Laryngitis and Hoarseness Clearing Up the Husky Whisper

Clearing Up the Husky Whisper

Mommy! Mommy!'' It's a call you're used to hearing--but this morning you hear only a faint whisper instead of a robust wail. Your child has lost his voice.

Laryngitis simply means that the larynx is swollen--that's the upper part of the windpipe that houses the vocal folds, commonly called cords. And as long as the larynx remains that way, your child will be very hoarse or unable to speak.

What causes the swelling? It could be a viral infection from a cold or flu, or an allergic reaction to dust or pollen. Or laryngitis could be the result of something as innocuous as overuse of the voice. If your child cheered hard at yesterday's hockey game, that could explain this morning's laryngitis.

But whether your child's voice is hoarse or whether he has lost it entirely, here's what you can do to help restore it.

Mum's the word. ''The less your child uses his voice, the faster it will come back to normal,'' advises Mary Meland, M.D., a pediatrician with HealthPartners in Bloomington, Minnesota.

To encourage your child to stop talking for a while, try making nonverbal communication into a game. One way is to devise a system of hand signals for frequent expressions like ''may I'' or ''give me.'' Also, provide a pad and pencil for your child. If she's too young to write words, have her draw pictures instead. And if your child can't stop using her voice entirely, at least call regular time-outs during the day to give the vocal cords a rest.

Avoid whispering. When your child does have to speak, have him use a soft, natural tone, says Michael Benninger, M.D., chairman of the committee on speech, voice and swallowing disorders of the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. A whisper strains vocal folds more than normal speech, he says.

Soothe with lozenges. Lozenges can help relieve a dry or irritated throat by stimulating saliva flow, says Dr. Benninger. ''They're good for moistening and soothing the throat any time.'' He recommends avoiding those with anesthetic properties unless your child is uncomfortable. Sugarless lemon drops available at the pharmacy work well, too.

Give a warm drink. Hot herbal or decaffeinated tea, chicken soup or any warm liquid will help ease the discomfort of an irritated throat, says Dr. Benninger. Or you can dilute fruit juices with hot water to create a tasty, fruity hot drink.

Encourage frequent drinking. Keep a glass of water near your child, and encourage her to drink often. ''Sipping water throughout the day can help your child break the throat-clearing habit, which can make hoarseness worse,'' says Dr. Benninger. Keeping the vocal cords moist is also soothing. Room temperature water is best because it's easiest on the throat.

But don't supply cold or iced water, he cautions, because cold water strains the blood vessels in the larynx by forcing them to warm the water.

Try steam from a sink. ''Breathing steam for five minutes, several times a day is very soothing for a child with laryngitis or hoarseness,'' says Dr. Benninger. Fill a sink with hot water and have your child lean over it. Then drape a towel over your child's head and over the sink to form a ''tent'' where steam gathers.

Turn on the vaporizer. Your child's larynx may also be partly clogged with mucus. Use a humidifier or vaporizer in your child's bedroom to moisturize the air while he sleeps. ''This loosens some of the mucus that's been deposited in the larynx,'' says Lewis First, M.D., a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in Boston. ''Diluting that mucus allows the child to cough it up or swallow it.'' Clean the humidifier or vaporizer often, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Avoid smoking near your child. Exposure to smoke can worsen inflammation of the larynx, so don't smoke around your child, says Dr. Meland. If someone in your household smokes, ask him to step outside the house to light up.

Keep nasal passages clear. You want your child to breathe through his nose instead of his mouth, because air that passes through the nose is warmer and moister, therefore less irritating to the vocal folds. ''If a cold is keeping your child from breathing through his nose, use an over-the-counter decongestant,'' advises Dr. Benninger. A decongestant containing an antihistamine may dry the throat, however, so you need to counteract that by supplying plenty of warm liquids.

Try a gargle. If your child's throat is painful, a saltwater gargle can help, says Dr. First. ''Gargling with saltwater can help reduce the pain and also thin out the mucus,'' he says.

But first make sure your child can gargle. ''Children are usually capable of learning how to gargle by the time they are five or six,'' says Dr. First. Have your child practice gargling with plain water to see if she can manage. And before having her try the saltwater gargle, explain that the salt in it will make it taste unpleasant. To make the gargle, mix one teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water.

Keep the volume down. Even after your child's voice has returned, he should be careful not to strain the vocal cords, so the problem won't return. ''Encourage your child to talk quietly and not to scream while playing games,'' says Dr. Benninger. ''And explain that trying to talk over loud background noise will only hurt his vocal cords.''

If your child's voice problems are from constant overuse, try to find the reason your child is being so loud, suggests Dr. Meland. If he's shouting to get attention, explain gently that you'll only respond to him when he speaks in a reasonable tone. If he's talking loudly to be heard over a blaring television, turn the T V down or off, or consider moving it to a less central area of the house. If he's yelling because that's what he hears around the house, count to ten the next time you find yourself about to raise your voice.