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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Video assessment and a plan to rest your voice; antibiotics are rarely needed.
- Symptoms: a hoarse or croaky voice, sometimes lost completely, with a tickly cough, a need to clear your throat and a sore throat.
- How long: laryngitis from a cold usually clears within 1 to 2 weeks; see a doctor if your voice has not improved after 2 weeks.
- Hoarse for 3 weeks: a voice that stays hoarse for 3 weeks or more, especially if you smoke, needs an examination of the voice box.
- Emergency: call 112 for difficulty breathing, a high-pitched noise when breathing in, or drooling because you cannot swallow.
Do not book a video appointment if you have difficulty breathing, a high-pitched or rasping noise when you breathe in, drooling because you cannot swallow, or a very sore throat with a high temperature that came on quickly. These can signal swelling that blocks the airway: call 112 and stay sitting upright.
Can an online doctor treat laryngitis?
Yes. Laryngitis is diagnosed from your symptoms and how they started, and the doctor can hear your voice and see your throat on camera. Most laryngitis is caused by a virus and settles with voice rest. The doctor also looks for causes that need treatment, such as acid reflux or a steroid inhaler, and for the signs that mean your voice box should be examined. Difficulty breathing needs emergency care instead.
How an online consultation helps with laryngitis
- The cause found: A cold, acid reflux, a steroid inhaler, overuse and smoking all cause hoarseness. The doctor works out which is behind yours, because the treatment differs.
- Voice rest done properly: Whispering strains the voice box more than gentle speech. The doctor explains how to rest your voice so that it recovers faster.
- Antibiotics only when they help: Laryngitis is rarely bacterial, and antibiotics make little difference for most people. The doctor prescribes them only when there are clear signs of a bacterial infection.
- Warning signs not missed: A voice that stays hoarse for 3 weeks, a lump in the neck or pain on swallowing need a specialist look, and the doctor tells you when.
What the doctor checks in an online laryngitis consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the emergency signs come first. The doctor asks about:
- Breathing and swallowing: difficulty breathing, a noisy, high-pitched breath in, drooling, or being unable to swallow fluids.
- How it started: a cold or flu, shouting or singing, a new medicine, or no clear trigger.
- How long it has lasted: whether your voice is improving, staying the same or getting worse, and whether it is ever normal.
- Other causes: heartburn or a sour taste, a steroid inhaler, smoking and alcohol, and work that relies on your voice.
- Red flags: a lump in the neck, pain on swallowing or in one ear, coughing up blood, and losing weight without trying.
Before the call, note when the hoarseness started and what you were doing, and have any inhalers and other medicines to hand. The doctor will ask you to speak normally and may look at your throat with the help of your phone torch.
Laryngitis symptoms
Laryngitis means the voice box (larynx) and vocal cords are irritated or swollen, so they cannot vibrate normally. It usually comes on suddenly and gets worse over the first 3 days. Symptoms include:
- a hoarse, croaky or weak voice
- losing your voice, sometimes completely
- a tickly, irritating cough
- a constant need to clear your throat
- a sore throat
- cold or flu symptoms, such as a runny nose, a mild fever and aches
Most laryngitis is caused by a viral infection such as a cold or flu. Other causes include acid reflux, allergies, dust and fumes, smoking, a prolonged cough, constant throat clearing, and straining the voice by shouting or singing.
What causes a hoarse voice that lasts?
Laryngitis that settles within 3 weeks is called acute laryngitis. Hoarseness that lasts longer than 3 weeks is called chronic laryngitis, and one of these is usually behind it:
- Voice strain: heavy voice use at work, such as teaching, call centres or singing, especially while you have a cold.
- Acid reflux: stomach acid reaching the throat, often with a voice that is worse in the morning, throat clearing or a sour taste. Read more about reflux.
- Steroid inhalers: these can cause a hoarse voice or a fungal infection in the throat, which rinsing your mouth or brushing your teeth after each dose helps prevent.
- Smoking and alcohol: both irritate the vocal cords and raise the risk of throat cancer.
- Other causes: an underactive thyroid, nerve problems, and some medicines, including some blood pressure tablets and antihistamines.
- Growths on the vocal cords: nodules, polyps and, rarely, cancer, which is why hoarseness lasting 3 weeks or more needs the voice box examined.
Laryngitis or something that needs checking?
The pattern of the hoarseness points to the cause and to what you should do next.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Hoarse voice with a cold, improving after a few days | Viral laryngitis | Voice rest and fluids; usually managed online |
| Hoarse voice worse in the morning, throat clearing, heartburn | Acid reflux | Reflux treatment; usually managed online |
| Hoarse voice while using a steroid inhaler | Inhaler irritation or thrush in the throat | Mouth care and inhaler technique; usually managed online |
| Hoarse after shouting, singing or heavy voice use | Voice strain | Voice rest; voice therapy if it keeps happening |
| Hoarse for 3 weeks or more, especially if you smoke | Needs the voice box examined | Referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist |
| Severe sore throat, drooling, noisy breathing, fever | Possible epiglottitis, a swelling that can block the airway | Emergency: call 112 |
How long does laryngitis last?
