Disc jockeys get laryngitis. So do actors, politicians, and others who talk for hours. But ordinary people who overuse their voices get laryngitis, too. Perhaps you cheer too loud and too often at a basketball game. Or perhaps you lose your voice for no apparent reason.

Air pollution--spending an evening in a smoky room, for example--can also irritate the larynx (voice box) and cause laryngitis. Infections, too, can inflame the larynx. When your larynx is irritated or inflamed, your voice becomes hoarse, husky, and weak. Sometimes, laryngitis is painless, but you may experience a sore throat, a tickling sensation in the back of the throat, fever or dry cough, or have trouble swallowing.

Smoking, drinking alcohol, breathing cold air, and continuing to use already-distressed vocal cords all aggravate the situation. Conversely, resting your voice will usually allow acute laryngitis to heal within a couple of days. If laryngitis persists for more than a week or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever or coughing up blood or yellow-green sputum, consult your doctor for treatment.

Otherwise, home treatment for laryngitis is simple.

• Don't talk if you don't need to. Use a note pad and pencil to communicate.
  
• If you must speak, do so softly but don't whisper. Wispering is more stressful than
  speaking in soft tones.
  
• Use a cool mist humidifier to moisturize the air in rooms where you expect to spend a lot of time (like the bedroom).
  
• Drink plenty of warm liquids. (Tea sweetened with honey is a good choice.)
  
• Take a hot shower or steam bath.
  
• Don't smoke, and avoid smoky environments.
  
• Suck on over-the-counter throat lozenges. (Do not give to childeren under 5 years of age.)
  
• Take aspirin to relieve discomfort, if necessary.