Laryngitis leaves a person speechless. At best, the person speaks in a raspy tone or in a whisper. Severe cases lead to a complete loss of the voice. It is inconvenient, especially if your occupation involves a great deal of vocal communication. Acute laryngitis lasts just a few days, but chronic cases can last weeks or even longer. Sometimes it is painful.

The larynx is located in the throat. It is commonly known as vocal chords or vocal folds. It becomes inflamed (the itis' part of laryngitis) for a number of reasons. A virus, as in a cold, is the most common cause. Bacteria and...