Laryngitis caused by a cold usually clears within 1 to 2 weeks. The voice is often at its worst in the first 3 days and then slowly returns. See a doctor if your voice has not improved after 2 weeks, or if you keep getting laryngitis.
A voice that stays hoarse for 3 weeks or more needs the voice box examined, especially if you are over 35, smoke or drink heavily, or have a lump in your neck, pain on swallowing or ear pain. Most people turn out to have a simple cause, but the examination rules out a growth on the vocal cords.
Is laryngitis contagious, and should you stay at home?
Laryngitis itself is not contagious, but the cold or flu virus that often causes it is. You can pass the virus on through coughs, sneezes and your hands while you have cold or flu symptoms. Laryngitis caused by voice strain, reflux, an inhaler or smoke cannot be caught. Wash your hands often, and keep away from people who are ill.
Should you stay at home with laryngitis?
Stay at home and avoid contact with other people while you have a high temperature, or if you do not feel well enough to work. You can go back once you no longer have a high temperature and feel well. If your job relies on your voice, such as teaching, singing or call-centre work, talking all day slows recovery, so ask about time off or lighter duties until your voice returns.
Which laryngitis treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on the cause and on how long the hoarseness has lasted. This is the decision framework the doctors use, aligned with NHS guidance and ear, nose and throat guidelines on hoarseness.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoarse voice with a cold, for less than 2 weeks | Voice rest, fluids, moist air, paracetamol or ibuprofen | Usually yes | If breathing or swallowing becomes difficult |
| Hoarse voice with heartburn or a sour taste | Treatment for reflux, and changes to eating and drinking | Usually yes | If swallowing is painful or food sticks |
| Hoarse voice while using a steroid inhaler | Mouth care, inhaler technique, and treatment for thrush if present | Usually yes | If it does not settle |
| No better after 2 weeks, or keeps coming back | A review of the cause, and referral if needed | For the review | For an examination of the voice box |
| Hoarse for 3 weeks or more, especially if you smoke | Referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist | Assessment and referral | Yes, the voice box needs to be examined |
| Difficulty breathing, noisy breathing or drooling | Emergency care | No | Call 112 now |
Hoarse voice not getting better? A doctor can tell you whether it needs checking.
See available times →Treatment options for laryngitis
What you can do yourself
- Rest your voice: speak as little as possible, and gently when you do. Do not whisper or shout, because both strain the vocal cords.
- Drink plenty of fluids, and keep the air moist, for example with bowls of water in the room, because central heating and air conditioning dry it out.
- Gargle with warm salt water, and suck sugar-free lozenges to keep your throat moist.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for a sore throat, at the dose on the pack. Ibuprofen does not suit everyone, including people with a stomach ulcer, kidney problems or heart failure, or anyone who is pregnant.
- Avoid smoking, smoky or dusty places, and too much caffeine or alcohol, which dry the throat.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. Most laryngitis needs no prescription. If reflux is the cause, the doctor may prescribe a medicine that reduces stomach acid. If a steroid inhaler has caused thrush in the throat, the doctor may prescribe an antifungal treatment. Antibiotics are prescribed only if there are clear signs of a bacterial infection. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Antibiotics make little or no difference to most laryngitis and bring side effects. Whispering, clearing your throat hard and raising your voice over background noise all slow recovery.
Special situations
If you use your voice for work
Teachers, singers, presenters and call-centre staff are more likely to strain their voices. Rest your voice while you have laryngitis, and if hoarseness keeps coming back, ask about voice therapy with a speech and language therapist.
Laryngitis in pregnancy
Laryngitis in pregnancy is treated the same way, with voice rest, fluids and paracetamol; ibuprofen is usually avoided. Heartburn is common in pregnancy and can make the voice hoarse, and the doctor can suggest reflux treatments that are safe to use.
Asthma and COPD inhalers
If you use a steroid inhaler, rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after each dose, and ask whether a spacer would help. Do not stop your inhaler without speaking to a doctor. Read more about asthma.
Laryngitis while travelling
Dry aeroplane cabins and air-conditioned hotel rooms dry out the vocal cords. Drink water regularly, and rest your voice rather than talking over engine or background noise.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When laryngitis is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: hoarseness and lost voice with a cold, voice strain, hoarseness from reflux or an inhaler, advice on resting your voice and returning to work, and referral when hoarseness lasts.
In-person care: difficulty breathing or noisy breathing, drooling or being unable to swallow, hoarseness lasting 3 weeks or more, a lump in the neck, and an examination of the voice box with a camera.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- difficulty breathing, or breathing that is very fast or very slow
- a high-pitched or rasping noise when you breathe in
- drooling, or being unable to swallow your saliva
- pale, grey or blue lips or skin
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a very painful throat or difficulty swallowing
- coughing up blood
- a hoarse voice with a high temperature and feeling very unwell
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your voice: say when the hoarseness started and what may have triggered it, and have any inhalers or other medicines to hand.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s laryngitis? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Sore throat can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about laryngitis
What is laryngitis?
