Laryngitis Diagnosis
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Laryngitis
Diagnosis:
~ Severe dysphonia (or hoarseness)
~ Occasional aphonia (or the inability to speak)
Laryngitis refers to a swelling of the laryngeal membrane that encases the vocal folds. This inflammation results in severe dysphonia and in some cases, aphonia. Laryngitis is seen in one of two forms: functional or infectious.
Functional laryngitis is a product of either an unhealthy overuse of the voice or phonation at inappropriate pitches and with harmful intensity. This misuse of the voice causes the inner glottal edges of the vocal folds to become distended and swollen. Stomach acid that is spilled onto the vocal cords during gastrointestinal reflux (more commonly known as “acid reflux”) can cause irritation that leads to functional laryngitis. Finally, certain allergies, excessive smoking and alcohol drinking can also result in irritation of the vocal cords which result in this ailment.
Infectious laryngitis typically results from an upper respiratory infection and can be either acute or chronic depending on the cause of the infection. Typically, the severity of the infection determines the whether the laryngitis is acute or chronic. For example, the common cold is likely to cause acute infectious laryngitis, while bacteria that causes tuberculosis can cause chronic infectious laryngitis. This type of laryngitis is usually easy to diagnose due to its association with an infection along with the presentation of vocal fold inflammation.
