Key points for diagnosis
(1) Acute laryngitis is mostly the secondary disease of infection of upper respiratory tract. Therefore, it has the symptoms of inflammation of the nasal and pharyngeal parts in most cases.

(2) At the time of the onset, the patient has the symptoms of fever, aversion to cold, and general discomfort, etc.

(3) Hoarseness is the main local symptom. In mild cases, the tone quality loses the mellowness and sweetness as well as clearness and loudness during phonation
while the tone becomes low and gruff; in severe cases, phonation is hoarse; in more serious cases, the patient even suffer from complete aphonia. The laryngeal part is uncomfortable and dry, with foreign object sensation.The laryngeal region and pretracheal part are painful,which worsens during phonation but is free from the influence on swallowing. The patient has dry cough without sputum at the early stage, while at the late stage, the patient suffers from cough with the thick, sticky and purulent secretion which is not easily expectorated.

(4) Laryngoscopy may show diffuse congestion and swelling of the laryngeal mucosa, congestion of the vocal fold with the marginal swelling and pachynsis. The two ends of the vocal fold are spindle-shaped, which cannot be shut tightly during phonation. The surface is often covered with sticky and thick secretion. Marked congestion and swelling also exist in the ventricular bands and the aryepiglottic fold.