Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx.

A form of laryngitis involving principally the interarytenoid area; thought to be caused by regurgitation of gastric contents.

Prolonged inflammation of the mucous membrane extending below from the vocal folds for up to several centimeters.

Inflammation of the subglottic larynx associated with respiratory infection and croupy or noisy breathing.

Characterized by dryness and crusting of the mucous membrane of the larynx.

Infectious inflammation of the larynx in children, accompanied by night attacks of spasmodic closure of the glottis, causing inspiratory stridor (crowing sound during the inspiratory [inhalation or breathing in] phase of respiration due to pathology [disease] involving the epiglottis or larynx).

A form in which there is a pseudomembranous exudate on the vocal cords.

Inflammation of the voice box (the larynx) caused by stomach acid backing up into the esophagus.

Reflux laryngitis is associated with chronic hoarseness and symptoms of esophageal irritation such as "heartburn".

Reflux is caused by a weakness in the muscle at the junction of the esophagus (food tube) and the stomach. Normally, this sphincter muscle opens to allow food to go down to the stomach and closes to keep the stomach's contents from coming back up. The backward movement of stomach contents up into the esophagus is called gastroesophageal reflux.

The refluxed stomach acid irritates the lining of the esophagus, larynx and throat. This can lead to erosion of the lining of the esophagus (erosive esophagitis), narrowing of the esophagus (stricture), chronic hoarseness, chronic throat clearing, difficulty swallowing, cough, spasms of the vocal cords and growths on the vocal cords (granulomas). Reflux also increases the risk of cancer of the esophagus and larynx.

Heartburn is the most common symptom of reflux. Other symptoms include non-cardiac chest pain, chronic hoarseness, asthma, or the feeling of a foreign body in the throat (the globus phenomenon).