Hoarseness is perhaps the most frequent problem affecting the voice, a group of conditions medically known as dysphonia. People of any age can be affected by dysphonia, and while most cases resolve by resting the voice and hydrating, chronic hoarseness, lasting more than a month, can require medical intervention.
The staff at Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates, in Lawrence and Ottawa, Kansas, includes both ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists and speech therapists, making us an ideal one-stop provider for dysphonia diagnosis and treatment for patients both young and old.
Dysphonia is a blanket term for voice disorders that result in hoarseness, as well as a descriptor for some specific illnesses, like muscle-tension and spasmodic dysphonia. Some of the many causes of hoarseness include:
Hoarseness is rarely connected with serious disorders. When you suffer laryngitis as a symptom of a respiratory illness, voice problems tend to clear up with the illness itself with no special care other than resting your voice.
When hoarseness lasts longer than a few weeks, it’s time to seek treatment, regardless of the age of the patient. We start all dysphonia patients off with conservative treatments, including rest or medications to treat the underlying cause, such as allergy medication to reduce mucus production or treatments for GERD.
Voice therapy is usually the next step. Our speech pathologists help you or your child to use the voice better from a physical standpoint. This could include strategies like reviewing how much liquid to drink, how to clear your throat, and vocal exercises that strengthen the vocal cords or ease conditions that cause vocal cord trauma.
Vocal cord injections are used for both young and old patients, though some injected substances may not be suitable for children. These are typically used for hoarseness caused by weak or paralyzed vocal cords.
When hoarseness results from growths on the vocal cords, removal is often the preferred treatment. Minimally invasive procedures focus on the removal of growths like cysts, nodules, and polyps, leaving as much healthy tissue intact for quick recovery. Voice therapy can also help by minimizing the impact of speech on the healing of vocal cord lesions.
Contact Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates at the first signs of lingering hoarseness in any member of your household. Book your visit at our nearest office by phone or online today.
