How do people lose their voices. Uncovering the Causes of Vocal Loss: A Comprehensive Analysis
What are the possible reasons behind voice loss? Discover the 11 potential causes, from colds to laryngeal cancer, and learn how to identify and address the root of your vocal issues.
Uncovering the Causes of Vocal Loss: A Comprehensive Analysis
Losing one’s voice can be a frustrating and concerning experience, leaving many individuals wondering, “Why am I losing my voice?” The answer to this question can be multifaceted, as a variety of underlying factors can contribute to this issue. In this comprehensive article, we will explore 11 possible causes of voice loss, providing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind this common problem.
The Impact of the Common Cold
A simple cold can be a surprising culprit behind voice loss. When the throat becomes inflamed and sore due to a cold, the vocal cords can swell, affecting their ability to vibrate and produce clear sounds. The good news is that this type of voice loss is typically temporary and can be addressed through rest and proper hydration as the cold runs its course.
Overuse and Misuse of the Voice
Just like any other muscle in the body, the muscles involved in speech can become strained and fatigued through overuse. Excessive talking, singing, yelling, or even improper techniques, such as cradling the phone between the head and shoulder, can all contribute to voice loss. Addressing these habits and allowing the voice to rest can often resolve the issue.
The Detrimental Effects of Smoking
Cigarette smoke is a well-known irritant to the vocal cords, and studies have shown that both current and former smokers are approximately three times more likely to develop a voice disorder compared to non-smokers. Smoking can lead to the formation of polyps on the vocal cords, resulting in a low, breathy, and hoarse voice.
Allergies and Their Impact on the Voice
Allergies can affect the voice in multiple ways. An allergic reaction can cause the vocal cords to swell, while postnasal drip and excessive coughing can further irritate the delicate tissues. Additionally, some allergy medications, such as antihistamines, can dry out the mucus in the throat, which is essential for the proper functioning of the vocal cords.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Voice Disorders
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that can impact the tiny joints in the face and throat, leading to problems with breathing and the way the vocal cords function. As a result, individuals with rheumatoid arthritis may experience a sore throat, voice loss, and other vocal difficulties.
Thyroid Dysfunction and Voice Changes
The thyroid gland, located in the lower neck, plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including the production of hormones that affect the voice. When the thyroid gland does not produce enough of these hormones, a condition known as hypothyroidism, it can result in a hoarse voice. Additionally, growths on the thyroid, called nodules, can also impact vocal function.
GERD and Its Impact on the Voice
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid washes back up into the esophagus, leading to irritation of the vocal cords, throat, and esophagus. This can result in a hoarse voice, wheezing, and excess mucus production in the throat.
Laryngitis and Vocal Disorders
Laryngitis, an inflammation of the larynx, can be either acute or chronic. Acute laryngitis is often caused by a cold or overuse of the voice, while chronic laryngitis may develop due to exposure to irritants, such as smoke or chemical fumes, or underlying yeast infections of the vocal cords.
Noncancerous Growths on the Vocal Cords
Nodules, polyps, and cysts can develop on the vocal cords, leading to voice changes. These growths are often attributed to heavy overuse of the voice, such as excessive yelling or speaking. While nodules may go away with proper vocal rest, polyps and cysts may require medical intervention, such as removal, to restore vocal function.
Neurological Conditions and Voice Disorders
Certain neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), can also impact the voice. These conditions can affect the muscles and nerves responsible for speech, leading to a variety of vocal issues, including a weak or breathy voice, difficulties with articulation, and even complete loss of voice.
Laryngeal Cancer and Voice Changes
In rare cases, voice loss may be a symptom of laryngeal cancer, a type of cancer that affects the larynx, or voice box. This type of cancer can cause changes in the voice, such as hoarseness, a breathy or rough-sounding voice, and difficulty swallowing. Early detection and treatment are crucial for the best possible outcome.
If you are experiencing persistent voice loss, it is important to seek medical attention to identify the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatment. By understanding the potential causes of vocal issues, individuals can take proactive steps to address the problem and regain their clear, strong voice.
