Voice Disorders
Some of the most common symptoms of voice disorders are a change in your voice (it becomes either deeper or raspy), you have trouble singing, your throat feels raw or itchy and you find yourself repeatedly clearing your throat.
These symptoms can be caused by inflammation, respiratory infection, growths on your vocal cords or just by overusing your voice if you are for example a professional singer or a member of a cheerleading squad.
If you develop a voice disorder, you may want to see an otolaryngologist (oh-toe-lar-in-GAH-luh-jist), a doctor who specializes in disorders of the ear, nose and throat, to determine the cause of your voice problem.
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Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of noisy breathing in infants. It is caused by a collapse of tissue in the larynx above the vocal cords. A child with laryngomalacia will make a squeaky, high-pitched noise when breathing in. This sound is known as... Full Answer
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- Q How does surgery affect people with voice disorders?
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In certain cases, the causes of voice disorders require surgery to be remedied. For instance, vocal polyps and nodules, which are abnormal growths on the vocal folds, sometimes need to be surgically removed. Follow-up vocal therapy can help to reduce the... Full Answer
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- Q How do voice disorders affect quality of life?
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Voice disorders generally do not dramatically affect quality of life. In most cases, these conditions are reversible when their underlying causes are addressed. Instances in which voice disorders may affect quality of life include cases of throat cancer... Full Answer
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- Q Do voice disorders run in families?
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- Q Are voice disorders serious?
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- Q What is the rate of incidence for voice disorders?
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- Q Are there cures for voice disorders?
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Whether or not your voice disorder can be cured depends upon its cause. In many cases, voice disorders are reversible once the underlying cause is addressed. Sometimes rest of the voice or vocal therapy can be enough to resolve a voice disorder, but in... Full Answer
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- Q What do I need to know about caring for someone with a voice disorder?
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- Q How do I manage my voice disorder on a daily basis?
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- Q Can voice disorders be prevented?
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