What Causes Laryngitis?

Chronic Sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis is a condition where an individual experiences long term inflammation of the sinus linings. Sinuses are cavities in the facial bones behind the nose that are normally filled with air. The inner linings of the sinuses are membranes responsible for the secretion of thin mucus at times when it is needed. When these membranes become inflamed due to allergies or another mechanism, they can produce an excessive amount of thick mucus. This excessive mucus can drain into the back of the patient's nose and down into their throat. The tissues that make up the throat and larynx are not meant to have direct contact with thick mucus continuously for an extended period. When post-nasal drip is persistent due to chronic sinusitis, the patient's throat tissues can become irritated, inflamed, and swollen. This inflammation is considered a form of laryngitis.

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Fungal Infection

Most individuals who develop fungal infections that cause the development of laryngitis are immunocompromised due to previous treatments, chronic diseases, autoimmune processes, and other conditions. Cryptococcal, histoplasmosis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, and candidiasis are the most common types of fungus to produce infectious fungal laryngitis. These fungi have the potential to travel into the vocal folds after they have colonized and caused an infection in the airways, lungs, bronchi, tonsils, or throat. Once the fungi make their way to the secondary location of the vocal folds, they colonize further in these tissues. This fungal colonization induces an inflammatory response by the affected individual's immune system. The immune system releases substances and summons numerous types of white blood cells to the larynx in an attempt to mediate the harmful infection-causing pathogen. This infective inflammation of the vocal cords is a form of laryngitis.

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