Why Am I Losing My Voice? 11 Possible Causes Of Voice Loss
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Medically Reviewed by David Zelman, MD on November 27, 2022
- A Cold
- You Use Your Voice Too Much
- Smoking
- Allergies
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Trouble With Your Thyroid
- GERD
- Laryngitis
- Nodules, Polyps, and Cysts
- Nervous System Diseases
- Laryngeal Cancer
- More
Maybe you first notice something is wrong when your normally clear-as-a-bell voice gets a little bit husky. Pretty soon all that your friends can hear is a lot of croaking when you try to speak up. Too much singing in the shower, you wonder, or is something more serious to blame?
Check out these culprits that could explain why you’re hoarse.
When you speak, air passes through the voice box in your throat and hits the two bands called vocal cords. Your voice makes sounds when they vibrate.
A cold can throw a wrench into this smooth-running machine. Your throat gets inflamed and sore. Then your vocal cords swell, which affects the way they vibrate. The end result: You’re hoarse.
Rest your voice and drink plenty of fluids. Your volume will return when you recover.
Learn more ways to treat the common cold.
Each time you talk or sing, you use different muscles, including some in your mouth and throat. Just like other muscles in your body, overuse of the ones that help you speak can lead to fatigue, strain, and injury. The wrong technique can also bring on hoarseness.
Here are some common things that you may be doing wrong:
- Speak, sing, yell, or cough too much
- Use a pitch that’s higher or lower than normal when you talk
- Cradle your phone between your head and shoulder
Cigarette smoke irritates your vocal cords, which can lead to long-term voice problems. Studies show that former and current smokers are about three times more likely to have a voice disorder than people who never smoke.
Smoking can also raise your risk of developing a small, noncancerous growth called a polyp on your vocal cords. It can cause your voice to become low, breathy, and hoarse.
Find out how smoking can also affect your heart.
When you think about allergies, you probably think of a runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. But they can also take a toll on your voice in several ways:
- An allergic reaction can cause your vocal cords to swell.
- Postnasal drip — when mucus moves from your nose into your throat — can irritate your vocal cords.
- Coughing and clearing your throat can strain your vocal cords.
- Antihistamine drugs for allergies can dry out mucus in your throat. This may harm your vocal cords, which need moisture to work.
Learn ways you can allergy-proof your environment.
It’s an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints. About 1 in 3 people with RA get vocal problems, including a sore throat and loss of voice. That’s because the condition can affect tiny joints in your face and throat, which leads to problems with your breathing and the way your vocal cords work.
Read more about how RA can affect your body.
This butterfly-shaped gland in your lower neck pumps out a hormone that controls a number of functions in your body. When your thyroid doesn’t make enough of it, one symptom you might have is a hoarse voice.
If you have a goiter — when your thyroid gets larger — you may cough a lot and have problems with your speech. A growth on the thyroid, or a nodule, can also affect the way you speak.
Learn more about thyroid nodules.
It’s a condition that makes stomach acid wash back up into the esophagus, a tube that leads into your throat. The main symptom is heartburn, but GERD can also weaken your voice.
Stomach acid can irritate your vocal cords, throat, and esophagus. This leads to a hoarse voice, wheezing, and too much mucus in your throat.
Find out how GERD is diagnosed and treated.
It’s not a disease, but a catch-all word that means you’ve lost your voice. If it happens suddenly, it’s called “acute” laryngitis. You can get it from a cold or overusing your voice.
You can get long-term laryngitis if you breathe in something irritating, like smoke or chemical fumes. It also develops if you get yeast infections of the vocal cords, which can happen if you use asthma inhalers or have problems with your immune system, the body’s defense against germs.
Learn more about laryngitis symptoms.
Although experts aren’t sure why, non-cancerous growths can appear on your vocal cords. They believe that heavy overuse of the voice, such as too much yelling or speaking, can be a cause. There are three types:
Nodules. These callus-like formations usually grow in the middle of the vocal cord. They tend to go away if you give your voice enough rest.
Polyps. These typically appear on one side of the vocal cord. They have a variety of sizes and shapes. Unlike nodules, they often need to be removed surgically.
Cysts. They’re fluid-filled or semi-solid masses of tissue that grow near or beneath the surface of your vocal cord. If they make serious changes to your voice, your doctor will likely recommend surgery to remove them.
