INTRODUCTION
Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box (larynx). It often causes hoarseness, loss of voice, painful speaking and coughing, especially at night. In some cases, the cough can come in sudden, frightening attacks.
When a patient with laryngitis has a cough crisis, particularly during the night, the correct homeopathic remedy may need to be repeated at very short intervals (every 1 to 3 minutes, 4–5 times).
With the right remedy, improvement is usually expected within 10–15 minutes. If there is no improvement, another remedy should be considered. (Dr. Hussain Kaisrani)
LARYNGITIS
When the patient with laryngitis gets a cough CRISIS (mostly during the night) one should repeat the homeopathic remedy in very short intervals, every 1 to 3 minutes 4-5 times – the latest in 10-15 minutes we already expect an amelioration with the CORRECT remedy, otherwise another remedy should be chosen
Of course when there is difficult respiration, stridor or choking, we also must send the patient to a hospital immediately.
Main Remedies:
ACONITUM
Sudden onset of LARYNGITIS with SUDDEN HIGH FEVER, few hours after exposition to cold – esp. COLD DRY (north) WIND or DURING perspiration (not the next day) with STRONG – VIOLENT SYMPTOMS, fear and great anxiety (up to FEAR of DEATH.) or strong fearful weeping of children – RED FACE, intense THIRST (mostly cold drinks).
Larynx: Eventually HOARSENESS WITH PAIN when TALKING.
COUGH is LOUD BARKING like a DOG, or like a whistle or with WHISTLING RESPIRATION, DRY, hoarse << night, wakes him during sleep.
PAIN is BURNING and STINGING, RAW; GRASPS the LARYNX.
PAIN < COLD AIR, INSPIRATION, singing, TOUCH.
SPONGIA TOSTA
LARYNGITIS after COLD AIR, the COUGH is DRY, LIKE SAWING a piece of WOOD, BARKING – DAY and NIGHT. ANXIETY with DIFFICULT BREATHING. Acute membranous laryngitis.
Larynx: FEELING of a PLUG, CONSTRICTION.
COUGH is DRY, BARKING, CROUPY, HOARSE, WHISTLING, METALLIC, SUFFOCATIVE, wakes him during sleep.
Better AFTER eating (can be < from eating sweets!), drinking, bending forward (!).
Worse after emotions, excitement (acon), INSPIRATION, eating sweets (!), lying, after sleep.
PAIN is BURNING, PRESSING, SORE, raw, as from a nail << NIGHT, BEFORE or AFTER MIDNIGHT, DURING COUGH, DURING FEVER, TALKING and SINGING, SWALLOWING, TOUCH, turning head.
HEPAR SULPHUR
LARYNGITIS after COLD DRY WIND or COLD AIR with DRY, HOARSE CROUPY, SUFFOCATIVE COUGH, sounds like a cock or BARKING like a dog, like a WHISTLE; often PAROXYSMAL, CHOKING, with WHISTLING RESPIRATION; with VOMITING; with ANXIETY.
Laryngitis with coryza, with red face, ACUTE MEMBRANOUS LARYNGITIS.
COUGH worse UNCOVERING, COLD AIR or WIND, DRAFT of AIR, OPEN AIR (!), AFTER DINNER or EATING in general, after DRINKING – also COLD DRINKS, during perspiration, from evening until midnight, NIGHT, wakes him during sleep, crying.
LARYNX: SENSITIVE to COLD AIR, to TOUCH, SENSATION of FOREIGN BODY, HOARSENESS, LOSS of VOICE. Constriction during respiration. White gelatinous sore polypi in the larynx, leading to cracked voice or aphonia, choking. Much green mucous.
PAIN like a SPLINTER << DURING COUGH – s. t. GRASPS the LARYNX, when talking, swallowing food, COLD AIR, COLD DRINKS.
In one spot of larynx << pressure, speech, cough, breathing.
Other remedies:
ALLIUM CEPA
VIOLENT LARYNGITIS coming on VERY RAPIDLY, with HACKING COUGH << inspiring COLD AIR; with sensation as if the larynx is SPLIT or TORN, also TORN LOOSE, as if A HOOK is DRAGGING UP THROUGH the LARYNX WITH the COUGH.
In general the patient can be DROWSY, SLEEPY and desires onions.
Laryngitis rapidly following after ACRID CORYZA; with HOARSENESS.
Laryngitis leading down to BRONCHITIS, asthmatic bronchitis.
CATARRHAL LARYNGITIS
LARYNX: RAW, HOARSENESS, TICKLING, constricted feeling.
PAIN: TEARING, SPLITTING, CUTTING, RAW, extending to ear, COMPELS the PATIENT to GRASP the LARYNX.
Worse on COUGHING, cold wet weather.
COUGH barking, with ACRID CORYZA, SNEEZING, bland lachrymation, from rawness of larynx.
