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Take medicines for acid reflux, if your doctor recommends them.Avoid foods that make your symptoms worse. (Common examples include alcohol, coffee, and chocolate.)Stop smoking, if you smoke.Eat many small meals each day, rather than 2 or 3 big meals.Do not lie down for at least 3 hours after finishing a meal.
Should I see a doctor or nurse? " ” That depends on how long your symptoms last and whether you have symptoms besides hoarseness. ‚
Most people with laryngitis get better on their own within 2 to 3 weeks. If your voice is hoarse or gone for 2 weeks or longer, and you do not seem to be getting better, see a doctor or nurse. ‚
You should also see a doctor or nurse if you have a sore throat and: ‚
- You have a fever of at least 101 ‚ °F or 38.4 ‚ °C
- Your throat pain is severe or does not start to improve within 5 to 7 days
Call an ambulance (dial 9-1-1 in the US and Canada) or go to the emergency room if you: ‚
- Have trouble breathing
- Are drooling because you cannot swallow your saliva
- Have swelling of the neck or tongue
- Cannot move your neck or have trouble opening your mouth
Will I need tests? " ” Maybe. If your doctor or nurse is not sure what is causing your symptoms, you might need tests. For example, you might have a laryngoscopy, which is when the doctor puts a tube with a tiny camera down your throat to look at your voice box. ‚
How is laryngitis treated? " ” That depends on what is causing it. If your laryngitis is caused by a cold or other minor infection, you might not need treatment. If you do not get better in 2 weeks, there might be something else causing your hoarseness. Other causes of laryngitis are treated on a case-by-case basis. ‚
What if my child gets laryngitis? " ” Some of the same things that cause laryngitis in adults can cause it children, too. For instance, children can get laryngitis because of a throat infection or common cold, because of acid reflux, or because they strain their voice too much. But in children, sounding hoarse can have lots of other causes. For example, children sometimes develop bumps on their vocal cords or have birth defects affecting their voice box. ‚
See a doctor or nurse right away if your child has trouble breathing or has pain or other symptoms that seem to be quickly getting worse. You should also see a doctor or nurse if your child has laryngitis for more than 2 weeks, or if the laryngitis is getting worse or is making it hard for your child to interact with others. If your child has laryngitis or throat discomfort or pain that gets better and comes back, see a doctor or nurse. If your child is a baby, call the babys doctor as soon as you notice symptoms. The doctor will tell you what to do for your baby. ‚
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. ‚
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. ‚
Topic 83524 Version 6.0 ‚
Release: 22.8 - C22.208 ‚
‚ © 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. ‚
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