Travel Insurance for Laryngitis

What is laryngitis?

Laryngitis is when your voice box (the larynx) becomes inflamed. Your voice goes hoarse or disappears altogether, your throat feels sore, and you may have a tickly cough. It is usually caused by a viral infection such as a cold, although shouting, singing for long periods or even acid reflux can also bring it on. We list it with the other respiratory conditions because it so often comes with a cold or chest infection.

Most people get better within a week or two with rest, fluids, and keeping quiet. Hoarseness that lasts longer than three weeks is worth getting checked by a GP. The NHS laryngitis page has advice on easing symptoms at home and when to get help.

Why do I need to declare laryngitis for travel insurance?

If you have laryngitis at the moment, or it keeps coming back, it counts as a pre-existing medical condition. A hoarse voice sounds minor, but a throat infection can spread to the chest, and a lingering case could leave you too unwell to travel on the day you’re due to leave.

We need to know about a current episode, ongoing treatment, or an open ENT referral because each one makes a claim more likely. If it’s left off and you later claim for something linked to it, the claim could be refused or paid at a reduced amount.

You won’t need to declare every medical condition you’ve ever had or been diagnosed with, only those that fall into the initial set of medical questions.

Can I get travel insurance with laryngitis?

In most cases, yes. A one-off bout of laryngitis that cleared months ago is unlikely to be relevant, and catching it for the first time while you are away would normally count as a new illness, not a pre-existing one.

Ongoing or recurring laryngitis gets a closer look. If your GP has referred you to an ENT specialist, or you are waiting for a camera test on your throat, the screening will show whether cover can be offered and on what terms.

What we’ll ask about your laryngitis

Declaring your laryngitis online doesn’t take long. The screening may only ask one or two questions, if any. After that, carry on declaring any other relevant pre-existing medical conditions you have.

Once you’ve finished the medical declaration, you’ll go through to the quote page. If your laryngitis and your other conditions can be covered, you’ll see a list of quotes, and the premium shown includes the cost of cover for your medical. If we can’t provide cover, you’ll know before going any further.

If your health changes before travelling

A croaky voice doesn’t always clear up on time. If your medication is new or changed, you have a hospital stay, you’re sent for investigations, or you’re diagnosed with something new between now and departure, you must let us know. Your cover might need another look, your medical situation may have to go to the underwriters, and in some cases we may not be able to continue with cover. A future claim can be affected or denied if a change in your medical isn’t reported.

What can laryngitis travel insurance cover?

Laryngitis on its own rarely becomes an emergency, but an infection can spread or be accompanied by something more serious. If a throat infection on holiday in Croatia left you struggling to swallow or breathe and needing hospital care, emergency medical treatment can be covered, as can bringing you home if that becomes medically necessary. This is subject to the policy terms, exclusions, limits, and excess, and if your laryngitis started before you bought the policy it needs to have been declared and accepted.

Being too ill to travel is another situation where the policy may help. If a doctor advises you not to go, non-refundable costs may be claimable under cancellation cover. Losing your voice alone is unlikely to be enough, so check what the policy wording says.

It won’t cover planned treatment abroad or anything linked to an undeclared condition.

Will laryngitis affect the cost of travel insurance?

It can. How much laryngitis changes the price comes down to your result from online medical screening. The screening may ask how your laryngitis has been treated and how well it is controlled at the moment, so answer as fully as you can. General things such as your age, where you’re going and how long you’ll be away also feed into the quote, and you’ll see the full price before you buy.

Single trip or annual cover with laryngitis

Single trip cover works well for a one-off holiday. If you travel a few times a year, annual multi-trip cover can be better value, depending on your screening result.

Travelling with laryngitis: practical tips

These are general tips for looking after your voice on a trip. They aren’t part of your cover.

Plane cabins are very dry, and a few hours breathing that air can leave a sore larynx feeling worse. Sip water throughout the flight and go easy on alcohol and strong coffee, both of which dry you out. Steam from a hot shower or a bowl of hot water can soothe your throat once you arrive.

Try to rest your voice. That sounds simple until you are trying to order in a noisy restaurant or chat over loud music. Whispering actually strains the voice box, so speak softly instead, and let someone else do the talking for a day or two.

Smoky bars and air conditioning blasting straight at you can both irritate a sore throat. If reflux is behind your symptoms, rich holiday food and late meals may make it worse, and our heartburn and acid reflux page explains how that is declared.

See a doctor, at home or abroad, if you have trouble swallowing, breathing difficulty, a high temperature that won’t settle or you are coughing up blood. Laryngitis often comes with other infections such as tonsillitis, and those need checking too.

1. pack paracetamol or ibuprofen and throat lozenges, as brands abroad may be unfamiliar
2. carry a small notebook or use your phone to write things down
3. keep hydrated, especially in hot weather

How to get a quote

Add your travel details and answer the health questions. You can then compare cover levels and see the price before you buy.

Get a Quote

Other Useful Respiratory Pages

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Asthma Travel Insurance
• Bronchiolitis Travel Insurance
• Bronchitis Travel Insurance
• COPD Travel Insurance
• COVID-19 Travel Insurance
• Cystic Fibrosis Travel Insurance
• Laryngitis Travel Insurance
• Pneumonia Travel Insurance
• Respiratory Tract Infections Travel Insurance
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Travel Insurance
• Silicosis Travel Insurance
• Sleep Apnoea Travel Insurance

Don't worry if your condition is not listed above - we cover plenty more medical conditions.
* Please note that cover will vary depending on individual medical screenings.