Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Getting The Best Laryngitis Treatment



From Mario Cora 




When your throat starts hurting and you are in pain, the most obvious aliment could be inflammation of the larynx or voice box. If you find it difficult to swallow or speak, you will know that this is indeed the case. This is when you go out of your way to find a quick laryngitis treatment.

The best thing your doctor would usually give you is a prescription for an anti-biotic. It helps quickly and you soon feel a lot better after a few days. However, you have only treated the symptoms and you will find that the laryngitis can return after a while. You need a product to treat your ailment as well as the symptoms in one go. Using a natural product will take care of the problem for good. You do not want the problem to become chronic and you need to solve it permanently.

Use a natural medication that will contain the means to reduce the swelling (an anti-inflammatory treatment) and remove the mucus which blocks the airway (with mucolytic ingredients). Your natural product can do more for you than conventional treatments as they can be even more effective and will not leave you with other side effects.

If you add to the mix the fact that the remedy strengthens your immune system, you can be assured that you will not have the problem of it returning soon. The reason why you do have the problem is that it is caused by viruses or by bacteria. This usually happens when you strain your vocal cords and have placed them under severe stress. They become weak and come under attacked.

This ailment needs for you to rest your vocal cords, but you also need to treat them so that they could be healed. One of the ways to do this is to use a product, which would be antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. You do want to get rid of the problem and if it is a natural product, it is even better for your system.

Even if you are going to use your doctor's script, you will find that within a few weeks the problem is back. On top of that, you would probably also need to use a pro-biotic to salvage the good bacteria in your body. The natural product would kill the viruses and the bacteria, and add vital vitamins and minerals. The building up of your immune system is what would help the body to assist with the healing and to resist further attacks.

Natural medication has the ability to not only heal, but to sooth the throat in the healing process. If the entire body is also placed under the healing umbrella, it can do so much more for the healing process and more so the prevention of the illnesses. This includes the throat as well. The natural products will bring soothing relief as well as healing.

That is a relief that will be there while you are waiting for the swelling to go down and for the complete healing to take place. It is therefore the best option to use a laryngitis treatment, which would cover all the bases and not just treat the symptoms. This remedy would stave off any other ailments that a weak immune system would allow.



Natural Ways to Beat Laryngitis


From Dr. Mark Rosenberg 

According to patients I've treated for the condition, laryngitis seems to strike at the worst possible time. I hear of actors who rehearse tirelessly only to lose their voices right before opening night. For others, laryngitis may strike on the eve of an important work presentation or conference. Although a case of laryngitis may force you to change your plans, it is possible to treat this condition naturally and speed up the healing process.

Why Laryngitis Strikes

Laryngitis occurs when your voice box (larynx) is inflamed due to overuse, irritation or infection. For example, if you've been rehearsing a speech or performance, your larynx can fail due to simple exhaustion. The movement and vibration of healthy vocal chords is what produces sound. Inflammation and swelling result in distortion, causing you to produce little or no sound until the voice box recovers.

Together with overuse, viral infection may also be to blame for laryngitis. For many people, a cold is enough to infect the larynx and cause some degree of hoarseness. More serious viruses like measles and mumps may also cause inflammation of the vocal cords. Most cases of laryngitis are short term and do not involve serious complications. Still, soothing irritation and promoting a quick recovery are of high importance to many patients.

Natural Remedies Can Help

There are a number of natural and home remedies suggested for treating laryngitis. Some are common sense lifestyle modifications, and others rely on food or supplements. For starters, rest your vocal cords. You wouldn't run on a swollen ankle, so treat your larynx in the same fashion. Avoid speaking as much as possible (if you're able to speak at all) and do not whisper. Whispering actually puts greater strain on your vocal cords than normal speech.

Many people suffering from laryngitis also experience dry, scratchy throats. To moisten your throat, some of the classic remedies include chewing gum, gargling with salt water and sucking on lozenges. Zinc lozenges, in particular, are helpful, but do not exceed 100 milligrams per day. One popular natural remedy for laryngitis, which also soothes the throat, is honey and lemon. Mix equal amounts of honey and lemon juice, plus a pinch of cayenne pepper. Suck on about a tablespoon of this mixture several times a day, or as often as you deem necessary.

Vitamins can help fight off the infection causing laryngitis. Experts recommend 5,000 international units of vitamin A and 5,000 milligrams of vitamin C per day. Both vitamins are powerful antioxidants, which promote healthy cells. Along with vitamins, reflexology therapy is another natural way to treat laryngitis. Concentrate on reflex points associated with the throat, chest, lung, diaphragm and lymphatic system.

