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Article: Swelling of the Vocal Cords Can Make You Hoarse, Of Course
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 3, 2007
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Have you ever shouted so much at a game that your voice was
different the next day? Even if it hasn't happened to you, you've
almost certainly heard someone whose voice has sounded strange at
one time or another.
A hoarse voice is caused by irritation of the vocal cords in your
throat, called laryngitis (pronounced lair-in-JY-tis). It's pretty
common and can come from a cold or even too much talking or
screaming.
Typically when someone is not able to make a sound, a virus has
caused swelling in the larynx, which is the part of the throat that
produces a person's voice. Here's what happens:
Your larynx, or voice box, is covered by two small, stretchy
membranes -- your vocal cords. When ...