# I have laryngitis. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 10, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-laryngitis/383585 "2006-12-10T18:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-laryngitis/383585/1 "2006-12-10T18:09:42Z")
I guess the subject really says it all. I’ve been battling something awful in my respiratory system the last few days, starting with a sore throat, then moving to my sinuses. Yesterday it became difficult to talk clearly, and today I pretty much can’t make any vocalizations without it hurting. I’ve never had laryngitis before, so it’s a bit odd for me. When I was younger, my mom used to get it all the time, and I guess I didn’t really grasp the concept of how you could lose your voice. Well, now I know. So, I have to be at work in 2 hours. More than likely, I’ll come in, see if it’s busy, then leave, but just in case, does anybody have some creative ways of communicating? How about amusing anecdotes involving laryngitis? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-laryngitis/383585/2 "2006-12-10T21:01:16Z")
While it’s healing, don’t whisper or try to talk. That’s really hard on the equipment. Carry a pad of paper everywhere, with a cover sheet saying, “I can’t talk today. I can hear you fine, but I’ll have to write.” Don’t bother answering the phone. You can express quite a bit with gestures and facial expressions, but do not whisper or try to talk. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-laryngitis/383585/3 "2006-12-10T22:21:09Z")
I came in here to say the same thing- speak at the most normal tone you can, but do NOT whisper- it will make your throat hurt so bad you’ll pray for death. Creative ways to communicate? Don’t. Just rest your throat as much as possible. I get this about once or twice a year. I’m normally pretty chatty (which is probably a huge understatement) and one Christmas day I lost my voice entirely. Not even a squeak. So I went to my friends house where a huge bunch of people were gathering, walked in, and when everyone greeted me I was unable to say anything back. My friend Cheryl piped up “Zette has laryngitis!” and her normally quiet husband who never says ANYTHING says “Well, there’s a present we can ALL enjoy!” Yes, I did kill him in a woodchipper, why do you ask? Feel better soon! I’m fighting an upper respiratory mess myself. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-laryngitis/383585/4 "2006-12-10T23:45:01Z")
I get laryngitis every single frickin’ time I get a cold. As I start to feel better, I begin to sound worse. Sometimes, it’s mild and I just get the sexy, smoky Blythe Danner voice. Other times, I lose my voice completely. I’ll echo what everyone else has said about resting your voice and not whispering, and add a Mom-like admonishment to drink lots of fluids and sleep with a steam vaporizer if you have one.