Fresh spices contain bacteria-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties. If you can withstand garlic breath, sucking on a clove of garlic cut in half may speed healing. The garlic contains allicin, an antimicrobial substance. Fresh ginger may soothe swelling. Suck on fresh or candied ginger, or drink ginger tea.

Finally, you can soothe the throat and increase moisture with water. Use a humidifier to tackle the dry air in your home, which may be the cause of irritation. You can also moisten the throat by inhaling steam. Fill a bowl with steaming water or step inside a hot shower and breathe it in.

Thanks to the wisdom of natural cures, you can soothe your laryngitis symptoms at home. Try any of the treatments you like, but also make an effort to reduce stress and get plenty of rest. Stress plus lack of sleep weakens the immune system, prolonging your symptoms. I hope you are never afflicted with laryngitis, but if it strikes, you'll have the know-how to beat it naturally.

Laryngitis Homeopathic Approach


From Steven Guptha

DEFINITION:

This is defined as an acute inflammation of the laryngeal mucosa of the mild form ,often occurring as a manifestation of the generalized upper respiratory tract infection

ETIOLOGY:

It occurs primarily as a viral infection
Common viruses involved are influenza, rhino, adeno viruses, etc
It may be followed by secondary bacterial invasion

PRECIPITATING FACTORS:

• Allergy
• Winter and early spring
• Voice abuse
• Irritants-smoking, chemical fumes, excess alcohol, tobacco, acid reflex
• Trauma: thermal, chemical, mechanical, etc

PATHOLOGY:

1. Vasodilatation and hyperemia of the laryngeal mucosa
2. Generalized extra cellular edema
3. Sticky muco purulent exudates
4. Formation of pseudo membrane
5. Superficial abrasions or ulcerations
6. Perichondritis in the purulent form

CLINICAL FEATURES:

Severity is variable. In professional voice users even the minimal catarrh may give rise to severe symptoms
Children can be worst affected
SYMPTOMS:
GENERAL:
• Fever
• Malaise
• In rare cases toxaemia can also occur

IN ADULTS:

• Hoarseness usually followed by the upper respiratory tract infection or voice abuse
• Complete loss of voice in severe cases
• This is known as aphonia
• Dysphonia -difficulty in speaking
• Pain in the throat on swallowing and speaking
• Voice fatigue
• Painful irritant dry cough

IN CHILDREN:

• Symptoms are more severe than in adults
• Patients may have dysphagia due to involvement of epiglottis and arytenoids
• Dyspnoea and breathing difficulty may be present in very severe forms

SIGNS:

1. Raised temperature
2. Husky hoarse voice
3. Generalized nasal and pharyngeal congestion
4. Congestion and edema of epiglottis
5. This is more severe in children
6. Thick inspissated mucous secretions

MANAGEMENT:

• Bed rest
• Avoidance of alcohol and cold weather
• Voice rest
• Steam inhalation for the temporarily relief from the complaints

HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH:

CAUSTICUM:

Dryness of the larynx and sensitiveness extending to the chest
Hoarseness and rawness and scraping in the chest
There is dry unsatisfactory dry hallow cough
Hoarseness of speakers and singers
This is worse in the mornings and cold weather
Complete loss of the voice that he cannot speak loud

PHOSPHORUS:

Evening hoarseness with great sensitiveness and dryness in the larynx
It hurts and tires the patient to talk
Voice is rough and the expectoration is scanty and the use of voice brings on the cough
The soreness lies in the larynx
Paralytic aphonia secondary to the laryngeal catarrhs

HEPAR SULPH:

Laryngeal affections in children after the exposure to the dry , cold winds
There is croupy cough and hoarseness and worse in the mornings
Patient is very sensitive to the slightest draft of air
Laryngeal troubles in the professional singers
Voice is rough , hoarse and deep

AURUM TRIPHYLLUM:

Hoarseness of the singers and orators
Voice suddenly gives out which is the guiding feature of thus remedy
A cracked voice from over use and hoarseness
Expectoration is transparent mucous from the larynx worse in the mornings
 
CARBO VEG:

This remedy suits a painless hoarseness
This is particularly brought on by the exposure to the damp evening air
This is worse in the evenings, though it appears in the mornings on waking and worse in the moist cool weather
Soreness in the larynx with the sensation of rawness

Home Remedies for Laryngitis That Work Effectively


From Patrick Tjandra

Do you find your voice squeaky and hoarse at times? If yes, then there can be plenty of reasons for this. This problem is called Laryngitis. Mostly people confuse it with sore throat, because it results into hoarseness or complete loss of voice due to irritation in the vocal cords.