Laryngitis is when the voice box (larynx) and vocal cords become irritated or swollen, so your voice turns hoarse or disappears. It is usually caused by a cold or flu virus, and it usually gets better on its own within 1 to 2 weeks. Hoarseness lasting more than 3 weeks is called chronic laryngitis and needs checking.
What are the symptoms of laryngitis?
Laryngitis causes a hoarse, croaky or weak voice, sometimes lost completely, with a tickly cough, a constant need to clear your throat and a sore throat. It usually comes on suddenly with a cold and is worst in the first 3 days.
Is it laryngitis or something else?
Laryngitis is hoarseness that starts with a cold or voice strain and improves within 2 weeks. Vocal cord nodules or polyps cause hoarseness that persists for months in heavy voice users; reflux laryngitis is worse in the morning with throat clearing; thyroid or nerve problems bring a weak, breathy voice without a cold; and a hoarse voice for more than 3 weeks in a smoker or drinker, or with pain, weight loss or a neck lump, needs the voice box examined to rule out cancer.
How long does laryngitis last?
Laryngitis caused by a cold usually clears within 1 to 2 weeks. See a doctor if your voice has not improved after 2 weeks. A voice that stays hoarse for 3 weeks or more needs the voice box examined, especially if you smoke.
Is laryngitis contagious?
Laryngitis itself is not contagious, but when a cold or flu virus causes it, that virus can spread through coughs, sneezes and hands while you have cold or flu symptoms. Laryngitis caused by voice strain, reflux or an inhaler is not contagious.
Should I stay at home with laryngitis?
With laryngitis, stay at home while you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to work, and go back once the fever has gone and you feel well. If your job relies on your voice, resting it for a few days helps it recover sooner.
How can I get my voice back faster?
With laryngitis, rest your voice and speak gently when you must, without whispering or shouting. Drink plenty of fluids, keep the air moist, gargle with warm salt water and avoid smoke, alcohol and too much caffeine. Most voices return within 1 to 2 weeks.
How can I prevent laryngitis?
Warm up and pace your voice if you use it for work, use a microphone rather than shouting, drink water through the day, stop smoking and avoid smoky rooms, limit alcohol and caffeine, treat acid reflux and rinse the mouth after steroid inhalers, humidify dry bedrooms, and rest the voice at the first sign of hoarseness rather than pushing through a cold. Laryngitis from viruses cannot always be avoided, but handwashing and the flu vaccine reduce the colds that cause it.
Can you cure a lost voice overnight?
No. A voice lost to laryngitis usually gets worse over the first 3 days and then comes back gradually, within 1 to 2 weeks for most people. Resting your voice, plenty of fluids, moist air and warm salt-water gargles help it recover, while whispering, shouting and clearing your throat slow it down.
Do I need antibiotics for laryngitis?
Usually not. Most laryngitis is caused by a virus, and research shows antibiotics make little or no difference for most people while causing side effects. A doctor prescribes them only if there are clear signs of a bacterial infection.
When should I worry about a hoarse voice?
See a doctor if laryngitis has not improved after 2 weeks. A voice that stays hoarse for 3 weeks or more, especially if you smoke, or hoarseness with a lump in the neck, pain on swallowing or coughing up blood, needs an examination of the voice box.
Can acid reflux cause laryngitis?
Yes. Stomach acid reaching the throat can irritate the vocal cords and cause reflux laryngitis, causing a hoarse voice that is often worse in the morning, frequent throat clearing and a sour taste. Treating the reflux usually helps the voice recover.
Can an online doctor treat laryngitis?
Yes. A doctor can hear your voice and see your throat by video, find the likely cause of the laryngitis and explain how to rest your voice. If you need treatment for reflux or thrush, the doctor can prescribe it, and refers you if your voice box needs examining.
When is laryngitis an emergency?
With laryngitis, call 112 or go to an emergency department if you have difficulty breathing, a high-pitched or rasping noise when breathing in, drooling because you cannot swallow, or pale, grey or blue lips. Stay sitting upright while you wait for help.
- Laryngitis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 17 January 2024.
- Antibiotics for acute laryngitis in adults, Reveiz L, Cardona AF. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015.
- Clinical practice guideline: hoarseness (dysphonia) (update), Stachler RJ, et al. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 2018.
- Scottish referral guidelines for suspected cancer: head and neck and thyroid cancers, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Epiglottitis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), 2025.
- Symptoms of laryngeal cancer, NHS, National Health Service (UK), 2025.
- Laryngitis: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic, updated 20 September 2025.
- People with symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, UK Health Security Agency, updated 10 June 2022.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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