Vocal cord dysphonia
Vocal cord dysphonia is a problem caused by misuse of the voice , often due to lack of skills and vocal education . Other causes such as infections, or oncological pathologies can lead to the vocal cords being altered and producing what is called vocal cord disorder , better known as dysphonia or alteration of the voice . The specialist in charge of treating these vocal cord problems is the Otolaryngologist . Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
Symptoms of dysphonia
The clearest symptoms that indicate dysphonia are hoarseness, constant throat clearing, roughness in the throat , uncontrolled tone of voice, pain during vocal use, etc.
Swollen vocal cords
The vocal cords tend to become inflamed when laryngitis is suffered , an inflammation of the larynx caused by abuse of the voice , irritation or an infection . The inflammation of the vocal cords produces a distortion in the sounds that pass through them . In these cases the voice may sound hoarse (hoarseness) or completely void due to acute aphonia .
How to treat aphonia?
There are people who are professionally dedicated to the voice , such as singers , and who, when suffering from severe aphonia, have no choice but to go to chemistry and inject themselves with cortisone . From here we consider that it is better to take care of the vocal cords and in the case of being hoarse, try to combat aphonia with natural remedies.
The gargle of warm water and lemon improve the state of the vocal cords . The ingestion of tea with lemon and ginger are natural antidotes that help to recover the voice . Ginger tea with anise and honey is very useful . The infusions of erísimo, the singer’s wort and infusion Clear Voice Yogi Tea or infusions of plantain usually help overcome mild hoarseness, also thyme gives good results . Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
General rules for the care of the vocal cords
We must take care of the vocal cords to keep them in perfect condition. This makes us have to follow a series of tips:
- Go to the specialist when the voice disorder lasts more than two weeks or recurs frequently.
- It is important to maintain a daily rest period (between 8-10 hours). Do not speak beyond our possibilities, that is, do not exceed the capacity of hours to speak (each person has a resistance when speaking).
- Minimize individual risk factors such as poor voice-use habits (seek training in voice-use techniques), tobacco, alcohol, etc.
- Avoid aggravating factors in workplaces related to environmental conditions, temperature, humidity, air quality , noise pollution, number of hours of work, etc.
- Avoid speaking with ambient noise, as it forces you to do so at a high volume.
- Avoid toxics: tobacco and
- Avoid very cold or very hot foods.
- Drink enough water to keep the vocal cords hydrated (1.5-2 liters daily)
- Avoid throat clearing (“hawk”) and continuous coughing. One of the most common causes of throat clearing and coughing is thick mucus adhering to the cords (usually occurs in the morning in cases of reflux). The safest and most efficient way to clear your throat is to use a productive cough with high airflow with little sound. This can be accomplished by breathing as deeply as possible, holding the breath for a moment, and producing a quiet, forced “A” as the air is exhaled.
- Get enough sleep, something especially important in singers, since the voice is very sensitive to lack of sleep. Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
- Practice deep breathing, learn to use your voice with the least effort and tension possible. Taking small respiratory pauses during speech and maintaining a smooth phonation helps to maintain an optimal voice.
How long does aphonia last? Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
If the hoarseness of the voice is caused by a cold or irritation , the hoarseness does not usually last more than a week . There are some injuries of the vocal cords that can cause hoarseness is chronic or persistent . In these cases it is necessary to go to the Otorrino doctor .
When laryngitis has a short duration, it is acute laryngitis . If it lasts up to three weeks, it is chronic laryngitis . The symptoms of laryngitis persist for about 12 days, being caused by infection by a virus , cold , bronchitis or sinusitis .
More than two weeks of aphonia is not normal . In this case, it is advisable to go to a medical consultation to determine that it is not a more serious problem. Hoarseness that persists may be a sign of a more serious undiagnosed illness. Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
According to Dr. José Ramón Secades, head of the ENT service at the Son Llàtzer Hospital in Palma , the case of laryngeal cancer is usually accompanied by aphonia , “what is known as hoarse voice ” so “you have to be careful the aphonia of more than 15 days and the lump of the neck »
Vocal cord nodules and polyps Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
Vocal cord nodules are benign growths on both vocal cords and are caused by overuse of the voice . Polyps in the vocal cords can be of different forms and in some cases they are caused by using the voice badly . To know the difference between nodules and polyps , we can say that a nodule is like a callus on the vocal cords and a polyp is like a blister .
Vocal cord hemorrhage
It is usually a relatively common diagnosis in singers and is bleeding in the vocal cords . It is a medical emergency that comes from a sudden change of voice due to having abused it. The bleeding vocal cords is caused by a fonotrauma after the sudden shock of the vocal cords repeatedly. The treatment will require vocal rest up to four weeks and subsequent rehabilitation . In the event of persistent bruising , surgery may be necessary .
Vocal cord care
- Rest your voice and do not force it if you notice a minimum of hoarseness
- Wrap up your nose, mouth, and throat
- Make mist with water and eucalyptus that decongests and cleans the throat and nasal passages
- Make gargles with water tempered with and some lemon
- Baby a broth of boiled onions mixed with the juice of half a lemon
- Take some chamomile infusions as it has anti-inflammatory powers.
Vocal cord size
The size of the vocal cords depends on different factors: sex, height, body mass and age of the person. An adult male has vocal cords between 17.5 mm and 25 mm, while an adult female’s vocal cords are between 12 and 17.5 mm in length. Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
Types of voices by the vocal cords Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
The types of voices are differentiated into three types or sets , also voice registers and / or categories , which are divided into two sections or sexual classification : men’s voices and women’s voices .
The enumeration of the three types of voices that exist, would be on the one hand the voice of a woman , then the voice of a man and then the voice of children .
Depending on the morphology of the vocal cords , there are clear voices and dark voices , depending on whether they are high voices or low voices . Also voices by volume , small voices or large voices . Then we find the intensity or thickness of the voices and voices that have brightness or the opposite; the disheveled voices . All of this revolves around the natural overtones of the voice modulation . Vocal cord dysphonia treatment