Some of the common reasons for laryngitis are fungal infection, viral infection, inflammation of the larynx, smoking, excess alcohol drinking, various allergies and viral infection. Out of the mentioned reasons, the most common one is viral infection which is basically an upper respiratory infection as result of common cold. The other reason for this disease is voice abuse or overuse of our vocal chords, such as yelling or shouting etc.

Symptoms of short term laryngitis are sore throat, hoarse voice, cough problem, difficulty in swallowing food, swelling around the larynx, trouble in eating food, and high amount of saliva emerging from the mouth of the infected person. But, if you are suffering from chronic laryngitis, in that case, the symptoms may differ. The major indications of chronic laryngitis are viral infection, pain while breathing; especially in children, coughing out blood from mouth, inflated lymph nodes in the face, throat or chest and symptoms of flu.

Several patients prefer home remedies in comparison to medicines in case of laryngitis. Home remedies are only effective in short term laryngitis problem. For relief from chronic laryngitis, which also happens because of smoking, you must consult your physician to put an end to this trouble. Some of the best home remedies for the treatment of laryngitis are as follows-

Take care of your vocal-chord - When you come back home from work or after any other tedious job, try to give rest to your vocal chords. While talking to people at home, try to keep your voice down instead of unnecessary yelling, as it will result in inflammation of your larynx leading to laryngitis.

Quit Smoking - Smoking is one of the primary reasons behind chronic laryngitis. It not only impacts the person who is smoking cigarette, but also ill affects passive smokers. Regular smokers compulsively try to get rid of this injurious habit for their good.

Drink sufficient amount of water-If our throat remains dry most of the time, then it might result in laryngitis. Thus, in order to avoid this problem keep your throat and body hydrated, as it will not only keep laryngitis away, but will also help in reducing other skin related issues.

Sip herbal tea - Herbal tea consist of basil, cardamom, ginger etc., it keeps our throat warm, thus preventing us from catching cold and flu infection. If an individual is infected with cold and flu, then a cup of hot tea keeps our throat warm and reduces the swollen lymph node in chest, face and throat.

Don't consume Dehydrating Substances - If you have laryngitis during summer or humid season, then it is advisable not to consume dehydrating substances like caffeinated tea, coffee or alcohol.

Diet. Eating plenty of garlic and ginger. These food is well known as antimicrobial agents. It can help to kill the germs and soothe your membranes of the larynx.

Gargle with warm salt water several times per day (take 1/2 teaspoon salt to an 8-ounce glass of warm water). This solution will ease laryngitis.

Gargle with equal amounts of vinegar and water. Gargle four to five times per day as needed. This solution is s a well-known to kill the bacteria that has affected your larynx.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Clinical Analysis of Acute Laryngitis


From Dchosen1

Inflammation of the larynx may result from bacterial or viral infection or inhalation of irritant gases. Unaccustomed overuse of the voice leads to edema of the vocal cords.

Laryngitis is characterized by hoarseness and loss of voice. Irritant nonproductive cough may be present. Treatment consists of rest to the voice, steam inhalations, avoidance of smoking, and administration of analgesics and antibodies. In many cases the condition is self-limiting with rest and analgesics.

Laryngeal paralysis

Paralysis of the vocal cords may be organic or functional. The abductors and the adductors and supplied by the recurrent laryngeal nerves which arise from the vagi. In organic paralysis the abductors, the tensors and the adductors are affected in order of sequence. The completely paralyzed vocal cord lies immobile midway between abduction and adduction (cadaveric position). Abductor paralysis is always organic in nature and it may be uni- or bilateral. On the other hand pure adductor paralysis is always bilateral and it is functional in nature. This is frequently seen in hysteria.

Causes of organic laryngeal paralysis

Involvement of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is common in mediasternal tumors, aortic aneurysm and enlargement of the left atrium occurring in mitrial stenosis. One or other of the recurrent laryngeal nerves may be affected in the neck by enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes, goiter or other surgical causes.

Paralysis of the vagus occurs in infective polyneuritis, diphtheria, fractures of the base of the skull or space occupying lesions in the posterior fossa. Vagal nuclei are affected in brainstem lesions. These include basilar artery insufficiency, bulbar poliomyelitis, motor neuron disease, syringobulbia and tumors.