A condition that affects your nerves, like Parkinson’s disease, can affect the muscles in your face and throat. Nearly 90% of people with Parkinson’s get some form of a speech or voice disorder.
Parkinson’s causes the parts of the brain that control movement and coordination to decline. This may mean that you’re no longer able to control the muscles needed for speech.
Learn how doctors diagnose Parkinson’s disease.
Long-term hoarseness or voice loss may be a sign of throat cancer. Other symptoms for the disease are:
- Pain when swallowing
- Pain in the ear
- Trouble breathing
- Lump in the neck
Get more information on throat cancer diagnosis and treatment.
If your voice problems last for more than 2 weeks, see a doctor.
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Why Do We Lose Our Voices? | Hoarse Voice Causes
Vocal cord overuse
When yelling or speaking loudly, the vocal chords may become overused, causing one’s voice to become hoarse. This is called mechanical laryngitis, in other words the inflammation of the voice box.
You do not need medical treatment. Home remedies such as gargling with salt water and staying hydrated will likely be enough to restore a lost voice.
Rarity: Uncommon
Top Symptoms: sore throat, hoarse voice
Symptoms that never occur with vocal cord overuse: fever
Urgency: Self-treatment
Viral throat infection
A sore throat is most often caused by the same viruses that cause influenza and the common cold. The illness spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and then someone else inhales the airborne virus or touches a surface where it has landed.
Those most at risk for viral sore throat are children, smokers, those who work indoors with others, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
Symptoms include throat irritation; pain when swallowing or talking; red, swollen tonsils; fever; body aches; and cold-like symptoms of cough, sneezing, and runny nose.
If symptoms do not clear up within 24 hours – especially in children – a medical provider should be seen. A persistent sore throat can be a symptom of serious illness such as mononucleosis, measles, chickenpox, or croup.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination and throat swab.
Treatment involves rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers. Do not give aspirin to children. Antibiotics only work against bacteria and cannot help against a viral illness.
The best prevention is frequent and thorough handwashing.
Post-infectious cough
Post-infectious cough is a cough that begins with a cold or other upper respiratory infection, but does not clear up when the infection does. Instead, it lingers for three weeks or more and becomes chronic.
Most susceptible are smokers, because the irritation from the smoke provokes the cough. Other common causes are post-nasal drip, asthma, and some high blood pressure medications.
Symptoms include an irritating sensation in the throat that may provoke severe bouts of coughing. Some coughing is normal and is part of the body’s mechanism to clear the air passages and expel any foreign material, but such a cough should only be brief and intermittent.
A post-infectious cough can interfere with quality of life. A medical provider should be seen for help with the condition, both to ease the symptoms and to rule out a more serious cause for the coughing.
Diagnosis is made through patient history, physical examination, and chest x-ray, with the goal of ruling out different conditions one by one until the actual cause is found and can be treated.
Rarity: Uncommon
Top Symptoms: cough, congestion, clear runny nose, mucous dripping in the back of the throat, hoarse voice
Symptoms that always occur with post-infectious cough: cough
Symptoms that never occur with post-infectious cough: fever
Urgency: Phone call or in-person visit
Pharyngitis
A sore throat is most often caused by the same viruses that cause influenza and the common cold. The illness spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and then someone else inhales the airborne virus or touches a surface where it has landed.
Those most at risk for viral sore throat are children, smokers, those who work indoors with others, and anyone with a weakened immune system.
Symptoms include throat irritation; pain when swallowing or talking; red, swollen tonsils; fever; body aches; and cold-like symptoms of cough, sneezing, and runny nose.
If symptoms do not clear up within 24 hours – especially in children – a medical provider should be seen. A persistent sore throat can be a symptom of serious illness such as mononucleosis, measles, chickenpox, or croup.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination and throat swab.
Treatment involves rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain relievers. Do not give aspirin to children. Antibiotics only work against bacteria and cannot help against a viral illness.
The best prevention is frequent and thorough handwashing.
Obstructive sleep apnea
Sleep apnea means “sleeping without breathing.” It means the person briefly stops breathing during sleep and then abruptly wakes up due to lack of oxygen.
