Voice and Swallowing Institute at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. “The most common cause is a viral upper respiratory infection. Vocal abuse in the form of smoking or yelling also commonly leads to laryngitis.”
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the vocal folds of the voice box. They can become inflamed due to infection, overuse or irritation. When your vocal folds are inflamed they do not vibrate smoothly and you develop a hoarse, strained and sometimes barely audible voice. Dr. Pitman offers the following tips for keeping your voice healthy during the winter months:
Prevention
- Often prevention is the best course of action. When you are sick or you feel laryngitis developing, the best thing to do is take care of yourself and your voice.
- Use your voice conservatively, do not clear your throat, and avoid whispering.
- Get enough sleep, drink lots of water, use a humidifier at home, avoid smoke and limit alcohol and caffeine intake.
Treatment
- Treatment for laryngitis depends on the cause of the problem and the speed at which your voice needs to return to normal. If the laryngitis is due to a viral infection, supportive care is the best treatment.
- Drinking water and throat lozenges may also be helpful. Mentholated cough drops should be avoided as these can be extremely irritating to the vocal folds.
- If you are a professional voice user, such as a singer or lawyer, you may need your voice to return more quickly for an important engagement. In that case, discuss this with your otolaryngologist as additional treatments may be warranted.
“Generally, laryngitis should resolve in a few days and certainly within two weeks. Your symptoms can initially be treated with voice rest, conservative voice use and general rest to get your whole body stronger,” says Dr. Pitman. “If you have laryngitis for longer than two weeks or you are a professional voice user, you should seek an evaluation by an otolaryngologist.”
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Michael J. Pitman, MD, is the Director of the Division of Laryngology and the Director of the Voice and Swallowing Institute in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Dr. Pitman provides comprehensive care in all aspects of laryngology including such disorders as laryngotracheal stenosis, vocal fold paralysis, swallowing disorders, spasmodic dysphonia, laryngopharyngeal reflux, chronic cough, vocal fold polyps, nodules and cysts and care of the professional voice.