Clinical Features

Symptoms include hoarseness of voice, cough, alteration in the quality of the cough and dyspnea. Organic paralysis is accompanied by cough, whereas hysterical paralysis is not. In bilateral abductor paralysis, the cough is devoid of its explosive phase ("bovine cough").

In unilateral vocal cord paralysis, the hoarseness and loss of voice may disappear with time, since the opposite vocal cord crosses the midline and restores the vocal aperture. Laryngeal paralysis is confirmed by laryngoscopy.

Treatment

It is symptomatic. Bilateral abductor paralysis results in glottis obstruction and it is fatal if the airway is not established by tracheostomy or intubation. Persons with laryngeal paralysis should avoid swimming and diving, since they cannot hold breath and, therefore, they run the risk of drowning.

Laryngeal obstruction

Acute laryngeal obstruction may present as a fatal emergency unless relieved in time.

Causes

• Foreign bodies may get impacted in the larynx, eg, dentures, large chunks of meat of other foreign bodies, etc. Obstruction by bolus of food is more common in subjects intoxicated with alcohol. This is called "Café coronary".

• Angioneurotic edema due to food, inhaled material or insect stings.

• Acute laryngitis and epiglottitis. This is especially common in infants. The organisms include H. Influenzae, pneumococcus or group A streptococcus. Irritant fumes like smoke, noxious chemicals or corrosives cause acute laryngeal edema.

• Chronic progressive obstruction occurs in carcinoma.

Clinical features

Stridor, aphonia and dysnea are the hallmarks of laryngeal obstruction. Acute obstruction in children leads to cyanosis and inspiratory indrawing of the trachea. The movement of a foreign body within the larynx may be palpable during respiratory efforts.

When obstruction due to large bolus of food occurs at table, the victim becomes anxious, restless and cyanosed. He tries to cry, but the voice is lost. If the obstruction continues he falls unconscious and death may occur within minutes.

Diagnosis

Acute laryngeal obstruction should be suspected when an otherwise healthy individual suddenly becomes choked and cyanotic with loss of voice.

Management

First aid consists of the removal of the foreign body manually or with a pair of tongs. The impacted foreign body can be dislodged by a sudden forcible thud on the chest with the head lowered.

Heimlich Manoeuvre

This effective method is to be learnt by all first aid teams. The patient is hugged from behind with the rescuer's hands crossing each other over the patient's epigastrium and the chest is compressed suddenly. This helps in dislodging the obstruction.

 If this fails, the airway should be made patent by tracheostomy or by inserting a few large-bore hypodermic needles in to the trachea. The patient is transported to hospital for further management. Further management of chronic obstruction depends upon the cause.

Laryngitis Causes and Best Cure for Laryngitis


From Lee Breat

The larynx is the upper part of trachea (pronunciation keeuh the Pan), or tracheal. When a person's breathing, the air delivered to the nose or mouth. Then, walk through the trachea to the lungs. The larynx contains the vocal cords, for the manufacture of sound. When the air through the wire, so that they vibrate. This vibration-generated sound.

A common disease, laryngitis, vocal cord acute or chronic inflammation is characterized by a hoarse voice. Laryngitis may occur with acute infection alone or as a generalized urinary tract infections, upper respiratory viruses or bacteria. Acute laryngitis recurrent chronic pharyngitis-related inflammatory changes.

Laryngitis is laryngeal (voice mail), hoarseness or loss, usually due to excessive irritation or infection or irritation. The larynx is the voice part. When we speak, the membrane of larynx - the vocal cords - vibrate and sound. It is a framework to support the formation of the input tracheal cartilage, muscle and mucous membranes.

Laryngitis is inflammation of the vocal cords in the larynx, has many causes. Larnyx is sound in mammalian organs. It is often called the voice mail. Laryngitis is rarely serious. It is usually a period of not less than seven days. The throat is one of about two inches (five centimeters) high tubular cavity. Connected by ligaments and cartilage, and muscle-driven wall.

Chronic pharyngitis is often due to constant stimulation, for example, may affect smokers use their voice. It can also cause acute and persistent laryngitis; this has not been fully resolved. A continuous or recurring hoarse voice in the ear, nose and throat (ENT) expert review, to determine the exact cause.

