My father ascertains that his hoarse voice is due to laryngitis. That was the first time I heard about the discomforts associated with laryngitis. I also happened to read about laryngitis in connection with heartburn. So what is laryngitis?

Laryngitis is one of the medical conditions that affect your voice. It refers to an infection or irritation of the larynx, the voice box which affect people of all ages. With laryngitis, you develop a hoarse voice. You will always be trying to clear your voice with no use. It is accompanied by loss of voice, sensation of a lump in the throat, throat pain, fever, cough, obstruction of the airways and unusual fatigue. It generally worsens in cold conditions and for some people in extreme hot conditions.

You may get laryngitis due to

-Overuse of voice as in the case of singers or teachers. Screaming, shouting, excessive use of cellular phone etc are the examples of misuse of voice.
-Allergies
-A lot of alcohol consumption and cigar smoking
-Prolonged crying in children
-Tonsillitis
-A virus like cold
-Back flow of stomach acid into the throat (acid reflux)
-Inhaling harmful fumes

Laryngitis can be acute or chronic. Laryngitis is diagnosed with the help of blood tests, X-rays of the neck, laryngoscopy and throat culture. Normally, the voice problem should heal within a week without the help of medications. You can try taking care of your voice problem at home before rushing to a doctor.

Home Treatment

1. Complete voice rest. Avoid too much of talking or clearing your throat. Forget lectures and meetings.
2. If hoarseness of voice is due to cold, treat cold first. But remember that the hoarseness would not go away overnight.
3. Quit both smoking and avoid passive smoking.
4. Try gargling with warm salt water to reduce soreness. Drinking hot water with honey or lemon juice also helps. Do not give honey to infants.
5. Drink less of alcohol and more of water. Take lots of fluids.
6. Use humidifiers at home. Steaming works well on most occasions.
7. Check if laryngitis is due to any medications like antihistamines.
8. Treat heartburn or acid reflux if that is a likely cause for laryngitis.

You should visit your ENT specialist immediately if the infection worsens with fast breathing,  coughing with colored mucus, extreme pain or weakness.

-Aparna K V

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The name “heartburn” is a paradox. Though called so, ‘heartburn’ does not have any relation with the heart or its function. Heartburn relates to some sort of discomfort and a burning sensation in the chest accompanied by a sour or bitter taste in the mouth. Heartburn troubles you when the opening between the esophagus and the stomach fails to close after the passage of food into the stomach. At this juncture, the acid from the stomach enters the esophagus causing a burning feeling or warmth beneath the breastbone. Hence the other name, acid reflux.

Certain food stuff including spicy food or tomatoes may cause heartburn. Heartburn occurs commonly after overeating or while doing some activities like bending over or when lying down. It also occurs frequently when your are pregnant or under great stress. Scientists point to some other causes like tobacco, smoking, intake of caffeinated drinks, fatty and friend food items, drinking, citrus juices, lying down after eating (especially a wholesome meal), chocolates etc. are some triggers of a heartburn. The causes surely varies from person to person.

Heartburn may manifest itself in different ways. Other than the burning sensation in the chest or throat you may have difficulty in swallowing, chronic cough, chest pain while bending over or while lying down and so on. If you have heartburn often then you probably have GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Heart attack has similar symptoms and chest pain is the most common of them.

• A feeling of fullness, tightness, or pain generally in the center of the chest.
• Sudden chest pain or pressure in the chest that worsens in time. The pain gradually spreads to shoulders, neck, jaw or arms. If the pain lasts for more than a few minutes do not hesitate to seek medical attention.
• A tightening feeling around your chest
• Pain in the upper belly
• Dizziness or light headedness
• Shortness of breath
• Fast or uneven heart beat
• As different to heartburn, heart attack is often accompanied by cold sweat and/or vomiting.

Remember that some medicines also can cause Heartburn. Some of them are anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, anti anxiety medicines and so on.

How to tackle heartburn

• Be watchful on what you eat and when you eat. Abstain from eating citrus fruits, chocolates or any food that causes a heartburn for you. Try to eat an early and frugal dinner. Avoid lying down immediately after a meal even if you do not have a heartburn.
• Quit smoking or using tobacco.
• Try taking antacids. Avoid any medication (Advil, Ibuprofen) that can cause heartburn. Ask your doctor for medicines especially painkillers which will not cause heartburn.
• Lose weight.

However, if you get heartburn often in spite of your precautions or if your heartburn lasts for more than 2 weeks consult your GP without delay.

-Aparna K V

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