In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway becomes relaxed and collapses during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the part of the brain which controls breathing may fail to send out signals during sleep. In both cases, breathing is cut off and the patient is forced to wake up – sometimes hundreds of times per night.
Older, overweight people are most susceptible, as is anyone with enlarged tonsils.
Symptoms include loud snoring; constant rousing during sleep; and constant daytime sleepiness.
Ongoing sleep apnea leads to very poor sleep quality with little REM sleep. This is very stressful and can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart arrhythmias. The daytime drowsiness can lead to car accidents.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination and a sleep study.
Treatment consists of lifestyle changes and usually a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which allows the patient to experience much better sleep almost immediately.
Lung cancer (non-small cell)
Non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, is a general term that covers most types of lung cancer including adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. “Non-small cell” describes the appearance of the cancer cells, not the affected lung cells.
The cause of any kind of cancer is not known for certain. Non-small cell lung cancers are associated with smoking and with exposure to radon, asbestos, and some chemicals. Genetics may be a factor.
Symptoms include persistent cough, especially with traces of blood or chest pain; hoarseness; shortness of breath; fatigue; and recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia.
If any of these symptoms are present, the patient should be seen by a medical provider. As with any form of cancer, early diagnosis gives the best chance of successful treatment.
Diagnosis is made through imaging, such as chest x-ray, ultrasound, or MRI; biopsy; and/or lab tests made on lung secretions (sputum.)
Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy. Palliative care is always done to ease symptoms and help keep the patient comfortable.
Rarity: Rare
Top Symptoms: cardinal symptoms of lung cancer like chest pain or changes in breathing, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism, or “underactive thyroid,” means that the thyroid gland in the neck does not produce enough of its hormones. This causes a slowing of the body’s metabolism.
The condition can occur due to autoimmune disease; any surgery or radiation treatment to the thyroid gland; some medications; pregnancy; or consuming too much or too little iodine. It is often found among older women with a family history of the disease.
Common symptoms include fatigue, constantly feeling cold, weight gain, slow heart rate, and depression. If left untreated, these and other symptoms can worsen until they lead to very low blood pressure and body temperature, and even coma.
Diagnosis is made through a simple blood test.
Hypothyroidism is easily managed with daily oral medication. The patient usually starts feeling better after a couple of weeks and may even lose some extra weight. It’s important for the patient to be monitored by a doctor and have routine blood testing so that the medication can be kept at the correct levels.
Rarity: Rare
Top Symptoms: fatigue, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, muscle aches
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Common cold
The common cold is a contagious viral infection that can cause cough, congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. Most adults catch two to three colds per year, and kids can get more than eight colds each year.
Rest and drink plenty of fluids. Colds are contagious and can easily spread to other people, so if possible, avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands. Colds typically resolve within 7 to 10 days.
Acid reflux disease (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is also called GERD, acid reflux disease, and heartburn. It is caused by a weakening in the muscle at the end of esophagus. This allows stomach acid to flow backward, or reflux, up into the esophagus.
Risks factors for GERD include obesity, smoking, diabetes, hiatal hernia, and pregnancy.
Symptoms include a painful burning sensation in the chest and throat, and sometimes difficulty swallowing.
If heartburn occurs more than twice a week, a doctor should be consulted. If symptoms are accompanied by jaw or arm pain, and/or shortness of breath, these may be signs of a heart attack and constitute a medical emergency.
Repeated exposure to stomach acid damages the lining of the esophagus, causing bleeding, pain, and scar tissue.
Diagnosis is made by patient history and sometimes by x-ray, upper endoscopy, or other tests to measure refluxed acid.
Treatment begins with over-the-counter antacids and lifestyle changes. Medication may be used to reduce stomach acid, and surgery may be done to strengthen the sphincter muscle at the lower end of the esophagus.
- Do you currently smoke?
- Do you have a sore throat?
- Do you have a cough?
- Any fever today or during the last week?
Self-diagnose with our free Buoy Assistant if you answer yes on any of these questions.
Everyone can lose their voice | Federal network “Clinic Ritm”
Any person may experience hoarseness, hoarseness, or even loss of voice. But most often, those people for whom the voice is a working tool suffer from overstrain of the vocal cords. Phoniatrist Svetlana Semyonovna Danzhaeva spoke about the reasons for the loss of her voice.
