laryngitis Treatment
What is laryngitis?
The most common sign of laryngitis is hoarseness. Changes in a patient’s voice can vary depending on the degree of infection or irritation, ranging from mild hoarseness to almost complete loss of voice.
If a patient has chronic hoarseness, an otolaryngologist may review the patient’s medical history and symptoms. He or she may want to listen to the patient’s voice and examine the vocal cords.
Diagnosis :
The following techniques are used to help diagnose laryngitis:
Laryngoscopy :
- With this procedure, the doctor can visually examine the vocal cords using a light and a small mirror to look into the back of the throat. Or the doctor may use fiberoptic laryngoscopy. This involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) with a tiny camera and light through the patient’s nose or mouth and into the back of the throat, where the doctor can watch the vocal cords move as the patient speaks.
Biopsy :
- If the doctor has lumps around a certain area, he or she may perform a biopsy — taking a sample of tissue to examine in-depth under a microscope. Acute laryngitis often gets better on its own within a week or so. Some self-care measures such as resting the voice, drinking fluids, and humidifying the air can also help improve symptoms. Patients may be prescribed humidifiers to keep the air moist throughout your home or office. Or they may be advised to inhale steam from a bowl of hot water or a hot bath.
Precautions :
- Patients should avoid talking or singing too loudly or for too long, as well as whispering because it puts too much stress on the tendons, and they should use microphones if they consider speaking to groups. • Patients can also suck on lozenges, gargle with salt water, or chew gum. • Patients should also avoid decongestants and all medications that dry out the throat.
Medications :
• While treatments for chronic laryngitis aim to treat the underlying causes, such as heartburn, smoking, or excessive alcohol consumption, medications used in some cases include: Antibiotics if the inflammation is caused by a bacterial infection, which is rare as almost all cases of laryngitis are usually viral. Corticosteroids. Sometimes, corticosteroids can help reduce inflammation of the vocal cords. However, this treatment is used only when there is an urgent need to treat laryngitis — such as in some cases when a young child has laryngitis associated with croup. You may also undergo voice therapy to learn how to control routines that worsen your voice. In some cases, surgery is recommended