Laryngitis: why you lost your voice and how to get it back

The larynx is the "voice box" at the top of the windpipe. When it gets inflamed, the vocal cords swell and your voice sounds hoarse, weak or disappears.

According to MedlinePlus, the most common form is a viral infection, often along with a common cold. Other causes include allergies, stomach acid coming up (acid reflux), shouting or talking a lot, chemical irritants and, less often, a bacterial infection.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIDCD), your voice comes from air out of your lungs making the vocal cords vibrate. With laryngitis, the vocal cords swell for a while, from a cold, an upper respiratory infection or allergies, and can no longer vibrate the same way: your voice turns hoarse, cracks or barely comes out. When the voice goes away almost completely, people often say “I lost my voice.”

Resting your voice, using it less and drinking plenty of water help most. According to MedlinePlus, laryngitis that is not caused by a serious condition often gets better on its own. The NIDCD advises seeing a doctor if you lose your voice completely for more than a few days, or if hoarseness lasts more than 3 weeks.

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• How long you have been hoarse or without a voice
• Whether you have a cough, fever, cold or pain when swallowing
• Whether you have heartburn or reflux, smoke, or use your voice a lot at work
• What medicines or remedies you have tried, and your allergies
• The name of your pharmacy

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The most common symptoms are:

• Hoarse or weak voice
• Loss of voice
• Scratchy throat or a need to clear it
• Fever, when an infection is the cause
• Swollen glands in the neck

Because a virus usually causes it, antibiotics likely won’t help. The doctor considers them only if she finds a bacterial infection. Read more in antibiotics: when they help.

What helps most, according to MedlinePlus:

• Rest your voice: talk little and don’t shout.
• Use a humidifier to soothe your throat.
• Drink fluids.
• An over-the-counter pain reliever, as the label directs, can ease discomfort.
• If you smoke, this is a good time to quit smoking; avoid other people’s smoke too.

The National Institutes of Health (NIDCD) advises seeing a doctor if you have been hoarse for more than 3 weeks, especially if you haven’t had a cold or the flu. MedlinePlus advises getting checked if hoarseness lasts more than 2 weeks in an adult or more than 1 week in a child, and says people who smoke should see an ear, nose and throat specialist if it lasts more than a month.

The specialist examines your vocal cords in person with a small camera (endoscope) to find the cause, such as nodules, polyps or reflux. The doctor refers you and helps with the rest of your plan.

In children, according to MedlinePlus, get medical care if a small child has trouble breathing or swallowing or is drooling (and is not teething), or if a baby under 3 months is hoarse. Patients under 21 need a parent or legal guardian on camera with ID.

For your safety, call 911 or go to the ER for a high-pitched sound when breathing (stridor), difficulty breathing, or being unable to swallow even your own saliva.