Laryngitis can cause a multitude of issues especially if you use your voice to make a living. While in many cases, your ability to speak can be restored within two to six weeks, it’s vital that you seek medical treatment from an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. Let’s delve into understanding laryngitis and how an ENT medical professional can help you now.
Most Common Symptoms of Laryngitis
One of the biggest symptoms of laryngitis is a voice with hoarseness. Some other common symptoms of laryngitis include sore or dry throat, dry cough, feelings and sensations of tickling in the back of the throat, feelings of rawness in the throat, or you may have no voice at all. For any or all of these symptoms, you want to get to an ENT doctor fast. Ear nose and throat doctors will be able to give you a complete examination and provide the best course of treatment to restore your speaking voice.
What Causes Laryngitis?
There are several reasons that a person may succumb to laryngitis. Your ENT doctor may ask you what events did you participate in or your general health before the onset of your condition. The loss of a voice may be caused by a viral or upper respiratory infection. Illnesses such as a cold, sinusitis, or even bronchitis can cause a person to lose their voice.
Laryngitis can also develop due to drinking alcohol, cigarette smoke, or simply overusing your voice. Your ENT doctor will take the time to assess your condition while learning what led up to you losing your voice. It’s important that you seek the medical assistance of an ear nose and throat doctor to ensure that there are no underlying conditions that may be causing your voice loss.
Can I Treat My Laryngitis On My Own?
Many people turn to home remedies to treat their lack of voice. Some people drink hot teas that include spices such as ginger, cinnamon, and even turmeric. A warm water and salt combination is also a popular remedy for people to treat their laryngitis. Folks will take equal parts of salt and warm water, place both in a glass, stir, and gargle with the mixture to combat laryngitis. Even though home remedies may take away the soreness and help to restore some of your speaking voice, you want to visit one of your ENT doctors to receive a comprehensive checkup.
When Is It Time To See A Doctor For My Lack Of Voice?
As many of us rely on home remedies such as herbs, tea, and over-the-counter medications to treat laryngitis, there are certain circumstances that you should seek medical attention from ENT doctors immediately. Some of those circumstances include: you find yourself coughing up blood, you notice that you have a fever or feel very hot alongside the loss of your voice, you’re not able to breathe, and you’re drooling uncontrollably.
Laryngitis is a common ailment but can effectively be treated by quality ENT doctors. At Ear Nose and Throat Associates of Texas, we work hard to provide quality care for patients who are suffering from a lack of a speaking voice. You’ll receive a complete diagnosis of your issue while learning what may have caused it in the first place. Contact our dedicated, experienced ENT team today and restore your voice.
