Symptoms of Laryngitis

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A |

| B |

| C |

| D |

| E |

| F |

| G |

| H |

| I |

| J |

| K |

| L |

| M |

| N |

| O |

| P |

| Q |

| R |

| S |

| T |

| U |

| V |

| W |

| X |

| Y |

Symptoms of acute laryngitis usually begin quite suddenly and get worse over 2-3 days. The laryngitis is usually better within a week.

Symptoms include:

a hoarse voice,
difficulty speaking,
a sore throat,
a mild fever ,
a headache,
an irritating cough, and
needing to clear the throat excessively.

Some people may not be able to talk at all, or only be able to whisper or croak. This gets worse as the day progresses and happens because the vocal cords are inflamed. The croaky voice may last for a week after the other symptoms have gone.

Because laryngitis is often linked to another illness such as a cold, flu, a throat infection (pharyngitis) or tonsillitis, other symptoms such as swollen neck glands, runny nose, pain on swallowing and feeling tired and achy, may be experienced.

Chronic laryngitis takes longer to develop and can last for weeks, or even months. It can lead to lasting hoarseness due to permanent damage to the larynx. It also commonly recurs, particularly in people who overuse or misuse their voice, such as professional singers or teachers who are unable to rest their voice for any length of time.

Occasionally, swelling of the larynx may cause breathing difficulties. This is not very common in adults but sometimes happens in young children with smaller, narrower windpipes. See a doctor as soon as possible if you have any difficulty in breathing.