Why voice is lost
There are a lot of reasons for voice loss, first of all, these are the consequences of colds of viral, bacterial and fungal etiology. Most often, the voice changes during acute pharyngitis or laryngitis. Among other reasons, this is a prolonged voice load, for example, the voice may be hoarse, hoarse or lost if a person speaks for a long time or shouts loudly. Injuries, allergies, thyroid disease, swelling of the vocal folds, long-term smoking (more than 5 years), diseases of the gastrointestinal tract can also cause loss of voice.
At risk are people whose work is connected with voice loads, first of all, these are singers, lecturers, announcers, teachers, educators, event hosts. If a person can withstand the vocal load for more than four hours without discomfort, then we can say that everything is in order with the vocal cords.
You need to contact a phoniatrist if you periodically lose your voice, you need to clear your throat before you say something, or you cannot withstand the voice load for more than 4 hours. Before visiting the doctor, you need to be more silent. If necessary, speak in a low, chesty, quiet voice. You should not drink hot, cold, sour drinks and eat honey, it dries the mucous membrane of the throat and provokes perspiration.
Treatment depends on the cause
During the examination, the phoniatrist examines not only the vocal folds, but also conducts a complete examination of the ears, throat and nose, since the ENT organs are closely related. So, there can be no strong voice without good nasal breathing. Inspection is carried out on a modern lor-combine. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe an X-ray and MRI examination.
Treatment depends on the results of the examination. But in all cases, the patient must observe vocal rest and voice hygiene. If the cause is colds, then the treatment is medication. If there are more serious problems, such as nodules on the ligaments, hemorrhages on the vocal folds, then the treatment will be more serious and lengthy.
Prevention will help preserve your voice
First of all, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, observe voice hygiene, and calculate voice loads. Do not shout or often whisper, you need to talk in an even, calm voice. In the season of colds, it is better to reduce the load on the vocal cords.
If you want your voice to become beautiful, sonorous, a few tips will help you achieve your goal. First, you need to watch your posture. With an even posture, the respiratory organs are located correctly, which allows the voice to be light and free.
Pay attention to the fact that the sound should come out of the chest. To test this, put your hand on your chest and say something, if it vibrates, you are on the right track.
Reading poems aloud will help diversify speech with intonations. Each time you reread a verse, try to fill it with new intonations. And, of course, choose exercises for your voice and do them regularly.
what can and cannot be done to restore it
- Which organs are involved in the formation of the voice
- Causes of loss of voice
- What else can cause loss of voice
- If the singer lost his voice
- How diagnostics work
- How to restore voice
- What methods will help alleviate the condition and return the voice
- What is forbidden to do
Image by user18526052 on Freepik
For some, a temporary loss of voice is a nuisance, for others it is a real disaster. Violation can be expressed by changes in the properties of the voice (hoarseness, hoarseness, lowering the timbre). This state is called dysphonia . Loss of voice, in which it is almost impossible to speak, is called aphonia . What causes the voice to disappear, and what to do if this happens?
Which organs are involved in the formation of the voice
The voice is produced by the vocal cords and laryngeal muscles: the ligaments vibrate under the influence of an air stream, forming a sound impulse. The sound produced by the ligaments resonates in the trachea, bronchi and sinuses.
The oral cavity, tongue, facial muscles are responsible for the articulation and distinctness of speech: if the articulatory apparatus is poorly developed, the voice will sound weak and slurred.
Damage or abnormalities in the physiology of any of these areas can lead to voice loss. The onset of pathological changes may be indicated by pain, sensation of a foreign object, sore throat.
Reasons for losing voice
Most often, the voice disappears as a result of a neglected respiratory disease. Laryngitis, tracheitis, pharyngitis often lead to mild disorders. If the disease is severe, aphonia may occur.
Loss of voice in this case is hypotonic or hypertonic in nature:
- with hypotonicity of the ligaments, the voice becomes weak, there is pain in the neck and neck;
- with hypertonicity, the ligaments spasmodically close, the voice coarsens, is severely distorted or completely disappears.
Organic disorders that occur due to chronic inflammation or anatomical changes in the structure of the vocal apparatus can also cause aphonia. These include paresis of the larynx, paralysis, anartria, dysarthria. For people with similar pathologies, a hoarse and hoarse voice is characteristic.
