laryngitis Treatment
What is laryngitis?
The most common sign of laryngitis is hoarseness. Changes in patient’s voice can vary with the degree of infection or irritation, ranging from mild hoarseness to almost total loss of voice.
If patient is having chronic hoarseness, ENT doctors may review medical history and symptoms. He or she may want to listen to patient’s voice and examine the vocal cords.
Diagnosis:
The following techniques are used to help diagnose laryngitis:
Laryngoscopy:
- By this procedure doctor can visually examine the vocal cords by using a light and a tiny mirror to look into the back of the throat. Or doctor may use fiber-optic laryngoscopy. This involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (endoscope) with a tiny camera and light through patient’s nose or mouth and into the back of the throat, by that doctor can watch the motion of the vocal cords while patient speaks.
Biopsy:
- If doctor had suspensions about a certain area, they may do a biopsy — taking a sample of tissue for deep examination under the microscope.
Acute laryngitis often gets better on its own within a week or so. Some self-care measures such as: voice rest, drinking fluids and humidifying air, also can help improve symptoms. Patients may be prescribed humidifiers to keep the air throughout your home or office moist. Or are advised to Inhale steam from a bowl of hot water or a hot shower.
Precautions:
- Patients must avoid talking or singing too loudly or too long, also whispering because it puts too much pressure on the chords & should use microphones if deemed to talk to groups.
- Patients may also suck on lozenges, gargle with salt water or chew gums.
- Patients must also avoid decongestants & all medications that dry the throat.
Medications:
- While Chronic laryngitis treatments aim to treat the underlying causes, such as heartburn, smoking or excessive use of alcohol. Medications used in some cases include: Antibiotics in case the inflammation is caused by a bacterial infection while it is a rare infection as almost all cases of laryngitis are usually viral. Corticosteroids. Sometimes, corticosteroids can help reduce vocal cord inflammation. However, this treatment is used only when there’s an urgent need to treat laryngitis — such as in some cases when a toddler has laryngitis associated with croup.
You may also have voice therapy to learn to control routines that worsen patients’ voice.
In some cases, surgeries are recommended