Laryngitis

For a lay person:

Laryngitis is inflammation of the voice box (larynx), causing a hoarse or lost voice. Short-term laryngitis is usually caused by a cold or overusing the voice and gets better within a week or two, while long-term laryngitis can come from smoking, acid reflux or ongoing voice strain.

For a trained medical person:

Acute laryngitis is usually viral and self-limiting; chronic laryngitis is associated with smoking, laryngopharyngeal reflux, voice misuse, inhaled corticosteroids and irritants. Persistent hoarseness requires laryngoscopy to exclude vocal cord lesions and laryngeal cancer. Management is voice rest, hydration, humidification and treating causes such as reflux or smoking, with voice therapy for chronic cases.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Acute Laryngitis Wind-Cold Constrict Lung; Wind-Heat Obstructing the Orifices; Dry Heat Damaging Lung; Chronic Laryngitis Chronic Simple Laryngitis; Chronic Hypertrophic Laryngitis. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor for hoarseness lasting more than three weeks, especially if you smoke. Seek urgent care for difficulty breathing, noisy breathing, drooling or difficulty swallowing.