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.

Hair loss is a problem that many people suffer from. There are different types of hair loss affecting both men and women. Whoever suffers from it, whether male or female, hair loss can lead to many issues with self-esteem and confidence. The main types of hair loss suffered by individuals are detailed below.
Male-pattern baldness is the commonest form of hair loss in human beings and is called androgenic alopecia. Although the term androgenic loosely means “of man genus”, the condition can actually affect women as well as men.

Hair Loss Patterns

The next type of hair loss is alopecia areata and this form involves bold patches that tend to come and go sporadically. One in every hundred people is affected by this, with the main group being young people and teenagers. One in every five cases can be attributed to hereditary reasons.

A problem with the immune system is thought to be the main contributor to alopecia areata and there is no effective treatment available for the condition. In most of the cases though, the hair will grow back within a year. One in every five persons affected with the condition go on to develop hair loss in a more severe form, such as alopecia totalis (no hair on the scalp) or alopecia universalis (lack of hair on the body as well as scalp).

Telogen effluvium is another form of alopecia hair loss which is quite common, and the condition can be described as extensive thinning of the hair rather than having specific bald patches. The hair loss in this condition is usually down to stress or a reaction to medication.

Psoriasis is a skin condition which can start at any age but usually starts after puberty. Skin cells are produced by the body and as new cells are produced the older ones on the outer layer of the skin die and flake off.  This process usually takes between 21 to 28 days, but for someone with psoriasis, the process is accelerated and can occur in as little as six days.  This results in an excess of skin cells building up on the surface of the skin which are then shed easily.  Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body and appears as red, crumbling patches of skin.  The most common places on the body where psoriasis is found are the scalp, knees, elbows or lower back.

There are many treatments for psoriasis but no cure.  Symptoms can be mild in one person but extremely severe in others and can cause distress.  Psoriasis can be mild at some times and then flare up.  There are different types of psoriasis and most people only have one type at a time but find that one type can develop into another type.  The most common types of psoriasis are plaque psoriasis, nail psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, scalp psoriasis and inverse psoriasis.  There are rarer forms of psoriasis called pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis.  Pustular psoriasis causes pus-filled blisters to appear on the skin, while erythrodermic psoriasis causes a rash to appear all over the body and can result in the body losing proteins and fluids.

Psoriasis

There are some factors which can trigger a flare up of psoriasis symptoms such as smoking, stress, alcohol, and some medicines.  There are three types of treatment for psoriasis and these are creams and ointments, lights which the skin can be exposed to and oral or injected medication.