Laryngitis

One of the most frequent laryngeal disorders is laryngitis, a larynx inflammation. Both acute and chronic variants of this disease exist. Acute laryngitis develops quickly and often resolves on its own. Chronic laryngitis is diagnosed when a patient has symptoms for more than three weeks. Acute laryngitis can be caused by abuse of the voice, exposure to toxic substances or an upper respiratory tract infection. The causative agents are usually viruses, but can also be bacteria. In rare cases, inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, relapsing polychondritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and sarcoidosis trigger laryngeal inflammation. The symptoms of chronic laryngitis last longer and the condition itself takes longer to develop. Inhaling cigarette smoke or polluted air (e.g., gaseous pollutants), irritation from asthma inhalers, voice abuse (e.g., speaking in an abnormally loud or high pitch for long periods), and gastro-oesophageal reflux are all environmental variables that can lead to chronic laryngitis. When the voice is abused, the vocal folds adduct more forcefully, causing more contact and friction between them. The area of contact between the folds increases in size. Patients with persistent laryngitis due to voice abuse are the best candidates for voice therapy.