Is Laryngitis Contagious?

Is Laryngitis Contagious?

Laryngitis is a condition that affects your larynx or your "voice box." You use your larynx to speak, sing, shout, and whisper. When you have laryngitis, however, your larynx changes shape, which alters the way in which it sits on your vocal cords. Laryngitis, which is caused by inflammation of the larynx, often results in a loss of your ability to speak. Those who suffer from laryngitis find that their voices become hoarse and speech becomes quite painful. Is laryngitis contagious like a cold or flu? Keep reading to learn the answer.

Is Laryngitis Contagious?
This is not an easy question to answer. Whether or not laryngitis is contagious depends on the type of laryngitis you have. Not all forms of laryngitis are the same.

1. Viral Laryngitis
Whether viral laryngitis is contagious or not is not sure. In many cases, viral laryngitis is associated with a cold or flu. The symptoms of viral laryngitis include a Sore Throat, coughing, fatigue, body aches, low-grade fever, and all of the other symptoms that tend to accompany the Common cold and flu. Though viruses are typically inhaled from droplets in the air that are produced by a carrier of the virus, viral laryngitis is not contagious in and of itself. The cold and flu that cause viral laryngitis are, however, quite contagious. So be sure to pay attention to and cover your mouth whenever you cough or sneeze in order to prevent passing germs to everyone around you.

If you do come down with a case of viral laryngitis, you won't need to be treated with antibiotics. Simply get plenty of rest and take in lots of fluids. Inhaling steam may also relieve some of your symptoms.

2. Bacterial Laryngitis
If you have a bacterial laryngitis, the answer to "Is laryngitis contagious?" is definitely yes. Bacterial laryngitis occurs when the larynx becomes infected with bacteria. You'll know that you have bacterial laryngitis if your laryngitis is accompanied by fever, severe pain in your throat, difficulty swallowing, and colored nasal discharge, as well as other symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, such as Headache, facial pressure, earache, ear fullness, or swollen glands on your neck.

If you have any of these symptoms, stay home from work or school, take the antibiotics prescribed to you by your doctor, and try to avoid speaking. Cover your mouth whenever you cough or sneeze and wash your hands regularly in order to prevent the illness from spreading.

3. Fungal Laryngitis
This type of laryngitis is considered contagious, too, since it is possible to transmit the disease from person to person; however, transmission requires direct physical contact. Fungal laryngitis is caused by "bad" fungal organisms. The most common one of these organisms is called Candida Albicans. Candida Albicans usually lives in our systems, but certain circumstances can cause it to become overgrown. Fungi do not usually cause infection; however, in the event that the body's immune system is suppressed, they can penetrate natural blood and tissue barriers, which can lead to the infection of the larynx and other organs. Fungal laryngitis is characterized by symptoms that come on slowly and match the symptoms of both viral and bacterial laryngitis—hoarseness, coughing, a sore throat, and ear pain.

Usually, fungal laryngitis can be diagnosed visually, as the typical fungal lesions will be visible in the mouth and throat. Fungal laryngitis can be treated with antifungal medications such as ketoconazole or nystatin.

4. Other Conditions
Several other conditions can lead to the development of laryngitis. None of these conditions are contagious. Each of the following conditions is brought about by its own set of causes. Unless a person is affected by the same conditions, he or she cannot develop laryngitis by being in the presence of another person who has laryngitis. Among the conditions most commonly known to cause laryngitis are:

• ŸConstant and prolonged affliction of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD can cause swelling and inflammation of the vocal cords.


• ŸThyroid inflammation


• ŸParalysis or Stroke


• ŸExcessive coughing


• ŸExposure to severe pollution


• ŸExposure to second-hand smoke


• ŸSmoking


• ŸProlonged alcohol usage

Is Your Laryngitis Contagious?
Is laryngitis contagious? Sometimes. But how do you know if your laryngitis is contagious? The only way to ensure that you do not pass laryngitis to others is to have your laryngitis diagnosed by your doctor. Your doctor will be able to tell you the cause of your condition and warn you if you are contagious.

If you visit your general practitioner with laryngitis, they will converse with you in order to determine the cause of your condition— whether you are overusing your voice, misusing alcohol, smoking, suffering from allergies, etc.

Your GP may examine your larynx for swelling or redness, order blood tests, or take a throat swab using a small cotton bud attached to a plastic shaft. The swab lets doctors determine whether you have a contagious viral, bacterial, or fungal infection.

