When vocal cords become inflamed and swollen, they can wreak havoc on your ability to speak. Stop straining. Laryngitis treatments can get you better.


The vocal cords, also called the vocal folds, are bands of muscle that are located in the larynx (voice box) in your throat. When you talk, the air that passes through your vocal cords sets off vibrations that make the sound of your voice. So when your vocal cords are inflamed or swollen, you may end up with a voice that is raspy and hoarse — or you may even lose your voice completely.

What Causes Laryngitis?

There are two types of laryngitis: acute laryngitis and chronic laryngitis.

In acute laryngitis, which is the most common cause of voice loss and hoarseness, you suddenly lose your voice or become hoarse. Acute laryngitis can result from:

  • Viral infection. Viral infections, such as those that cause the common cold, can cause your vocal cords to swell.
  • Bacterial throat infection. Rarely, bacteria can infect the larynx, causing voice changes and difficulty breathing.
  • Voice strain. Talking loudly, yelling, and screaming can irritate the vocal cords. This is a common cause of laryngitis in children.

Chronic laryngitis, on the other hand, is when your voice is hoarse or raspy due to a long-term irritation of your vocal cords. Possible causes of chronic laryngitis include:

How You Know It’s Laryngitis

The first sign of laryngitis is a hoarse or raspy voice. Other symptoms of laryngitis include:

  • Loss of your voice
  • Pitch fluctuations in your voice
  • A frequent need to cough
  • Sore throat or irritation deep within your throat

If symptoms of laryngitis or inflammation symptoms do not resolve within a few days, you should call your doctor. In some cases, your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat specialist (an ENT), who can examine your larynx and determine the cause of your laryngitis.

Treatments for Laryngitis

Treatment for laryngitis depends on what is causing it.

If your laryngitis is due to a viral infection, you should drink plenty of fluids and rest your voice as much as possible as you recover. The rare cases of laryngitis that are caused by a bacterial throat infection can be treated with antibiotics. Bacterial laryngitis may require hospitalization, since it can affect breathing.

People who have laryngitis due to voice strain will need to rest their voice and learn how to use it more carefully (for example, talk more quietly and avoid yelling for long periods of time).

People with chronic laryngitis may need to use medications and make dietary changes to control acid reflux disease, avoid smoking and secondhand smoke, and use medications and make lifestyle changes to manage allergies.

If you strain your voice too much with laryngitis, you’re at risk of seriously injuring your vocal cords. So rest your voice as much as possible and, as your vocal cords heal, try to avoid the following:

  • Straining to speak in a noisy atmosphere
  • Talking on your phone too much
  • Cradling a telephone on your shoulder as your talk
  • Speaking with an excessively high or low pitch
  • Public speaking without a microphone

Laryngitis can make communicating more difficult, but if you take medications prescribed to you and rest your voice, your inflammation symptoms should go away in a few days and you’ll be talking normally again. Contact your doctor if they don’t, as you may need to see a specialist.
