Laryngitis is when the tissues of the larynx (the voice organ) become inflamed. Most people have experienced this disease at one time or another and it is usually linked to a viral infection in the upper airway. The inflammation can also be caused by other types of injury including overuse of the vocal chords; infection; inhaled irritants such as smoking; drinking alcohol; allergic reactions; and direct traumas.

Symptoms of acute laryngitis include the voice becoming hoarse, often reduced to a whisper as well as the feeling of needing to clear the throat constantly. In chronic laryngitis, loss of voice quality, a “lumpy” feeling in the throat and soreness or dryness, may be common symptoms. If there is pain swallowing or performing normal laryngeal movements, this is normally indicative of a more severe form of the condition.

Laryngitis

Early signs of infection by laryngitis include redness and dryness in the lining of the larynx along with stringy-like mucus between the vocal cords. When laryngitis is present due to a cold, the infection is usually dealt with by the body’s immune system after a few days. With chronic laryngitis, lifestyle changes can be a major factor in preventing an outbreak. These could include stopping smoking, avoiding food in the couple of hours preceding going to bed, using an extra pillow to keep the head raised and therefore avoiding problems with acid reflux (heartburn) from the stomach, and medication to decrease stomach acid.

A female condom is a thin pouch or sheath that is worn by a woman during sex. It lines the vagina in its entirety and assists in preventing unwanted pregnancy and STD’s.

To use a female condom, you must first open up the package very carefully. This is to make sure you don’t rip or tear it by mistake. Make sure the condom is sufficiently lubricated and then find a comfortable position to insert it. Ensure the inner ring is located at the closed part of the sheath and then hold it with the open side hanging down. You then have to give the inner ring a squeeze with the forefinger and thumb so that it becomes elongated and narrow, after which you place the inner ring along with the sheath into the vagina’s opening. Push the inner ring gently up into the vagina so you can sense it go up. You then place an index finger into the condom and then prod the inner ring to as far as you can get it. Ensure the condom is straight and hasn’t twisted up inside the vagina and then when this is done, make sure the outer ring is outside the vagina, where it should stay.

How to Place a Female Condom

The woman has to then guide the penis into the opening of the condom to ensure that it doesn’t slip passed it and go straight into the vagina. Make sure enough lubricant has been used so that the condom remains in place, and be sure that a male condom is not used at the same time as the friction between the two will cause them to break.

A cough is basically a reflex action so the airways can be cleared of phlegm, mucus and other irritants like dust and smoke. An inflammation of the upper respiratory tract due to a virus could also cause a cough.

Coughing can be symptomatic of many conditions including bronchitis, asthma, the common cold, flu, whooping cough or smoking. There are even some prescribed medicines that can cause coughing such as ACE-inhibitors which are used to treat heart failure.

Sometimes a cough can be a symptom of an underlying serious medical condition such as heart failure, lung cancer, tuberculosis, pneumonia or a pulmonary embolism (which is a clot on the lung). Coughs that have been caused by things like flu or the common cold normally disappear after a few days, but coughs that have been caused by an infection of the lung, such as bronchitis, could persist for several weeks, even after the infection has cleared up and this is due to the inflammation of the airways which usually take a while to clear up.

Cough Mechanism and Receptors

If someone has been suffering from a cough for more than a couple of weeks after having a viral infection, they should go to their doctor for medical advice.