What are the symptoms of laryngitis?
Hoarseness and loss of voice is the primary symptom of laryngitis. If the cause of laryngitis is infectious, patients most often will also present with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection or cold. There may also be: • a dry cough, • sore throat, • fever, • swollen lymph nodes (lymph glands) in the neck, • perhaps pain with swallowing, and • a feeling of fullness in the throat or neck. In children with croup, there may also difficulty breathing. Since the way we get air into our lungs functions like a bellows, as the child tries to breathe through a swollen and narrow larynx, the cartilage may collapse, just like when attempting to breathe through a straw. As we age, the cartilage becomes stiffer and is able to withstand deeply indrawn breaths, but in children the cartilage is weaker and with each inspiration, the child may need to work hard to inhale. When the cause of laryngitis is not infectious, cough may be a significant complaint along with the hoarseness. If the cause i
