Swelling or lumps on the vocal folds prevent them from coming together properly, which makes a change in the voice. There are many causes of hoarseness. Fortunately, most are not serious and tend to go away in a short period of time. The most common causes are acute laryngitis which usually occurs due to swelling from a common cold, upper respiratory tract viral infection, or irritation caused by excessive voice use such as screaming at a sporting event or rock concert. More prolonged hoarseness is usually due to using your voice either too much, too loudly, or improperly over extended periods of time.
Vocal nodules are common in children and adults who raise their voice in work or play.
Uncommonly, polyps or nodules may lead to cancer. Many patients with reflux related changes of voice do not have symptoms of heartburn. Usually, the voice is worse in the morning and improves during the day. These people may have a sensation of a lump in their throat, mucous sticking in their throat or an excessive desire to clear their throat. Smoking is another cause of hoarseness.