Laryngitis, become thin, fragile vocal cord mucosal inflammation and swelling. When there is swelling and stimulate the vocal cords, the voice becomes deeper, and often lower. Although rare, in some cases, the voice can be completely lost. Sometimes, but not always, depending on the throat of the reasons, in addition to the harsh hoarse voice, a cold or flu symptoms. Laryngitis, it can be as, bronchitis, pneumonia or influenza symptoms. This is because these infections are caused by cough, sore throat and swelling.

These symptoms are usually temporary, unless it is related to another problem. If your symptoms include severe pain, difficulty swallowing, coughing up blood, or a hung visible in the neck, you should seek medical care immediately. The child has severe pain, drooling, difficulty breathing, and may have epiglottitis, a serious condition, in need of emergency care. Adults also get epiglottitis, but the most common children.

Treatment of Laryngitis

Laryngitis is laryngeal (voice mail), hoarseness or loss, usually due to excessive irritation or infection or irritation. The larynx is the voice part. When we speak, the membrane of larynx - the vocal cords - vibrate and sound. It is a framework to support the formation of the input tracheal cartilage, muscle and mucous membranes.

Due to laryngitis, sore throat or irritated. They swell; causing the air through the sound they produce distortion. Therefore, his voice hoarse. Upper respiratory tract infection is the most common reasons, such as colds, laryngitis. Excessive use of sound for a long period of time, allergic reactions, inhaled irritants such as cigarette smoke, can cause acute or chronic laryngitis.

Laryngitis Home Remedies

1. Pepper: ¼ teaspoon of pepper and a few drops of lemon juice in a glass of water. Stir and drink slowly.

2. Essential oils: boiling a pot of water from the furnace. Add 2 drops of chamomile essential oil, 3 drops of lavender essential oil and thyme oil 2 drops. The head of the tent and the pot and inhale.

3. Jiang: Skin from a small ginger root, peeled, cut the root into thin coins on a small pot of water. Stayed up so tea. The tea should have a yellow or light brown. Add 3 tablespoons of honey and drink hot tea slowly.

4. Honey and lemon mixture and gargle.

5 Stop sucking an ice laryngospasm.

How Long Does Laryngitis Last


From Dr. Mittal John

What is Laryngitis? The larynx houses your vocal chords which are which mucous membrane folds that cover cartilage and muscle. All of this forms the entrance to your wind pipe. If any infection or irritation occurs the larynx (voice box) becomes inflamed. This is referred as Laryngitis. 

With the inflammation and irritation that laryngitis causes, the swelling of the vocal chords that occurs from the inflammation or irritation causes the sound to distort as the air passes over the swollen vocal chords. 

When your vocal chords are healthy they open and close smoothly allowing for undistorted sounds occurring, which we recognize as normal speech.

Sore throat is a medical term for inflammation and swelling of the larynx (voice box), which is generally associated with hoarseness or loss of voice. Voice box (larynx) is located at the top Airuai to the lungs (trachea). 

Larynx contains the vocal cords. When the vocal cords become inflamed or infected, they swell. This can cause hoarseness, and sometimes blocks Airuai. Sore throat is categorized as acute if it lasts less than a few days. Otherwise it is categorized as a chronic and can last more than 3 weeks.

The most common form of laryngitis is an infection caused by a virus. It can also be caused by allergies, bacterial infections, bronchitis, colds, flu, injury, irritants and chemicals, and pneumonia.

The symptoms of Laryngitis are quite easy to identify. They include a dry throat or dry cough. The throat may be come sore and raw along with a tickling sensation in the area of the larynx. Laryngitis will also cause the sufferer to develop a weak voice and their speech may become hoarse. Laryngitis often occurs along side other illnesses such as flu, cold or pneumonia.

The symptoms of laryngitis may vary, depending on the severity and cause. The most common and obvious symptom is speech impaired, ranging from hoarseness to announce a complete loss of ability to speak, except in a whisper. Other symptoms may include dry or sore throat, difficulty swallowing, feeling of swelling in the larynx, fever, shortness of breath and difficulty eating.

Resting her voice will help to reduce inflammation of the vocal cords. Aerosols can reduce the scratchy feeling that comes with laryngitis. Decongestants and painkillers can relieve symptoms of upper respiratory infection, if any.

Often it is a viral infection that causes laryngitis, but laryngitis may also be caused by bacterial infections. Although the symptoms mentioned above can occur in people of any age, sometimes there are other symptoms that come with the disorder particularly in adults and the elderly.

