What is laryngitis?

Laryngitis is when your voice box gets swollen and sore, making it hard to speak clearly.

Imagine your voice box is like a guitar string, when it's healthy, you can pluck it (or sing or talk) easily. But if it gets red, inflamed, or even a little scratchy, it’s like the string is stretched tight or has a small tear, you can still make music, but not as well.

Laryngitis often happens when your voice box gets irritated. This can be from:

• Talking too much (like telling stories for hours)
• Singing loudly
• Coughing a lot
• Getting a cold or virus that travels up to your voice box

It’s like getting sand in your eyes, you blink a lot, and it feels scratchy and uncomfortable.

When you have laryngitis, your voice might sound hoarse, raspy, or even quiet. You might feel like you're trying to speak through a blanket, it's not that you can't talk, just that it takes more effort.

Sometimes, people say they "lost their voice", but really, it’s just taking a little break!