Caught a nasty cold and it came with a side of laryngitis… I’m literally unable to make a sound above a whisper (yes I know whispering doesn’t help… I’m not trying to whisper and I do need to communicate and my kid doesn’t understand sign)… I feel like I’m yelling, but nothing is coming out… What makes this happen?
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Laryngitis causes the vocal cords (larynx) to become inflamed and swollen. This makes you sound hoarse or, if the swelling is bad enough, makes it so that you can only whisper. It’s the same as when you yell too much – you cause inflammation and swelling (you basically “bruised” your vocal chords).
Your vocal cords are like a pair of soft woodwind reeds that can change shape to change pitches. Just like the rest of your body they swell up when inflamed. Laryngitis is when something caused them to become inflamed enough that they don’t vibrate correctly to make a sound (imagine trying to make the motorboat sound with your lips while pressing them closed).
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