My sister called up yesterday complaining of hoarseness. It apparently started with a sore throat and a nonproductive cough with low-grade febrile episode 7 days ago. She took some antibiotics and cough medications but no relief was noted. Clearly, she is suffering from laryngitis. Laryngitis is an irritation and swelling of the voice box and the area around it. It causes the voice to change, or you may lose your voice entirely for a short while. With or without treatment, it is expected to resolve in 7 to 14 days. It is usually caused by a virus or by bacteria. People who smoke, have allergies, or strain their voices by yelling, talking, or singing may also come down with the problem. The classic symptoms are a hoarse, low voice, and a scratchy throat. Other people may also lose their voice, develop a sore throat, come down with a fever, feel a lump in their throat, or feel very tired. As an ENT specialist, I usually advise voice rest if these symptoms have been present fo...