Treatment
In cases of acute laryngitis, doctors advise patients to rest their voice, drink plenty of fluids and, if needed, take painkillers such as aspirin or paracetemol. Antibiotics are not normally prescribed unless the infection has spread to the lungs (bronchitis).

With chronic laryngitis, patients are advised to avoid smoke, dust and irritants and not to shout or sing until the voice returns to normal. If the symptoms do not subside within four or five days or if sputum (phlegm) is coughed up, or if hoarseness persists, a doctor should be consulted. Antibiotics will be prescribed if there is a bacterial infection. If the doctor suspects a cause other than infection, diagnostic tests may be required. He may send you to an ear, nose and throat specialist, who will examine your throat for a polyp or nodule or for signs of cancer so as to take immediate action for it.

PHARYNGITIS
Inflammation of the pharynx (the part of the throat between the tonsils and the larynx), the chief symptom of which is a sore throat. Pharyngitis may be acute or chronic. Pharyngitis is most often caused by a viral infection. Sometimes it is due to a bacterial infection (eg. A streptococcal infection), rarely to a chlamydial infection or to infection with mycoplasma.