Can laryngitis heal by itself?

Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
Updated on March 23, 2025
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Patients with laryngitis can be cured. The primary causes of laryngitis are related to factors such as long-term smoking and drinking, improper use of the voice, and catching colds. In patients with laryngitis, the affected areas are primarily located on the vocal cord mucosa and the bilateral aryepiglottic fold walls, where the surface mucosa becomes edematous. For patients with laryngitis, it is important to avoid catching colds in daily life and to protect the voice by avoiding prolonged talking. By resting the voice, the laryngitis can often heal itself. If the laryngitis repeatedly does not heal, symptomatic treatment can be administered by taking oral traditional Chinese medicine that clears the throat and benefits the voice, thereby eliminating the mucosal inflammation in the throat. (Please take medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Bai Yan Hui
Pediatrics
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How to Prevent Acute Laryngitis in Children

Acute laryngitis in children is generally caused by viral infections, and a smaller portion by bacterial infections. Thus, preventing acute laryngitis in children is essentially about preventing infectious diseases. Firstly, it is advisable to avoid crowded places, especially poorly ventilated public areas. Also, avoid contact with individuals suffering from respiratory infections. Furthermore, enhancing the child's physical constitution, getting more sunlight, and supplementing with vitamin D to boost immune function can reduce the occurrence of acute laryngitis in children.

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Written by Xu Qing Tian
Otolaryngology
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What should I do if I have laryngitis?

Laryngitis is a common and frequent disease in otolaryngology, with patients ranging from children to adults, each showing different symptoms. In children, due to the narrow glottis and loose submucosal tissue, inflammation can cause significant swelling, potentially leading to breathing difficulties or even asphyxiation. Some children may experience a hoarse voice and a hollow-sounding cough. In adults, laryngitis primarily presents as hoarseness and difficulty speaking, with breathing difficulties being extremely rare. Treatment for laryngitis generally involves anti-inflammatory medications, steroids, and nebulized inhalation to address the symptoms, and most patients see a complete alleviation of symptoms after treatment. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Difference between the symptoms of laryngitis and throat cancer

There is a fundamental difference between laryngitis and laryngeal cancer. Laryngitis is an inflammatory infectious disease, mainly caused by bacterial infection or chronic inflammatory conditions, clinically characterized primarily by hoarseness. Treatment is mainly through medication, such as oral medications or nebulized inhalation therapy. Laryngeal cancer is a malignant tumorous disease, primarily squamous cell carcinoma. Clinically, in addition to hoarseness, we can also observe tumorous lumps and swelling of the cervical lymph nodes, which are manifestations of malignant tumors. The treatment of laryngeal cancer primarily involves comprehensive treatment led by surgery, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and some biological treatments, etc. Therefore, there is a fundamental difference between the two.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Is laryngitis contagious?

Laryngitis is an acute inflammatory disease of the throat, especially the vocal cords. Clinically, it is mainly caused by bacterial infection or long-term excessive misuse of the voice. For bacterial infections or mixed infections of bacteria and viruses, this type of laryngitis has certain contagiousness, but the contagiousness is relatively weak and it is not a severe or highly contagious disease. Secondly, laryngitis caused by long-term misuse of the voice mainly results from mechanical damage and is non-contagious. Moreover, this type of laryngitis tends to be more chronic. In summary, acute laryngitis caused by bacterial and viral infections has certain contagiousness, but the contagiousness is very weak.

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Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
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What should I do if I have laryngitis and a fever?

If there is a case of laryngitis accompanied by fever, it is relatively common, mainly due to acute bacterial infection. It is advisable to consider routine blood tests and laryngoscope examination, primarily to assess the extent of the specific infection and inflammation. In terms of treatment, it generally focuses on antibiotic therapy to combat the infection. Most patients are treated with oral medications. If the inflammatory response is particularly severe, intravenous infusion therapy may be considered. If the fever exceeds 38.5℃, it may be necessary to use antipyretic drugs for treatment. If the temperature is below 38.5℃, physical cooling methods are generally used, along with regular follow-ups to observe the effects. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)