Coughs and Colds

You have indicated that your most bothersome symptom is a hoarse voice or lost voice. This problem can be caused by an infection, by chemical irritation of the vocal cords (usually by refluxed stomach acid), or by vocal cord muscle weakness or paralysis. In order to know what diagnosis is most likely, it will be helpful to know how long you have had symptoms.

How long have you had a hoarse or absent voice?

Less than two weeks.

Two weeks or longer.