Laryngeal Cancer The Smoker's Curse


From Dick Aronson

Laryngeal cancer is cancer of the larynx, a tube in the front of the neck between the esophagus and  the trachea (the voice box). The larynx assists in breathing, speaking, and even swallowing.

The most common form of Laryngeal cancer is squamous cell cancer, rare form which comprise 5%  include; adenocarcinoma and sarcoma.

Laryngeal cancer most commonly starts in the vocal cords, it is most common in males with a ratio of 10:1 over females, African Americans and people over 65.

Risk factors for Laryngeal Cancer:

The development of laryngeal cancer is strongly linked to smoking and heavy use of alcohol.  The more a person smokes, the greater the risk of developing laryngeal cancer. It is unusual for  someone who does not smoke or drink to develop cancer of the larynx. Occasionally, however people  who inhale such things as asbestos particles, wood dust, paint or industrial chemical fumes over a  long period of time develop the disease.

Other risk factors for laryngeal cancer include certain viruses, such as the human papilloma virus (HPV), and possibly, acid reflux.


Symptoms of Throat Cancer:

Symptoms of laryngeal cancer include abnormal breathing sounds, a persistent cough, difficulty  swallowing, swelling or lumps in the neck, coughing up blood, a persistent sore throat, and hoarseness of voice that does not subside in one to two weeks. Unexpected weight loss or a prolonged earache  may also be signs of the disease. 

Diagnosis:

An individual who is exhibiting these symptoms will most likely be advised to undergo an laryngoscopy, which is a procedure in which a throat doctor, or laryngologist, will view the inside of the throat with a  special piece of equipment called an endoscope.

In some cases, the laryngologist may also cut out a small piece of tissue during the laryngoscopy to  later be tested in a lab. This is called a biopsy.If laryngeal cancer is suspected, the throat with be  examined with a small long-handled mirror or a fibre-optic light called a laryngoscope. If abnormal  areas are seen, a biopsy will be taken under local or general anaesthetic. This is the only way of  accurately diagnosing laryngeal cancer.

Once laryngeal cancer is found, staging tests are performed to find out if the cancer has spread and,  if so, to what extent.

Laryngeal cancer staging is defined not by primary tumor size but by extent of laryngeal involvement. Each of the three divisions of the larynx, the supraglottis, the glottis, and the subglottis, define advanced lesions as those that compromise vocal cord motion.This functional deficit often implies deep muscular involvement and portends eventual tumor spread outside the confines of the larynx.

Squamous cell carcinoma tends to metastasize by lymphatic spread in a relatively predictable pattern  within the cervical lymph node chains.

While early lesions show a 10-30% rate of metastasis at diagnosis, advanced lesion show rates  greater than 50%. Of those with metastatic lymph node involvement, 40% will show no clinical  evidence of lymphadenopathy.

Development:

When the cells that make up the tissue of the larynx begin to multiply and divide at an unusual rate it is called laryngeal cancer. The cells also grow abnormally large, usually forming a mass called a tumor. The tumor can displace and interfere with other organs surrounding the larynx and spread to other parts of the body.

Laryngeal cancer may spread, either by direct extension to adjacent structures, by   metastasis to regional cervical lymph nodes or more distantly, through the blood stream.  Distant metastates to the lung are most common.

Treatment for Laryngeal Cancer:

Treating laryngeal cancer may involve multiple medical experts including otlaryngologists , surgeons,  oncologists, and radiation oncologists.The exact method of treatment will depend on your particular  situation but often will involve surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible.

Local radiation of  the cancer cells may be performed before surgery in an effort to reduce the size of the tumor or after surgery to eradicate as many cancer cells as possible.Chemotherapy is used in some cases of  laryngeal cancer

Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer.

The exact method of treatment will depend on your particular situation but often will involve surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Local radiation of the cancer cells may be performed before surgery in an effort to reduce the size of the tumor or after surgery to eradicate as many cancer cells as possible.

Chemotherapy is used in some cases of laryngeal cancer.

Vitamin A and beta-carotene may play a protective role.

For early stage laryngeal cancer, either surgery or radiation alone is the most common and appropriate therapies offered. For more advanced disease, either radiation (with chemotherapy) or surgery followed by radiation is  the most common treatment given.

In stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the lining of the larynx. These abnormal cells may become  cancer and spread into nearby normal tissue.

Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.

In stage I, cancer has formed.

Stage II laryngeal cancer depends on where cancer is found in the larynx:

Supraglottis: Cancer is in one area of the supraglottis only and the vocal cords can move normally.

