Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Types Are Contagious?Types of LaryngitisDurationSymptomsTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Types Are Contagious?
Types of Laryngitis
Duration
Symptoms
Treatment
Other non-contagious factors like overuse of your voice and smoking, can also cause laryngitis symptoms: sore throat, hoarseness, orlosing your voice.
Viral and non-contagious laryngitis will often resolve with self-care. Bacterial and fungal infections need to be treated with prescription medication.
vitapix / Getty Images
When Is Laryngitis Contagious?
These infections can be spread when you come into close contact with an infected person or through droplets from coughs and sneezes.
Non-Contagious Laryngitis
However, since people who live together are likely exposed to the same irritants or allergens, family members or co-workers may develop non-contagious laryngitis at the same time.
Viral Laryngitis
Although the risk of spreading an upper respiratory infection ishighest in the first three daysafter you have symptoms, there is some risk of spreading it for up to three weeks after symptoms begin.
Bacterial Laryngitis
Fungal Laryngitis
Laryngitis may also result from a fungus likecandida, which is more commonly known as yeast.
Fungal laryngitis is extremely rare, especially in healthy individuals.It can be seen in people who use steroid inhalers, especially if they don’t rinse their mouths out after using medication. More research is needed to determine whether fungal laryngitis is contagious and, if so, how it’s spread
Laryngitis is usually divided into two categories: acute or chronic.
Acute laryngitisis short-lived, resolving within a few days or less than three weeks with or without treatment. Causes include viral or bacterial infections and overuse of the vocal cords.
Chronic laryngitisrefers to inflammation and symptoms that last three weeks or more. The causes are often environmental such as constant exposure to smoke or irritants. Acid reflux is also a common cause of chronic laryngitis.
In some instances, contagious conditions can lead to continual or recurring symptoms. These include frequent sinus infections or bacterial infections that are not treated properly.
How Long Does Laryngitis Last?
Most cases of laryngitis should clear up within a few days to a week.If your laryngitis lasts for longer than this or if it returns after getting better, talk to your healthcare provider. Allergies may be contributing to your symptoms.
Symptoms of Laryngitis
The most common symptom of laryngitis is hoarseness or the feeling that you have lost your voice. Your throat may feel dry and you may have a cough.
In addition, you may experience other symptoms, including:
Since laryngitis occurs most frequently with an upper respiratory infection, you might also experience symptoms such as:
Laryngitis Treatment
Most cases of laryngitis will go away on their own without treatment.
To speed up recovery, you should avoid speaking. Don’t even whisper, since doing so can actually irritate your vocal cords even more than talking will.
Other tips for self-care include:
Over-the-counter medication may also help, including painkillers likeTylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin orAdvil (ibuprofen), andAleve (naproxen;cough suppressants; decongestants, and anti-reflux medication
If your healthcare provider suspects that an infection is causing your laryngitis, you may need to undergo a swab or biopsy.This will allow tissue from the larynx to be tested for an accurate diagnosis.
To treat bacterial infections, your healthcare provider will prescribe an antibiotic, and to treat fungal infections, you’ll need to take an antifungal medication.Oral steroids may be recommended to reduce inflammation.
Summary
There are many causes of laryngitis, including overusing your voice and having the common cold. The most common cause of laryngitis is a viral upper respiratory infection.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.Respiratory tract infection - Is it contagious?Thomas CM, Jetté ME, Clary MS.Factors Associated With Infectious Laryngitis: A Retrospective Review of 15 Cases.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2017;126(5):388-395. doi:10.1177/0003489417694911MedlinePlus.Laryngitis.Carpenter PS, Kendall KA.MRSA chronic bacterial laryngitis: A growing problem.Laryngoscope. 2018;128(4):921-925. doi:10.1002/lary.26955Swain SK, Sahu MC, Debdta P, Baisakh MR.Primary fungal laryngitis: An overlooked clinical entity.Apollo Medicine. 2019;16(1):11. doi:10.4103/am.am_85_18Harvard Health Publishing.Laryngitis.Caserta MT.Acute laryngitis.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princ Pract Infect Dis.2015:760–761.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00060-6
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard Health Publishing.Respiratory tract infection - Is it contagious?Thomas CM, Jetté ME, Clary MS.Factors Associated With Infectious Laryngitis: A Retrospective Review of 15 Cases.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2017;126(5):388-395. doi:10.1177/0003489417694911MedlinePlus.Laryngitis.Carpenter PS, Kendall KA.MRSA chronic bacterial laryngitis: A growing problem.Laryngoscope. 2018;128(4):921-925. doi:10.1002/lary.26955Swain SK, Sahu MC, Debdta P, Baisakh MR.Primary fungal laryngitis: An overlooked clinical entity.Apollo Medicine. 2019;16(1):11. doi:10.4103/am.am_85_18Harvard Health Publishing.Laryngitis.Caserta MT.Acute laryngitis.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princ Pract Infect Dis.2015:760–761.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00060-6
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard Health Publishing.Respiratory tract infection - Is it contagious?Thomas CM, Jetté ME, Clary MS.Factors Associated With Infectious Laryngitis: A Retrospective Review of 15 Cases.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2017;126(5):388-395. doi:10.1177/0003489417694911MedlinePlus.Laryngitis.Carpenter PS, Kendall KA.MRSA chronic bacterial laryngitis: A growing problem.Laryngoscope. 2018;128(4):921-925. doi:10.1002/lary.26955Swain SK, Sahu MC, Debdta P, Baisakh MR.Primary fungal laryngitis: An overlooked clinical entity.Apollo Medicine. 2019;16(1):11. doi:10.4103/am.am_85_18Harvard Health Publishing.Laryngitis.Caserta MT.Acute laryngitis.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princ Pract Infect Dis.2015:760–761.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00060-6
Harvard Health Publishing.Respiratory tract infection - Is it contagious?
Thomas CM, Jetté ME, Clary MS.Factors Associated With Infectious Laryngitis: A Retrospective Review of 15 Cases.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2017;126(5):388-395. doi:10.1177/0003489417694911
MedlinePlus.Laryngitis.
Carpenter PS, Kendall KA.MRSA chronic bacterial laryngitis: A growing problem.Laryngoscope. 2018;128(4):921-925. doi:10.1002/lary.26955
Swain SK, Sahu MC, Debdta P, Baisakh MR.Primary fungal laryngitis: An overlooked clinical entity.Apollo Medicine. 2019;16(1):11. doi:10.4103/am.am_85_18
Harvard Health Publishing.Laryngitis.
Caserta MT.Acute laryngitis.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princ Pract Infect Dis.2015:760–761.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00060-6
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
