QUESTION: Can you tell me the causes of hoarseness? Can it ever be anything really serious and how can you tell the serious kind from the ordinary kind?
ANSWER: Most hoarseness comes from a simple viral infection of the larynx or voicebox.
You can tell the common kind because there's no pain and no difficulty in breathing associated with it.
If it has come on suddenly and has only lasted for a short period of time, it is probable that it may pass simply by resting your voice and gargling on a regular basis.
A postnasal drip may create morning hoarseness, resulting from the accumulation of mucous on the vocal cords.
My favorite gargle for these conditions is a teaspoonful of salt and a glass of warm water (except when extra salt is prohibited by other medical considerations).
Frequent gargling brings extra humidity to the larynx and aids in the rapid resolution of the problem.
However, if hoarseness persists for a long period of time, let's say more than two weeks, and doesn't get better with these simple procedures, then your physician will probably perform an examination called an indirect laryngoscopy.
That's the procedure by which he uses a mirror to look down your throat and take a careful look at your vocal cords.
This special examination, plus the presence of other symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, pain in the throat that may be associated with ear pain, fever, cough that can be associated with sputum that is streaked with blood, all indicate the presence of something more serious than common ordinary hoarseness.
The good news is that in 90% of patients who do complain of hoarseness, the diagnosis is the simplest one that has no long lasting ill effects.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