Glottis: Cancer is in one or both vocal cords and the vocal cords can move normally.

Subglottis: Cancer is in the subglottis only.

Stage III and stage IV cancers are usually treated with total laryngectomy . This is an operation to  remove the entire larynx. Sometimes other tissues around the larynx are also removed.

In stage IVA: cancer has spread through the thyroidcartilage and/or has spread to tissues beyond the larynx such as the neck, trachea, thyroid, or esophagus, and may have spread to one lymph node  on the same side of the neck as the original tumor; the lymph node is smaller than 3 centimeters; or cancer has spread to one or more lymph nodes anywhere in the neck and the lymph nodes are  smaller than 6 centimeters; cancer may have spread to tissues beyond the larynx, such as the neck, trachea, thyroid, or esophagus.
Vocal cords may not move normally.

Surgeries for laryngeal cancer include:

Total laryngectomy which involves the removal of the larynx,including the vocal cords.   Partial laryngectomy where the surgeon removes the cancerous tissue while leaving as much of the  vocal cords as possible.

Tracheotomy where to help with breathing, a hole is made in the neck below the larynx.  This may be temporarily necessary after surgery, or permanently placed in the case of laryngeal tumors that are too large to be removed.

Neck dissection which involves the removal of the lymph nodes and part of the neck muscles to  determine the spread of cancer.


Prognosis:

A diagnosis of laryngeal cancer does not always mean surgical removal of the entire larynx . Depending on the size, location, and time of cancer detection, one or more of the following approaches may be used: radiation therapy , chemotherapy , partial laryngectomy.
In these cases, voice may  be preserved although its quality may not be normal.

If speech preservation is impossible, speech rehabilitation may include esophageal speech or  prosthetic devices; surgical techniques to construct a new voice box are still experimental.

Cancers found in stage 0 and stage 1 have a 75% to 95% cure rate depending on the site.

Late stage cancers that have metastasized have a very poor survival rate, with intermediate stages  falling somewhere in between. People who have had laryngeal cancer are at greatest risk for recurrence, especially in the head and neck, during the first two to three years after treatment.

Check-ups during the first year are needed every other month, and four times a year during the second year.  It is rare for laryngeal cancer to recur after five years of being cancer-free.

Laryngitis – More Than A Throat Problem


From Sharon Hopkins

Laryngitis is the aggravation of your vocal chords in the larynx. It also causes swelling around the voice box area, which brings out the changes in your voice. In any given day your vocal chords open and close without much hassle.

But, when you are infected with laryngitis vocal chord gets inflamed and irritated. These changes in the vocal chord weaken your voice box causing it to sound hoarse.

Laryngitis can get so severe that you may lose your voice completely. This is a temporary problem which can be treated within 7 to 14 days. This kind of a problem is very common when the temperature falls leading to irritation of your voice box.

Causes

Laryngitis problem is mainly caused by a bacteria or a virus. Once the infection leaves you it is not necessary that the throat problem would leave you too. Other very common causes is yelling, shouting, singing, talking too much and loudly, smoking, and allergies are some of the other reasons. Consuming too much alcohol also causes this problem.

Symptoms

You could notice some common signs and symptoms of the problem such as loss of voice, hoarse and weak voice, and irritation, soreness and dryness of the throat and dry cough. You may also suffer from bouts of fever due to bacterial or viral infection.

Self-care Measures

- Avoid smoking
- Avoid passive smoking
- Avoid alcohol
- Speak softly
- Do not whisper, as it causes more strain to your throat
- To bring down the fever and relieve you form any form of pain, use Aspirin, Ibuprofen or Tylenol
- Have warm liquids such as soups, tea etc,
- Take some rest

Home Remedies for Laryngitis

- You can make a solution by using 1/2 teaspoon salt in a cup of warm water. You can use this solution for gargling.

- Drinking slippery elm bark tea helps to clear your throat as it lubricates the vocal chords directly.

- Mix one teaspoon apple cider vinegar in half glass of water; take this solution every hour for seven hours. You will notice the changes instantly.

- A hot remedy - mix one fourth teaspoon of cayenne pepper with few drops of lemon in one cup of boiling water. Drink this solution sip by sip to get the best of this remedy.

- By using ginger and honey you can make the right solution to sooth the irritated throat. Peel off ginger’s skin, cut into small piece and later boil it till the water turns yellow. To sweeten the tea you can add honey. Sip this solution to provide you the necessary benefits.