Laryngitis

Laryngitis






Larynx is the name of the organ lying between the mouth and trachea. It is the organ that is responsible for talking, shouting or singing. It has a soft muscular covering called epiglottis and when there is inflammation in this lining it is called laryngitis. This organ controls the voice box managing the pitch of the voice and its tone etc. It also determines the nature of voice to be hoarse, sweet and husky. When the larynx develops inflammation it affects the voice box and subsequently the voice becomes hoarse or gravel like.

Excess of talking and respiratory tract infection can cause swelling on the muscles of larynx and this disease is contagious when it is of infectious nature. In severe cases, laryngitis may cause polyps or cyst like growth on the vocal cord and on further complication it may lead to chronic Bronchitis and Pneumonia.

Causes :

Laryngitis can be caused by excess of talking or shouting when you are emotionally high. Any infection can also affect the inner lining of larynx affecting the voice cord. Chronic form of laryngitis can develop due to excess of coughing and smoking.

GERD (Gastro-Esophageal-Reflux-Disease) is one of the common causes for laryngitis in which acidity from the stomach is sent to the larynx due to reflux reaction causing inflammation of the lining of muscles. It would cause irritation which in turn may cause swelling of vocal cord affecting the nature of sound.

Stroke or nervous disorder can affect the larynx causing paralysis of the nerves making it difficult to talk and eat.

Any accidental injury or trauma is also another reason for laryngitis in which the muscles or nerves gets affected. People who have undergone surgery in larynx can have such problem. Sometimes, development of tumor like growth in the neck can compress the underlying nerves affecting vocal cord muscles.

Symptoms :

Repeated dry cough, fever, Sore Throat, respiratory tract infection and change in voice are some of the common symptoms of laryngitis. In case of severe infection, there may be pain and difficulty in swallowing and talking. For some people there may be constant irritation and stone like feeling in the throat. The voice may become hoarse or the intensity of volume may reduce due to this problem. In severe cases the voice may be lost temporarily.

In young children the symptoms can be fever, hoarse voice and barky cough. For some children, there may be shortness of breath and breathing difficulty.

Diagnoses :

It can be easily identified by the change in voice and irritant cough. Your doctor will collect more information from you regarding the background of the disease and your habits. If necessary, he may ask you to do laryngoscopy for checking the functions of vocal cord.

Treatment :

The ideal therapy is to give complete rest to the vocal cord by not talking. By taking rest, the inflammation will be reduced considerably. You should avoid whispering when you have laryngitis; instead you can talk slowly.

Drink plenty of fluids and if there is pain, you can take Ibuprofen or acetaminophen for relief.

Doctors would prescribe corticosteroid pills like prednisone for treating moderate type of laryngitis infection. This would directly act on the inflammation and improve the symptoms shortly.

If needed, he would give you a shot of Adrenocot or oral medicine in the form of dexaethasone for treating this disease.

Your doctor will first identify the causative factor before starting his treatment and plan the method of treatment accordingly.

Pictures of Laryngitis :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Laryngitis

Home Remedies :

For mild to moderate type of laryngitis you can inhale hot vapor which would provide great relief for reducing the swelling of vocal cord. Drink plenty of water and keep well hydrated. Take enough rest by not talking and switch off your mobile for a day or two.

You can also try gargling warm water with salt, several times a day which would control the inflammation.

Laryngitis – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Home Remedies, Cure, Pictures

Laryngitis – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Home Remedies, Cure, Pictures

What is Laryngitis?

This is when the larynx or voice box becomes inflamed because of overuse or irritation.

Exclusive in the larynx or voice box are located the vocal cords – 2 mucous membrane folds that covers muscle as well as cartilage. Usually the vocal cords close and open very smoothly creating sounds thru the vibration and movement. But when an individual has laryngitis, the vocal cords come to be irritated or inflamed. This inflammation or swelling causes sounds to be distorted when created by the air that passes over them. This causes the voice to sound hoarse. There are some severe laryngitis cases where the voice may come to be virtually inaudible.

This laryngitis can be either acute or short-lived or chronic meaning long-lasting. Most laryngitis cases are caused by a viral infection that is temporary or strain vocally and are not very severe. Any stubborn hoarseness can be a sign of a medical problem that is more serious.

Laryngitis Symptoms

In many cases of laryngitis symptoms and signs last usually less than 14 days and are only triggered by something slight for example the Common Cold. More infrequently, laryngitis symptoms and signs are triggered by some problem that is more severe or lasting longer. Laryngitis symptoms and signs consist of:

• Weak or loss of voice


• Hoarseness


• Rawness in throat or tickling sensation


• Dry cough


• Dry throat


• Sore Throat

Normally acute laryngitis cases can be managed at home with steps of self-care for example drinking lots of fluids or resting the voice.