If there are no pathologies, then the loss of voice is most likely due to functional disorders. The dysfunction may be central or peripheral.
Often the reason lies in psychosomatics. This is called psychogenic aphonia. It can be recognized by one feature: uncontrolled sounds (laughter, coughing) appear normally, but a person cannot reproduce normal speech. This condition is typical for people with a hysterical psychotype of personality.
Why Peripheral Disorders Occur:
- respiratory diseases;
- failure of the endocrine system;
- features of mental reactions
- increased load on the ligaments.
Phonasthenia – weak closure of the ligaments – occurs due to an increased load on the vocal apparatus. With a mild form, a person cannot control the timbre, pitch or strength of the voice, with an acute one, the voice disappears.
This condition is typical for vocalists, speakers, teachers – those who use their voice a lot and often to speak in public.
Very often, phonasthenia is the result of incorrect voice setting or its absence. Therefore, people for whom the voice is a working tool should not neglect vocal lessons or speech techniques.
With functional and organic disorders, similar symptoms are observed: thickening and inflammation of the vocal cords, partial or complete loss of voice. This complicates the diagnosis and prolongs the treatment period.
What else can cause loss of voice
- Overload. Tears, hysteria, screaming lead to torn ligaments. For this reason, the voice is temporarily lost. Usually the condition goes away on its own.
- Inflammation of the larynx. Due to untreated infections, inflammation spreads to the vocal apparatus.
- Nodules on the vocal cords . They arise due to professional reasons (wrong voice setting), tears due to coughing.
- Epiglottitis . A viral disease that causes inflammation of the vocal cords and epiglottis.
- Papillomatosis. Benign tumors on the walls of the larynx. The disease is rare and is treated surgically.
- Cyst. Appears against the background of a cough or inflammation due to blockage of the glands. Pathology is characterized by a sensation of a foreign object in the throat. At first the voice becomes hoarse, then completely disappears.
If the singer lost his voice
Aphonia becomes the biggest problem for vocalists and speakers, whose activities are directly related to the voice. Many singers experience this condition due to the wrong way of vocalizing.
Proper vocal technique involves sound extraction, which is based on breathing and resonating the voice. In this case, the ligaments are practically not involved. Wrong technique, its absence is dangerous for the vocalist by increased load on the vocal apparatus. While singing, the singer strengthens the voice by compressing the muscles of the larynx, increasing pressure on the ligaments. Over time, nodules and seals form on them. This leads to a partial or complete loss of voice, and sometimes it is impossible to restore it without the help of a doctor.
What rules do vocalists follow to preserve their voices:
- do not sing in the morning, as the vocal apparatus “wakes up” only at lunchtime, and in the morning it is contraindicated to exercise;
- do not load the ligaments in case of respiratory or infectious diseases;
- do breathing exercises, which relieve spasms not only from the vocal apparatus, but also from other functional systems of the body;
- do not overcool, so as not to provoke clamping of the larynx;
- get enough sleep: when overtired, the ligaments are at increased risk.
The voice is a fragile instrument, so it is important to pay attention to any changes in it and reduce the load on the vocal cords if necessary.
Diagnostics
If you lose your voice, you should contact a therapist for an initial examination. After collecting an anamnesis and conducting an examination, he will redirect to a specialized specialist: a phoniatrist, an otolaryngologist, a speech therapist or a neurologist.
The following are used for testing:
- examination of the larynx for inflammation or physiological abnormalities;
- electromyography to check the muscular functions of the larynx;
- laryngastroboscopy – examination of the larynx and ligaments using an electronic stroboscope allows you to assess their mobility, the nature of the oscillations;
- MSCT, x-ray – are prescribed for suspected neoplasms in the larynx;
- glottography – study of phonation of the larynx during muscle contractions;
- speech therapy examination – analysis of sound parameters of voice, breathing, history taking.
How to restore voice
In the issue of voice restoration, competent and complete diagnosis is important, since depending on the cause of the violation, different methods of treatment are required.
In case of functional disorders, it is prescribed:
- general strengthening and restoration of the body;
- manual therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- LFK.