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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• Laryngitis facts
• What is laryngitis?
• What causes laryngitis?
• What are the symptoms of laryngitis?
• Symptoms of laryngitis in adults
• Symptoms of laryngitis in infants and children
• Is laryngitis contagious?
• How is laryngitis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for laryngitis?
• Are there any home remedies for laryngitis?
• What are the complications of laryngitis?
• Patient Comments: Laryngitis - Describe Your Experience
• Find a local Ear, Nose, & Throat Doctor in your town
• Laryngitis Index

Hoarseness, loss of voice, and throat pain are the primary symptoms of laryngitis.

If the cause of laryngitis is infectious, affected individuals will have symptoms of:

• Upper respiratory tract infection or cold
  
  
• Dry cough
  
  
• Sore throat
  
  
• Fever
  
  
• Swollen lymph nodes (lymph glands) in the neck
  
  
• Pain with swallowing
  
  
• A feeling of fullness in the throat or neck
  
  
• Runny nose
  
  
• Loss of voice

Air is brought into our lungs like a bellows, sucking air in through the mouth. In children with croup, there also may be difficulty breathing. As the child tries to breathe through a swollen and narrow larynx, the cartilage may collapse, just like when attempting to breathe through a straw. As we age, the cartilage becomes stiffer and is able to withstand deeply indrawn breaths, but in children the cartilage is weaker and with each inspiration, the child may need to work hard to inhale.

In infants and young children, the classic signs and symptoms of an inflamed larynx caused by infection include:

• croup,
  
  
• a hoarse barky cough, and
  
  
• fever.

Other symptoms of laryngitis

When the cause of laryngitis is not infectious, cough may be a significant symptom along with the hoarseness.