Blog Layout
Voice Disorders: What Are They?
Voice disorders also known as vocal disorders are all kinds of medical conditions that result in abnormal pitch, loudness or poor quality of the voice (sound produced by the larynx). Voice disorders affect speech production. They include but aren’t limited to vocal fold nodules, vocal cord paresis, vocal fold cysts, Chorditis, Puberphonia, Laryngitis, Laryngeal papillomatosis, Bogart-Bacall syndrome, Reinke’s edema and foreign accent syndrome.
Causes of Voice Disorders
Many things can cause abnormal pitch, loudness or poor voice quality. These causes revolve around things that injure the vocal cords i.e. too much screaming or constantly clearing the throat which in turn cause problems like polyps, nodules, and sores on vocal cords. Other causes of vocal disorders include infections, growths (due to viruses), cancer, acid movement from the stomach to the throat as well as diseases know to paralyze vocal cords i.e. colds, allergies, bronchitis, etc.
Symptoms of Voice Disorders
There are a couple of symptoms that suggest that a person's voice isn’t healthy. One of the most obvious signs is hoarseness or when a person is unable to produce any voice at all. Other notable symptoms include; raw, achy or strained feeling in the throat, sudden voice deepness and an inability to hit certain notes when singing despite being able to hit those same notes before.
Individuals who suffer from voice disorders also start struggling to talk suddenly i.e. they need more effort. Anyone can exhibit voice disorder symptoms when you have a cold. As a result, voice problems should be a cause for concern when they are persistent i.e. last for weeks after the flu or cold has gone away. It is also important to consider normal voice changes that happen during puberty.
Diagnosis
Voice disorders are diagnosed by ENTs (Ear, Nose and Throat specialists) and laryngologists (physician voice specialists) in conjunction with other voice/speech specialists such as speech-language pathologists.
Diagnosing voice disorders is a multi-step process that follows comprehensive steps. The first step usually involves taking the history of the voice disorder in question to find out info like; when the voice disorder occurred, how it occurred, frequency, triggers, etc.
During this step, a comprehensive head, neck and laryngeal exam is done. The Diagnostic tests are also done as well as a detailed medical evaluation. This may be followed up with special tests i.e. voice box examinations to check for abnormalities.
Treatment
Voice disorders are treated depending on the underlying cause. If diagnosed early, most voice disorders can be treated. There are three main types of voice disorder treatments namely; medical, voice therapy and surgical treatments.
a. Medical Treatments
Voice disorders like Laryngitis are usually treated using anti-reflux medicines. Voice disorders caused by hypothyroidism are treated by effectively monitoring and treating low thyroid hormone levels. Botulinum toxin is used to treat voice disorders caused by muscle disorders.
b. Voice Therapy
Voice therapy is a crucial part of voice disorder treatment. The therapy which is administered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) focuses on treating disorders caused by voice misuse or abuse. Voice therapy is popular for treating voice disorders which aren’t that complicated. The therapy helps patients get rid of bad voice habits. Voice therapy also teaches patients proper voice techniques as well as guides recovery among patients recovering from surgery.
c. Surgical Treatments
Sometimes it may take surgery to treat certain voice disorders. The most common types of surgical approaches for treating voice disorders include;
- Phonomicrosurgery: This surgical treatment is performed using a microscope (for viewing). It is common and effective for removing vocal fold lesions/abnormalities which hamper vocal fold vibration.
- Laryngeal framework surgery: This surgical treatment involves manipulation of the voice box to improve vocal closure which is crucial for healthy voice production.
- Injection augmentation: This surgical procedure involves surgical injections of fat among other substances that add bulk to a person’s vocal folds to aid in better vocal fold closure.
- It’s worth noting that treatments can be combined to offer the best results. For instance, individuals suffering from stomach acid backflows may require voice therapy as well as anti-reflux medication.
Also, for treatment to be effective, an early, thorough and accurate diagnosis must be conducted by a highly trained, skilled and experienced voice specialist. The right treatment options/strategies must also be used.
Prevention: How Do You Keep Your Voice Healthy?
A person’s voice can be kept healthy by; avoiding screaming and yelling.
Parents should discourage their children from screaming and yelling as these are major causes of voice disorders among children.
Adults should avoid excessive voice clearing. Using good breath support is another good preventive measure. You should also avoid smoking to avoid causes of voice disorders like cancer. Drinking plenty of water also goes along in keeping the vocal cords healthy (hydrated).
Related Posts
Articulation: An articulation disorder is when someone has difficulty producing sounds or sound sequences, such as saying "th" for "s" sounds. They may, for example, say "thun" for "sun". For a checklist of Typical Ages for Sound Acquisition Click Here .
Get in Touch
Contact Us
Our Partners
Site Links
Creative Therapy Associates
Our team specializes in speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy for children, adults, and seniors. Our offices are in Thunder Bay, Ontario, but we travel to communities in Northwestern Ontario.
Terms | Privacy | Patient Bill of Rights (PDF)