February 10, 2012
Topics A-Z Infections Laryngitis and Length of Contagiousness
Laryngitis and Length of Contagiousness |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: I work with a lot of young children and wanted to know how long am I contagious? Started to feel ill Sunday (Feb 28), Lost my voice Monday and Tuesday, and got an nasal rx Wed. During the week I work as a teacher and on the weekends I babysit for an agency. I don't want to infect the children. My doctor told me it was a viral infection and laryngitis, but how long will I be contagious? Dear Gen: I understand your concern about laryngitis. This infection is commonly due to a viral entity, usually it would last a week to a maximum of two to recover completely from it, sometimes even more. The transmission is by direct contact by saliva droplets. Usually until complete recovery a person remains contagious. The treatment for this condition includes voice resting, drinking extra fluids and inhaling steam when irritation of the larynx is predominant. Just let the virus finish its course. I wish you a prompt recovery. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 11 March 2010 ) |
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