Laryngitis
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the vocal cords. It can be caused when you overuse your voice by talking, singing or shouting. A common cause is an infection that makes your vocal cords inflamed. This is called acute laryngitis.
Laryngitis can affect both children and adults. At IPSA, we routinely assess and examine children of all ages as our resident doctor has experience in paediatric A & E.
You will be seen by our doctor with strong background in emergency medicine in a clean, quiet and confidential environment.
We can book you in to see a doctor immediately and at a time to suit you, and we will always take your symptoms seriously.
What are the Symptoms?
If infection has caused your laryngitis, you may have the following symptoms:
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Loss of voice
- Pain when swallowing
- Fever
- Upper respiratory tract infection or cold
- Runny nose
- Swollen glands, or lymph nodes, in the neck.
In infants and children, the symptoms of an inflamed larynx caused by infection can present as croup, fever, and a hoarse, barking cough.
If the cause of laryngitis is not infectious, you may develop a bad cough and hoarseness. You could also experience a fullness in your throat.
Often these symptoms are accompanied by difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath. If the inflammation causes minor bleeding, you may cough up blood in your saliva, but this is very rare.
Treating Laryngitis at IPSA
At IPSA, our medics are highly experienced A & E doctors. We will give you a full consultation to exclude any serious causes for your symptoms.
We may offer a number of treatments. Often when something in your body becomes inflamed, the most effective treatment is rest. The best way to treat laryngitis is to rest your voice. If you must talk, you may think that whispering will help but this can actually delay your recovery because your vocal cords need to work harder. Talk in a regular voice but try to limit your talking.
Our doctors will also advise you to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and try to breathe humidified air. You can take paracetamol or ibuprofen to control your pain.
Depending on your symptoms and cause of the inflammation, we may offer you antibiotics, anti-mucus mediation, analgesia, immunity boosters, steroids or a variety of inhalers as or when this is necessary.
Our doctors will offer you immediate treatment to relieve distressing symptoms like wheezing and difficulty breathing.
After your consultation, we will ensure that you have easy access to our doctors by phone if you have any further worries or questions when you go home with your treatment.
At IPSA, we aim to give you complete peace of mind and full accessibility to our doctors. We can also provide medical sick notes if needed.
Contact IPSA for a same-day consultation or book your appointment online.
