Voice Flashcards
voice disorder
when quality, pitch, loudness or flexibility differs from the
voice of others of similar age, sex & cultural group
dysphonia
abnormal voice quality
aphonia
lack of voice
professions associated with voice problems
- teachers
- uni students
- student teachers
- call centre operators
- singers
- elderly/nursing home
- drill sergeants
- tour guides
- priests
causes of organic voice disorders
- Congenital or acquired
- Infection
- Trauma
- Reflux
- Other irritant
reinke’s oedema
Cause: Smoking
Feature: abnormal fluid accumulation = swelling and thickening of VCs
Treatment: Smoking cessation
Voice: Rough, may have stridor
vocal cysts
Cause: May be trauma, or spontaneously develop. Could be a fluid-filled sac or
plugged mucous-secreting gland. Note – cysts are submucosal and may only be seen
on stroboscopy.
Treatment: Usually needs surgery and then SLT
Voice: Rough.
vocal polyps
Cause: Trauma or environmental (e.g. irritants)
Features: growths on VCs
Treatment: SLT may help, but may not cure. If incurable, then needs surgery to remove
Voice: Rough, probably strained
how are voice disorders charactericed visually?
endoscopy or videostroboscopy
laryngopharyngeal reflux
- Cause: Dietary – pepsin (enzyme) adheres to larynx, activates in the presence of acid
- Treatment: Gaviscon Advance / PPIs BD
- Voice: Cuts in and out, may be rough
are men or women more likely to have voice disorders?
women
is socio-economic status related to voice disorders?
no
are girls or boys more likely to have voice disorders?
boys
family affect on voice problems in children?
having an older sibling = more likely
how does mental health affect voice?
stressful life events and psychological problems predispose to voice problems
- usually contributory factors to psychogenic voice disorders
characteristics of dysphonia
hoarse, breathy, weak, rough, croaky, high/low, strained
voice characteristics
pitch, loudness, tremor, flexibility, stamina, quality
vocal tract discomfort characteristics
Fatigue Aching
Burning Pain
Tickling Mucous
Dryness Difficulty catching breath
Irritability Tightness
Lump in the throat (globus sensation) Pushing to get voice out
posture is important for…
voice production
post-nasal drip
Cause: Nasal irritation. May be environmental (e.g. pollen), idiopathic or secondary to LPR
Treatment: Sinus rinsing +/- steroidal sprays
Voice: May cut in and out, variable quality. Strained or rough if coughing a lot
laryngeal web
Cause: Congenital. Generally only seen in paeds.
Treatment: Surgical. Note – causes airway patency issues
Voice: May be rough/strained, breathing may be stridorous, resonance may be ‘off’
sulcus vocalis
Cause: Unknown, but possible congenital or through repeated inflammatory processes
Features: groove on vocal fold
Treatment: Surgical
Voice: Breathy and possibly rough with likely higher-than-normal habitual pitch
neurogenic voice disorders characteristics depend on…
location of nerve lesion
Central lesions tend to involve other symptoms
Peripheral lesions tend to involve just the voice
cause of neurogenic voice disorders
Acquired neurological diseases (e.g. MND, IPD, MS)
Trauma to the head/neck/throat
Post-infective (usually respiratory tract infection)
Iatrogenic (i.e. caused by the doctor: heart/lung/throat surgery)
