Causes, Signs and Symptoms

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Causes

Certain viruses or bacteria can infect the larynx, or voice box, and cause it to swell. This produces irritation and soreness, and changes your voice, making you sound hoarse and unable to speak above a whisper, or even causing you to lose your voice entirely for a few days. Usually, the virus comes from another ailment, such as a cold, the flu, or bronchitis. Overuse of your voice, by screaming or shouting for long periods, can worsen the irritation and swelling produced by the infection. Smokers and people who work around fumes to which they are allergic often have chronic laryngitis

Signs and Symptoms

An unnatural change in your voice
Hoarseness
Loss of your voice
Tickling, scratchiness, and rawness in your throat
A constant urge to clear your throat
Fever, general feeling of lethargy and tiredness, and difficulty breathing mark more severe cases