Laryngitis

Laryngitis
What is laryngitis?
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box (larynx) due to overuse, irritation or infection. Laryngitis may be short-lived (acute) or long lasting (chronic). But persistent hoarseness can sometimes signal a more serious underlying medical condition.

Why do you lose your voice?
The vocal cords are two folds of mucous membrane that cover muscle and cartilage in the larynx. Normally your vocal cords open and close smoothly and form sounds through movement and vibration. During a case of laryngitis, the vocal cords become inflamed or irritated. This swelling causes distortion of the sounds produced by air passing over them. As a result, your voice sounds hoarse. In some cases of laryngitis, your voice can become so faint that you cannot hear it.

Many medical conditions or personal behaviors can cause laryngitis, some more obvious than others (smoking, singing, etc.) But what are some of the more uncommon or serious causes of laryngitis and who is most at risk of losing their voice? Continue reading here to learn more about causes of chronic laryngitis.