Hoarseness is when a person's voice sounds rough, raspy, weak, or breathy. It happens when the vocal cords get irritated or strained. In kids, hoarseness is usually caused by a viral infection or by straining the voice through yelling. Resting the voice helps hoarseness get better.

• Give any medicines your health care provider prescribed.
• Have your child rest their voice by speaking as little as possible until the hoarseness starts to get better. But don't have your child whisper — it irritates the vocal cords.
• Let your child write or draw to communicate.
• Have your child drink plenty of liquids.
• Run a humidifier in your child's bedroom to help the throat feel less dry. Clean the humidifier every day to prevent mold growth.
• If your child is hoarse from singing, consider having them take voice lessons. They can learn how to avoid straining the voice.
• Smoke can irritate the vocal cords. Make your home and car smoke-free. If you or anyone else in your household smokes, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit smokefree.gov for advice on quitting.

Your child:

• has hoarseness that gets worse or that doesn't improve within 2 weeks
• gets new symptoms such as a fever or cough

Your child's hoarseness suddenly becomes severe and makes it hard for your child to breathe.

What are the vocal cords? The vocal cords are delicate bands of tissue in the larynx (LAIR-inks), or voice box. When we speak, air pushes out of the lungs and passes through the vocal cords, causing them to vibrate. This vibration, combined with the movement of the tongue, lips, and teeth, is what makes the sound of the voice.

Why does hoarseness happen? Hoarseness happens when something irritates the vocal cords, such as:

• a cold or sinus infection
• a lot of screaming or loud singing 
• allergies 
• smoking, secondhand smoke, or vaping 
• gastric reflux (when stomach acid rises into the throat)
• small growths (called nodules) on the vocal cords

Rarely, hoarseness can have a more serious cause.

What happens if the hoarseness doesn't go away? Hoarseness that lasts more than 2 weeks is called "chronic hoarseness." If that happens, your health care provider may refer your child to an otolaryngologist (an "ear, nose, and throat" [ENT] doctor) and a speech pathologist. These specialists can do tests to find out what is causing the hoarseness and make a treatment plan to help your child.