GALE me khich khich, and the irritation is getting to you? Your voice seems to be coming out in whispers or in broken words. To top it all, there’s throat irritation and fever too. It could be laryngitis.
Known Causes
Laryngitis can result from prolonged straining of the voice. Chronic laryngitis may be caused by excessive alcohol, smoking, or exposure to dust or chemical irritants. Repeated episodes of acute laryngitis may lead to chronic laryngitis.
It may also be caused by allergies , infections , bronchitis,common cold, flu, irritants and pneumonia.
Identify it
The most common symptom, is hoarseness that may progress to partial or total loss of voice, besides fever, sore throat, and a difficulty while swallowing.
Sensation of a lump in the throat or a constant need to clear the throat, may also be felt. One may also not be able to take liquids or eat properly.
Prevention
One can avoid such a state by staying away from people who are already prone to cold and flu. Most cases of laryngitis are caused by viruses, so one of the best prevention measures can be making sure that you wash your hands often. Otherwise, avoid talking. “If a person is prone to seasonal health problems then he/she should inhale steam regularly. But if the condition has arisen due to acidity, then a 2-hour gap between sleep and intake of food is needed,” says Dr Prateek Nayak, ColumbiaAsia hospital.
Treatment
The treatment will vary according from case to case although steam inhalation is what most doctors prescribe.
“Most patients of laryngitis, are told to inhale steam but some bacterial cases are also put on antibiotics,” says Dr Prateek. Some measures that can be taken include: avoid public speaking during recovery, be aware that whispering puts greater strain than normal speaking, inhale steam from a bowl of hot water, drink warm, soothing liquids, avoid cigarettes and above all get it diagnosed.
tini@epmltd.com