Hoarseness

Hoarseness is a condition in which a person cannot speak, that is, make any sounds. This mainly occurs with pathologies of the larynx. For example, hoarseness with a cold appears because the vocal cords become inflamed. This process is caused by bacterial or viral infections – the vocal cords, which are located between the trachea and the pharynx, are responsible for the sound that a person is able to make.

Main causes of hoarseness

The causes that can cause such a condition are divided into pathological and non-pathological. Pathological include: diphtheria, inflammation of the larynx, acute laryngitis, weakness of the vocal cords, abscess of the larynx and others.

With diphtheria of the larynx, in addition to a hoarse voice, there is a dry cough, shortness of breath and noises during breathing, swelling of the subcutaneous tissue of the neck. Inflammation of the larynx or acute laryngitis – in this condition there is a barking cough, hoarseness, wheezing. If shortness of breath and hoarseness appear, then the patient needs the help of emergency doctors.

Weakness of the vocal cords is often provoked by the disease “myasthenia”. It is caused by a decrease in tone and atrophy of muscle fibers throughout the body.

Laryngitis: in most cases, this pathology is of viral origin. However, its appearance can cause staphylococcal and streptococcal infections. In addition, patients complain of general weakness, fatigue and high fever.

Abscess of the larynx is a secondary rare disease that occurs after trauma to the larynx, for example, after intubation. The patient has a sharp pain and the body temperature rises.

Singer’s nodules – this pathology is typical for people whose profession is associated with constant stress on the vocal cords (teachers, singers, actors), which leads to the formation of fibrous nodules on them and may require surgical intervention.

Functional disorders: more common in young women with emotional stress (paralyzed adductor muscles). The voice may disappear altogether. You can eliminate this condition if you talk to the patient and calm him down.

Non-pathological causes include such phenomena as anxiety and stress (any psychological disorders disrupt the tone of voice, the person is too nervous at this moment).

External irritants tobacco and alcohol irritate the vocal cords and the entire throat as a whole. Medications also cause hoarseness. These are mainly aerosol substances and drugs that reduce pressure. They dry the mucous membrane, so the vocal cords are not sufficiently lubricated.

A foreign body in the throat, bronchi, or trachea leads to complete loss of voice, hoarseness, and laryngeal cough. If, against the background of this, an inflammatory process in the throat is observed and the airways are clogged, then other symptoms arise: shortness of breath, cyanosis of the skin, wheezing.

In this case, you should immediately seek specialized help. A hoarse voice can also be the result of a birth injury, traumatic injury to the throat, after inserting a tube into the trachea during surgery. Also, this condition occurs in a child after prolonged crying or screaming. Teenagers can lose their voice from smoking a lot of cigarettes.

Symptoms of pathology

Most often, hoarseness appears when the larynx is affected by viruses or bacteria, so the signs of this condition will be as follows:

• complete or partial loss of voice;
• perspiration, itching, dryness;
• an increase in body temperature (rises due to a viral or bacterial infection);
• dry or wet cough (most common symptom);
• pain behind the sternum (indicates that hoarseness is associated with heart problems, so the diagnosis should be more thorough);
• sudden weight loss and hemoptysis (if, in addition to hoarseness, such signs also occur, an oncologist should be consulted, because such a condition may indicate the development of cancer);
• feeling of a foreign object in the throat (this may indicate the presence of polyps on the ligaments);
• pain in the throat (often occurs with respiratory diseases).

Treatment and prevention of the disease

Hoarseness of voice appears in the acute stage of laryngitis. In this case, the doctor prescribes medications in the form of an aerosol, or those that have emollient components, such as mint, menthol, sage. The aerosol should be injected with inhalation. “Rinse out” hoarseness does not work, especially if it occurs with pain.

When a vibrating sound appears during breathing, then an experienced doctor should appear, but it is better to call an ambulance.

This condition often indicates the development of croup (a common pathology in children). Before the arrival of doctors, the air in the patient’s room should be humidified. If there is no humidifier, you need to use another method: turn on hot water in the bathroom so that the patient inhales its vapors.

With a slight hoarseness, you can not worry. To eliminate it, the patient must be silent for several days. When hoarseness does not subside for a crescent, then you need to contact the clinic. The doctor diagnoses the cause of the condition and prescribes an effective treatment. After some time, the voice will be completely or partially restored.

Treatment can take place using various methods, namely the use of drugs, various warming physiotherapy, inhalations.

Traditional medicine, herbal medicine are also good, but before using them, you should consult with your doctor. Do not self-medicate, because this can only aggravate the situation.

The doctor will select the method of treatment on an individual basis, depending on the characteristics of the course of the disease and the general condition of the patient. Therefore, the list of prescribed drugs may differ in two patients with the same diagnosis.

First, it is necessary to establish the cause that influenced the appearance of hoarseness: it can be excessive smoking, a large amount of alcohol consumed, a cold, or voice load. Having identified these factors, it is urgent to eliminate this harmful effect.

How does hoarseness manifest in a child?

This condition can be not only in an adult, but also in a child. Usually, in addition to hoarseness, there is a strong cough and sore throat. There are many reasons for this condition in children, but the main ones are as follows:

• strong tension of the vocal cords during a loud cry;
• infectious pathologies of the throat and upper respiratory tract (after which complications often appear in the form of tracheitis and laryngitis);
• the consequences of a strong fright (this rarely happens, passes quickly and on its own);
• allergies to food, plant pollen and medications.

Symptoms of the disease usually appear after acute infectious and bacterial diseases of the throat, bronchi or trachea. The main symptoms of the disease can be called: a sharp loss of voice, dry cough, fever, pain and itching in the throat.

In some cases, all of these symptoms do not appear. Then you need to listen to the child’s conversation, how he will repeat the words, change the timbre and volume of the voice. If the baby’s hoarseness lasts more than ten days, then it must be shown to the doctor. After finding out the cause of hoarseness, the doctor will prescribe an effective and individual treatment.

The first thing a little patient should do is give his vocal cords a rest: you can’t speak loudly for about a week, because the vocal cords are so tense (it’s better to speak calmly, but not scream).

In the apartment, it is often necessary to ventilate the rooms and do wet cleaning. In this way, the number of harmful microorganisms can be reduced. In addition, you should do inhalations, drink alkaline water and use aromatic oils. The latter are used if the child does not have an allergic reaction.

Medicines are used when the hoarseness is caused by an infection (the doctor prescribes antibiotics and antivirals). To avoid side effects, antibiotics should be taken in parallel with antihistamines.

In infectious pathologies that have affected the loss of voice, symptomatic treatment is used. If the child has a fever, then antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed.

Only a diagnosed cause and effective treatment under the supervision of a qualified doctor will reduce the risk of possible complications and lead to a quick recovery.

All food that the child consumes during this period of life should be at room temperature (hot food and drinks should not be consumed). From the menu it is necessary to remove spicy, canned, salty and spicy foods. At this time, you should drink enough liquids, such as goat’s milk, alkaline mineral water, herbal decoctions and infusions.

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