December 12, 2011

If you're a little hoarse or have a sore throat you're not alone. Dr. Laura Howard from Palmyra Medical Associates says acute laryngitis is what's going around this week.

If you have acute laryngitis you could experience a hoarse voice and allergy or cold-like symptoms like coughing, runny nose and sore throat. Anyone can get it and symptoms usually last less than three weeks.

Acute laryngitis can be treated with supportive care like resting your voice, humidification and hydration. Because laryngitis is typically caused by a virus it will usually get better on its own and does not need antibiotics.

Dr. Howard says good hygiene, hand washing and covering your cough can help prevent acute laryngitis.

It's important to point out that any hoarseness lasting more than three days or hoarseness that comes along with other symptoms like high fevers, difficulty breathing or swallowing or weight loss should be evaluated by your doctor.

In this week's health reminder, Dr. Howard says this is the time of the year we see seasonal affective disorder or SAD. If you find that you are experiencing depressive symptoms like increased sadness, increased appetite, weight gain or interpersonal difficulties, you should see your doctor.