AGG: INSPIRING, COLD AIR, WARM ROOM, evening, lying, NIGHT, going from WARM to COLD or VICE VERSA.
AMEL: open air.
ARGENTUM METALLICUM
LARYNGITIS with dry cough, HOARSENESS, RAWNESS of LARYNX, chronic or catarrhal laryngitis.
PAIN : SORE, RAW, cutting, extending to ear, vertex.
Worse TALKING, coughing, BREATHING, EXPIRATION.
LARYNX: HOARSENESS – alternation in tone of voice, APHONIA – TOTAL LOSS of VOICE, e. g. of PROFESSIONAL SINGERS, SORENESS, RAWNESS worse COUGHING, singing; RAW SPOT near Fossa Suprasternalis << use of voice, sensation of foreign body – also as if it is lodged in larynx, sensation of coldness in larynx, dryness.
CONSTANT TICKLING PROVOKING COUGH.
Phthisis of larynx, e. g. in singers.
COUGH: DRY, easy EXPECTORATION of GRAY, JELLY-LIKE MUCOUS, tenacious mucous difficult to get out.
Worse LAUGHING, from TICKLING in the LARYNX, talking, morning.
Better open air.
ARGENTUM NITRICUM
LARYNGITIS with HOARSENESS, with paroxysmal suffocative cough, dry cough, whistling respiration, with vomiting.
LARYNX: Rawness, burning in there, condylomata of the larynx, vocal cords; APHONIA – loss of voice due to edema or paresis of vocal cords.
Catarrhal laryngitis.
Chronic hoarseness.
Chronic laryngitis of singers.
COUGH: Raising the tone of the voice causes cough.
Worse laughing, stooping, smoking, ascending stairs, before menses, rawness of larynx, on first lying down or lying in general, when talking.
Better Open air.
COCCUS CACTI
LARYNGITIS with SPASMODIC WHOOPING COUGH – ATTACKS end with VOMITING OF TOUGH. VISCID WHITE MUCOUS, with TICKLING in LARYNX.
Larynx: Sensation of a crumb behind the larynx, must swallow continually; TICKLING
Cough is SUFFOCATIVE, SPASMODIC, HACKING – ending in vomiting or RAISING CLEAR ROPY MUCOUS, hanging from mouth.
AMEL: open air, COLD AIR.
AGG: WARM ROOM, indoors; BRUSHING TEETH, any irritation in throat can lead to COUGH with RETCHING or VOMITING; first waking in morning.
DROSERA
SPASMODIC, DRY, IRRITATING COUGH, the PAROXYSMS FOLLOWING EACH OTHER VERY RAPIDLY. Can scarcely breathe, CHOKES. For Samuel Hahnemann it was the principal remedy for WHOOPING COUGH.
Cough: Very deep and hoarse << after midnight, AS SOON AS HEAD TOUCHES PILLOW on LYING DOWN; with bleeding from nose and mouth, with retching.
Characteristic concomitant symptom with the cough is a strong feeling of OPPRESSION in the CHEST, that he is not able to expire the air <<< SPEECH that also brings more constriction in the larynx (Vithoulkas).
The oppression can lead to real danger of suffocation with cyanosis or blackish discoloration of the face.
From tickling in larynx, from emotions, singing, talking, weeping.
Abdominal pain from cough. Often no cough during day, but as soon as head touches pillow in the night.
Worse from emotions, speech.
LARYNX: DEEP HOARSE VOICE, cracked, toneless. PHTHISIS of LARYNX with rapid emaciation.
Feeling of bread crumbs, tickling in there.
PHOSPHORUS
LARYNGITIS with MUCH BURNING PAIN, CANNOT TALK due to the pain.
LARYNGITIS with a LOT of THIRST, drinks do not relief the pain << the pain and the cough.
HOARSENESS up to APHONIA, with MUCH PAIN << TALKING, EVENING, MORNING (Acon., Kali-bi., Sil.).
LARYNGITIS with CORYZA; with vomiting (Ip , Hep., Dros.), with PERSPIRATION on CERVIX during sleep (Lach.)
ACUTE MEMBRANOUS (BROM., Hep., KALI-BI., Lach., Spong)
LARYNX: DRY, RAW (<< cold air, INSPIRATION), SORE, FURRY, PAINFUL on SPEAKING, on COUGHING – GRASPS the LARYNX.
COUGH: CROUPY, DRY << COLD AIR, OPEN AIR, READING, LAUGHING, TALKING, when going from WARM to COLD or VICE VERSA (Rumex), warm room, drinking – even COLD DRINKS (!!), lying.
RUMEX CRISPUS
Laryngitis with DRY, TICKLING, barking, suffocative, choking COUGH.
Cough worse INHALING COOL AIR, DEEP INSPIRATION, TAKING off the CLOTHES, CHANGE of TEMPERATURE (e.g. changing rooms), UNCOVERING, DRAFT of AIR; talking; pressure; worse 11pm, 2am, 5-6am.