Laryngitis

With laryngitis the voice box and the area around it become irritated and swollen. When you have the condition you will find your voice changing. You may find yourself unable to speak above a whisper or even lose your voice entirely for a few days. Laryngitis rarely causes serious trouble in adults. But it can cause complications in children—notably croup a swelling of the throat that makes it seem as if a child has something caught in his or her throat.

Signs and Symptoms

• An unnatural change in your voice
• Hoarseness
• Loss of your voice
• Tickling scratchiness and rawness in your throat
• A constant urge to clear your throat
• Fever general feeling of lethargy and tiredness and difficulty breathing mark more severe cases

What Causes It?

Viruses or bacteria infect the larynx or voice box and cause it to swell. That produces irritation and soreness and changes the voice making you sound hoarse and unable to speak above a whisper or even causing you to lose your voice entirely for a few days. Often the virus comes from another ailment such as a cold the flu or bronchitis. Overuse of your voice by screaming or shouting for long periods can worsen the irritation and swelling produced by the infection. Smokers and people who work around fumes to which they are allergic often have chronic laryngitis.

What to Expect at Your Provider's Office

Your health care provider will examine your throat and take a culture if it looks red. Your provider will also use a device that looks like a dentist's mirror to examine your throat and larynx. This procedure called indirect laryngoscopy enables him or her to check for swelling.

Treatment Options

Treatment Plan

In most cases you can treat laryngitis yourself. Rest your voice for a week or so. Avoid any irritants that might affect your larynx such as tobacco smoke and cold air. Do not drink alcohol. Plenty of rest can speed your recovery and is very important for children with laryngitis. Depending on what is causing the laryngitis your health care provider may prescribe some medication as well.

Drug Therapies

Prescription

• Antibiotics—for laryngitis resulting from a bacterial infection; various side effects
• Antihistamines—for laryngitis resulting from allergies; various side effects
• Inhaled steroids—for laryngitis resulting from allergies; various side effects

Over the Counter

N/A

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Alternative treatments may be effective in cases of acute chronic or recurrent laryngitis.

Nutrition

• Zinc lozenges (as commercially available): boosts the immune system and relieves soreness.
• Vitamin C (1 000 mg three to four times per day): needed for proper immune function and to strengthen mucous membranes.
• B-complex (50 to 100 mg per day): enhances immune function especially during stress.

Herbs

Herbs are generally a safe way to strengthen and tone the body's systems. As with any therapy it is important to work with your provider on getting your problem diagnosed before you start any treatment. Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules powders teas) glycerites (glycerine extracts) or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated teas should be made with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 to 4 cups per day. Tinctures may be used singly or in combination as noted.

• Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) soothes irritated tissues and promotes healing.
• Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has antiviral properties and is soothing to the throat. Do not take licorice if you have high blood pressure.

Gargles: Use 5 drops of each tincture listed below in 1/4 cup of water. Gargle and swallow four to six times a day.

• Laryngitis gargle: Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) sage (Salvia officinalis) and marigold (Calendula officinalis) are soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs.
• Antimicrobial gargle: Coneflower goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) and myrrh (Commiphora molmol) are antibacterial and immune-stimulating herbs. (Use goldenseal with caution during pregnancy.)
• Pain-relief gargle: Propolis peppermint (Mentha piperita) and ginger (Zingiber officinalis) are antimicrobial and pain-relieving herbs.

Homeopathy

Some of the most common remedies used for laryngitis are listed below. Usually the dose is 12X to 30C every one to four hours until your symptoms get better.

• Aconite for laryngitis that comes on after a shock
• Spongia tosta for laryngitis from coughing
• Phosphorus for hoarseness that is painless or with burning pains
• Arum for laryngitis from overuse of larynx
• Causticum for hoarseness that comes with every cold

Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be helpful in enhancing immune function.

Massage

Therapeutic massage is helpful in reducing the effects of stress.

Following Up

Check back with your health care provider if the laryngitis outlasts your other symptoms. If you smoke stop.

Special Considerations

Call your health care provider if you have problems breathing or swallowing if your throat bleeds or if you have a high temperature.

Supporting Research

Berkow R ed. Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 16th ed. Rahway NJ: Merck Research Laboratories; 1992.

Berkow R Beers MH Fletcher AJ eds. Merck Manual Home Edition. Rahway NJ: Merck & Co; 1997.

Ballenger JJ Snow JB eds. Otorhinolaryngology. 15th ed. Philadelphia Pa: Williams and Wilkins; 1996;30:535–555.

Hoffman D. The New Holistic Herbal. New York NY: Barnes & Noble Books; 1995: 47.

Larson DE ed. Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 2nd ed. New York NY: William Morrow and Company; 1996.

Copyright © 2000 Integrative Medicine Communications

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application use or misuse of any of the information contained herein including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability negligence or otherwise. No warranty expressed or implied is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor pharmacist nurse or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage precautions warnings interactions and contraindications before administering any drug herb or supplement discussed herein.