- Gargling with sea salts, several times a day can provide relief to your throat.

- A concoction of fenugreek, eucalyptus, horehound and marsh mellow makes an excellent tea which can be used to gargle away your throat problem.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

The Signs And Symptoms Of Laryngitis


From Janie Jonah

What is Laryngitis?

 The larynx houses your vocal chords which are which mucous membrane folds that cover cartilage and muscle. All of this forms the entrance to your wind pipe. If any infection or irritation occurs the larynx (voice box) becomes inflamed. This is referred as Laryngitis.

With the inflammation and irritation that laryngitis causes, the swelling of the vocal chords that occurs from the inflammation or irritation causes the sound to distort as the air passes over the swollen vocal chords.

When your vocal chords are healthy they open and close smoothly allowing for undistorted sounds occurring, which we recognise as normal speech. Short-term or acute laryngitis is not a serious disorder and can be cured relatively quickly.

Long-term laryngitis however, also referred to as chronic laryngitis that presents itself with a persistent hoarseness can indicate a more serious condition, in which case you should see your doctor or medical health practitioner.

 Some of the causes of chronic laryngitis are from excessive alcohol use, a reflux of stomach acid into the throat or esophagus. This is called gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The symptoms of Laryngitis are quite easy to identify. They include a dry throat or dry cough. The throat may be come sore and raw along with a tickling sensation in the area of the larynx. Laryngitis will also cause the sufferer to develop a weak voice and their speech may become hoarse.

Laryngitis often occurs along side other illnesses such as flu, cold or pneumonia. Often it is a viral infection that causes laryngitis, but laryngitis may also be caused by bacterial infections. Although the symptoms mentioned above can occur in people of any age, sometimes there are other symptoms that come with the disorder particularly in adults and the elderly.

These include the paralysing of the vocal chords due to a lung tumor, stroke or an injury. Sores and growths on the vocal chords, such as ulcers, polyps or nodules. The loosing of the vocal chords associated with the elderly, due to aging.

Finding The Right Cure For Laryngitis


From PeterHutch

Laryngitis Causes

Laryngitis is usually caused by a virus or occurs in people who overuse their voice. Occasionally, you may develop laryngitis from bacterial infections and, rarely, from infections such as tuberculosis, syphilis, or a fungal infection. People with prolonged laryngitis should see their doctor to be checked for tumors, some of which may be cancerous. Smokers are especially at risk for cancer.

Laryngitis often occurs with an upper respiratory infection and will go away by itself. Common laryngitis is not normally associated with any breathing difficulty.

Several forms of laryngitis occur in children and can lead to dangerous or fatal respiratory blockage. These include croup and epiglottitis.

Although it sounds odd, sometimes your stomach can cause laryngitis. Just like you have a tube for air to go into and out of your lungs, you have a tube for food to go into your stomach. Sometimes the stomach acid that helps break down that food comes back up your swallowing tube. The acid can irritate your vocal cords.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of laryngitis can include:

Hoarseness

Weak voice or voice loss

Tickling sensation and rawness of your throat

Sore throat

In chronic irritative laryngitis loss of voice quality with voice use, a feeling of irritation or of a lump in the throat, dryness or soreness (often worst in the morning upon wakening) may be features in addition to hoarseness (which often comes and goes).

Diagnosis of Laryngitis

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist may be asked to examine your larynx if the symptoms do not clear up. This may involve a direct visual examination of the inside of your larynx using an instrument called a laryngoscope (a flexible, tube with a light that is used to look at your larynx). The specialist may also carry out an indirect examination of your airway using a mirror. Your larynx may be covered with mucus, be red and swollen and your vocal cords may look thicker, more rounded, and be stiffer than normal.

 Treatment of Laryngitis

In most instances, the symptoms accompanying laryngitis are more directly linked to the causative factor, such as infection. In cases caused by overuse of the voice, symptoms other than vocal impairment may be absent. Laryngitis, hoarseness or breathiness that lasts for more than two weeks may signal a voice disorder and should be followed up with a voice pathologist. This is typically a vocology certified SLP (speech language pathologist) or a laryngologist (voice specialized ENT).

Treatment of viral laryngitis depends on the symptoms. Resting the voice (by not speaking), drinking extra fluids, and inhaling steam relieve symptoms and help healing. Whispering, however, may irritate the larynx even more. Treating bronchitis, if present, may improve the laryngitis. An antibiotic is given only for infection caused by bacteria.