An individual needs to see a doctor if:

• Hoarseness continues for more than 14 days

Seek medical attention quickly for a child:

• Drools more than usually


• Makes high-pitched noisy breathing sounds especially when inhaling


• Has problems swallowing


• Has difficulty with breathing


• Has fever greater than 103 F

These above symptoms can be an indication of the Croup – which is larynx inflammation as well as the airway right beneath it. Croup can normally be managed at home but symptoms that are severe have need of medical care.

Laryngitis Causes

Laryngitis – Acute
The majority of laryngitis cases is only temporary and gets better when the underlying illness improves. The bases of laryngitis that is acute consist of:

• Vocal straining caused by screaming or abusing the voice


• Viral infections for instance those that cause colds


• Bacterial infections for instance diphtheria – but this is extremely rare


• Viruses for instance Mumps or Measles

Laryngitis – Chronic
Cases of laryngitis that last more than 3 weeks are referred to as chronic laryngitis. This kind of laryngitis is normally instigated by irritations over time. Laryngitis that is chronic may be caused by vocal cord injuries or strain as well as vocal cord growths referred to as nodules or polyps. These injuries are normally caused by:

• Irritants inhaled for instance chemical allergens, fumes or smoke


• Sinusitis that is chronic


• Acid reflux, known as GERD or “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease”


• Alcohol use that is excessive


• Smoking


• Habitual vocal overuse – such as cheerleaders or singers

Causes that are less common for chronic laryngitis consist of:

• Fungal as well as bacterial infections


• Infections from various parasites

Other cause of hoarseness that is chronic includes:

• Vocal cords that are paralyzed, because of Stroke, injury, tumor of the lung or further health problems


• Vocal cords bowing in older age


• Cancer

The risk issues for laryngitis consist of:

• Respiratory infection for instance Bronchitis, a cold or sinusitis


• Overuse of the voice by, speaking too much, too loudly, singing or shouting


• Exposure to substances that are irritating for instance excessive alcohol, cigarette smoke, stomach acid, or workplace chemicals

Laryngitis Treatment

Laryngitis that is acute and triggered by a virus normally becomes better on its own in 7 days or so. Measures for self-care may also help to improve symptoms.
Treatments for chronic laryngitis are targeted at the causal conditions for instance smoking, excessive alcohol or Heartburn.

You're reading Laryngitis – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Home Remedies, Cure, Pictures posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.

Medications normally used in certain cases consist of:

Antibiotics
In nearly all cases of laryngitis, antibiotics will not be of any help due to the cause being viral. But in the case of a bacterial infection – which is very rare for laryngitis – the primary care physician may advise an antibiotic.

Corticosteroids
Often, corticosteroids may aid in reducing any inflammation of vocal cords. But, this treatment is used when there is a very urgent need to treat the laryngitis – for instance, when an individual needs the voice to give a speech or presentation or to sing, or in cases where a toddler has laryngitis linked with croup.

Laryngitis Home Remedies

There are several methods for self-care as well as home treatments that can relieve the problems of laryngitis as well as reduce the strain on the voice:

Breathing of moist air
By using a humidifier in order to preserve the moister in the air thru out the home or office. Inhaling the steam from a hot shower or a container of water that is hot can also help.

Rest the voice as much as conceivable
Avoid singing or talking too long or too loudly. If you are going to speak in front of a very large group use a microphone to save the strain on your voice.

Drink lots of fluids
In order to stop dehydration – as well as avoid caffeine and alcohol

Keep the throat moist
Do this by sucking on a lozenge, chewing gum or gargling with salt water.

Avoid using decongestants
These drugs dry the throat out.

Avoid whispering
This places more straining of the voice than speech that is normal

Laryngitis Cure

Laryngitis is normally fairly easy to cure but it depends on the cause of the inflammation of the larynx. If it is due to a viral infection, taking the measures that a person would usually take for a cold will eventually help the larynx to get better.

If the laryngitis is caused by a bacterial infection, then antibiotics as well as resting the voice will have you better in no time at all.

If the laryngitis is caused by straining the voice, resting it will usually make the condition better.

There are some conditions where nodules or polyps develop on the larynx and the hoarseness of the voice is a chronic problem. As well as treating the underlying condition, in some cases it will be necessary to get some physical therapy for the voice in order for the voice to return to normal. With chronic problems with the voice, an individual develops habits in breathing as well as speaking that need to be corrected so that the original problem does not return.

Laryngitis Pictures