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Voice Disorders
Voice disorders are common and can come on gradually, suddenly, as a result of disease or injury, or post-surgically. A voice disorder occurs when the vocal quality is altered, the voice has pitch changes, or loudness/volume has been affected.
An Ear Nose and Throat doctor will commonly assess the vocal mechanism first through a flexible laryngoscopy, assessing to see if there are any structural changes to the larynx. These may include vocal nodules, vocal polyps, or a vocal cord hemorrhage. At times, the voice change will result from a neurologic reason: vocal tremor, idiopathic vocal cord paralysis, and spasmodic dysphonia are all common neurogenic voice problems. Many patients have voice changes after surgery, such as a common thyroidectomy, where the main nerve controlling the vocal cords has been affected. Others experience vocal cord injury after intubation, where the endotracheal tube causes physical injury to the vocal cord while being passed through or positioned between the vocal cords. Many vocal disorders are a result of maladaptive behaviors or compensatory strategies from another issue. Muscle tension dysphonia is one of the common examples of this, where the laryngeal mechanism squeezes harder than necessary as a result of something else going on, and causes hoarseness, vocal fatigue, or the sound of 2 tones at the same time. Other times, an ENT cannot detect any structural or neurogenic cause of the complaint; nevertheless, if the patient feels as though their voice has changed from baseline, then it is considered a voice disorder.
After an ENT visit, many voice patients are referred to a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for more help. The SLP is an integral team member for the patient, as he/she/they will complete a thorough evaluation and begin treatment, which will vary based on the specific nature of the voice disorder. Many treatment approaches will include extensive breath work, a thorough examination of common behaviors and routines that may be contributing to the issue, exercises and stretching of the face, mouth, throat, and neck, and voice exercises.
Many patients get excellent results from SLP voice therapy, and avoid further medical intervention altogether, such as injections or surgeries. For those who still need such procedures, many still praise the benefits of voice therapy for the long term habit-changing, improved breathing, and overall awareness of vocal health that therapy provided.
If you’re in New York or Saratoga Springs, NY, and are dealing with unwanted voice changes and have been recommended to seek the services of a voice therapist or SLP to help, contact us now for more information.