laryngitis

laryngitis

inflammation of the larynx

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

laryngitis

[‚lar·ən′jīd·əs]

(medicine)

Inflammation of the larynx.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Laryngitis

 

inflammation of the laryngeal mucosa.

Acute and chronic laryngitis are distinguished. Acute laryngitis is most often caused by infection and arises, for example, with influenza and acute respiratory diseases. It may also be a symptom of infectious diseases, such as measles and scarlet fever, and is fostered by overchilling (general or local), inhaling gases, and diet deficiencies. It is manifested by a sensation of dryness and tickling in the throat, followed by a dry cough. Disturbance of voice production (dysphonia) and incomplete closure of the true vocal cords set in. The process may be transferred to the mucosa of the nose and pharynx or to the trachea and bronchi.

Chronic laryngitis is a result of repeated acute laryngitis and of frequent and prolonged improper use of the vocal apparatus. Predisposing factors include smoking and the use of alcohol. The principal symptom of chronic laryngitis is a disturbance of voice production, expressed to varying degrees, including complete loss of the voice (aphonia). A dry cough is also present.

Acute laryngitis should be treated by a “vocal regime,” that is, by complete rest of the larynx for five to seven days (by silence or speaking in a whisper), a sparing diet, and exclusion from the diet of substances irritating to the mucosa and of all excessively cold or hot foods. Warm drinks, neck warmth provided by a bandage or compress, and inhalation are recommended. Medication is used according to the physician’s prescription. Chronic laryngitis is treated by eliminating the factors fostering its development (in particular, improper use of the voice, smoking, and alcohol).

REFERENCES

Rutenburg, D. M. “Vospalitel’nye zabolevaniia gortani i trakhei.” In Khirurgicheskie bolezni glotki, gortani, trakhei, bronkhov i pishchevoda. Moscow, 1954.
Bolezni ukha, gorla i nosa, 2nd ed. Edited by D. A. Pigulevskii. Leningrad, 1969.

N. A. PREOBRAZHENSKII

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.