5. Reflux Laryngitis
It is a voice disorder brought on by the swelling of the vocal folds due to reflux making its way up the esophagus. Stomach acid that reaches the throat is called laryngopharyngeal reflux. Although there are acidic and non-acidic variations of reflux disease, GERD, with its accompanying symptoms of heartburn, typically falls within the category.
But laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) patients don’t normally experience any heartburn, making it one of the more atypical examples of GERD. As such, LPR has come to be seen as a separate entity with a different host of requirements for its effective treatment, many of these treatments still being subject to much controversy.
Whether or not to even consider laryngopharyngeal reflux as a real disease is yet another hot topic of debate. But it’s feared this increased awareness of LPR may lead to overdiagnosis of the condition since LPR symptoms are nonspecific and have been known to occur even in cases of vocal abuse, smoking, alcohol abuse, the inhalation of irritants, allergies, and other common infections.