Yes, stress (mental/emotional) is one of the more common causes of hoarseness.
Recent research has shown that under periods of stress, the muscles that control the voice box become tense. Periods of prolonged muscle tension in the voice box can lead to an incoordination of the vocal control system.
The symptoms are perfectly real but may be occurring in response to emotional distress rather than related to infection, physical abnormality or disease. Voice loss associated with emotional distress is usually termed a 'psychogenic' voice disorder.
Risk factors for laryngitis include: Having a respiratory infection, such as a cold, bronchitis or sinusitis. Exposure to irritating substances, such as cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol intake, stomach acid or workplace chemicals. Overusing your voice, by speaking too much, speaking too loudly, shouting or singing.
Such dysphonias may often develop post-viral infection with laryngitis, and generally in close proximity to emotionally or psychologically taxing experiences, where "conflict over speaking out" is an issue.
Rest your voice. You do not have to stop speaking, but use your voice as little as possible. Speak softly but do not whisper; whispering can bother your larynx more than speaking softly. Avoid talking on the telephone or trying to speak loudly.
Important red flags include a history of smoking, dysphagia, odynophagia or otalgia, stridor, haemoptysis and recent fevers, night sweats and unexplained weight loss. If any of these are present and the hoarseness is persistent, an urgent referral to an otorhinolaryngologist should be made.
Other Possible Causes
Experiencing unexpected hoarseness or voice loss can indicate an underlying health condition. Other possible causes include: Acid reflux, known as heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Growths on your vocal cord tissue, also called vocal nodules, polyps, cysts, and contact ulcers.
Voice rest can be helpful for acute cases of laryngitis, when your vocal cords are swollen and need a few days to recover. Discomfort and swelling should resolve within 24-48 hours of starting voice rest. Long-term voice rest is not recommended, except for patients recovering from vocal cord surgery.
Most people think of laryngitis as a cold-like illness. But laryngitis can also be caused by straining the voice, as in yelling at a football game or forcing oneself to speak very loudly in front of a group without a microphone. Laryngitis itself is just the swelling of the vocal chords, which are part of the larynx.
An active stress response can cause immediate changes in the voice due to the many changes the stress response brings about. These changes are sustained as long as the body is experiencing an active stress response, which means voice changes can persist as well.
Poor vocal hygiene can lead to laryngitis or inflammation of the vocal folds. This is related to voice abuse, misuse, dehydration or indirect voice box inflammation secondary to sinus or mouth issues.
When talking, stressed individuals exhibit behaviors such as voicing irregularities, discontinuties in frequency contours, irregular vocal fold vibration, and even vocal tremor.
Swelling of the voice box can be triggered by an infection, such as a cold, the flu, or bronchitis. Or the problem could be something as simple as overuse. Laryngitis usually isn't a serious problem. With proper treatment, acute (short-lived) laryngitis should go away in no more than 3 weeks.
Notably, the omicron variant is prone to cause severe laryngitis, resulting in fatal upper airway stenosis.
If you lost your voice because of a viral illness, supportive care can usually help you get better. Dr. Tully recommends the following steps to help you through the healing process: Rest is best – Resting your vocal cords completely is the best type of treatment.
Is Laryngitis Contagious? The viruses that laryngitis comes from aren't that contagious. The time laryngitis is most contagious is during the time frame when you have a fever. Bacterial and fungal infection-causing laryngitis is potentially contagious, but these occur less frequently.
When to seek medical help. As laryngitis often gets better quickly without treatment, you normally only need to see your GP if the symptoms are particularly severe or they last longer than two weeks. You should seek immediate medical help if you or your child experience breathing difficulties.
Loss of voice can accompany many conditions that affect the throat such as viral sore throat, laryngitis, or mononucleosis. All of these conditions can be associated with fatigue as well. Fatigue is a nonspecific symptom that can be present along with almost any type of illness.
If you're losing your voice regularly or if your voice doesn't return to normal after a few weeks, it's time to consult a laryngologist (ENT voice specialist).
If your laryngitis is caused by a viral illness, you'll be most contagious for the first three days, but could pass the infection for up to three weeks. If you spent the night singing along at a concert and woke up with no voice, you laryngitis likely isn't contagious.
Most cases of acute laryngitis can be treated with home therapy including: Pain reliever/anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen. Warm, hydrating fluids. Vocal rest — use your voice as little as possible.
The symptoms include a: low, hoarse voice. difficulty speaking. sore, dry or tickly throat.