{"id":1001,"date":"2022-01-12T00:26:28","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T00:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stcloudent.fm1.dev\/your-speech-language-pathology-specialist\/voice-disorders\/"},"modified":"2023-04-26T17:53:55","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T23:53:55","slug":"voice-disorders","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/speech-language-pathology\/voice-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"Voice Disorders (Dysphonia)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"How does your voice work?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"The vocal folds, groups of muscle tissue in the larynx, are normally open to allow breathing. When you speak they close, while air from the lungs makes them vibrate. This produces sound. The size and shape of the vocal folds and surrounding cavities (throat, mouth and nose) help determine the pitch, volume and tone of your voice. This is what makes it unique. When illness or disease affects your voice, it can change the pitch, volume and quality of sound. \"\n    }\n  }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What are the symptoms of a voice disorder?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Symptoms of a voice disorder include a hoarse, raspy or weak voice; decreased range in pitch, volume and projection; vocal fatigue; shortness of breath; coughing; sore throat; chronic throat clearing; and voice loss. If these symptoms last longer than two weeks, seek the attention of a doctor. An otolaryngologist is the most qualified medical professional for diagnosing voice problems.\"\n    }\n  }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What are common voice disorders?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"The majority of voice disorders are related to conditions that can be treated. They rarely indicate a serious health problem, and are usually curable.\nOne of the most common voice problems is vocal cord abuse. This occurs when you use your voice improperly; shouting, whispering, and frequent throat clearing cause strain and fatigue of the vocal cords. Continued abuse can lead to permanent voice damage and a number of serious medical issues such as laryngitis, polyps, cysts and vocal fold swelling. \"\n    }\n }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"How do you keep your voice healthy?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"The key to good voice health is prevention. Make sure to use your voice properly; avoid straining the vocal folds through improper pitch and volume, and keep them moist by drinking lots of water, especially when speaking. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, as these can dry out the throat. A humidifier is a great way to prevent dry air. If you are experiencing vocal strain, it\u2019s crucial to rest your voice in order to avoid permanent damage.\"\n }\n   }\n ]\n  }\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Keeping your voice healthy will ensure you can communicate properly, and for some people who rely on it to earn a living\u2014singers, teachers and lawyers, for instance\u2014good voice health is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These same individuals tend to put more strain on their vocal folds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even those whose professions don\u2019t require constant speaking still suffer when experiencing voice-related health issues. An estimated&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nidcd.nih.gov\/health\/statistics\/statistics-voice-speech-and-language\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7.5 million people<\/a>&nbsp;experience voice disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding How the Voice Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/voice-disorders-evaluation-1536x542.jpeg\" alt=\"Doctor discussing voice disorders with patient.\" class=\"wp-image-1009\" title=\"voice-disorders-evaluation\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/voice-disorders-evaluation-1536x542.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/voice-disorders-evaluation-768x271.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/voice-disorders-evaluation-256x90.jpeg 256w, https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/voice-disorders-evaluation.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The vocal folds, groups of muscle tissue in the larynx, are normally open to allow breathing. When you speak, they close, while air from the lungs makes them vibrate; this produces sound. The size and shape of the vocal folds and surrounding cavities (throat, mouth and nose) help determine your voice\u2019s pitch, volume and tone; this is what makes it unique. When illness or disease affects your voice, it can change the pitch, volume and sound quality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Symptoms of a voice disorder include a hoarse, raspy or weak voice; decreased range in pitch, volume and projection; vocal fatigue; shortness of breath; coughing;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/ent\/sore-throat\/\">sore throat<\/a>; chronic throat clearing and voice loss. If these symptoms last longer than two weeks, seek the attention of a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Voice Problems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The majority of voice disorders are related to conditions that can be treated. They rarely indicate a serious health problem and are usually curable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most common voice problems is caused by misuse or overuse of your voice. These behaviors may include shouting, whispering and frequent throat clearing, which can cause strain and fatigue of the vocal folds as well as the surrounding muscles of the throat. Continued misuse may lead to permanent voice damage or other medical issues such as laryngitis, polyps, cysts and vocal fold swelling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other conditions that can affect the voice include upper respiratory infections, acid reflux, tobacco smoke, hormones, neurological diseases and tumors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keeping Your Voice Healthy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The key to good voice health is prevention. Make sure to use your voice properly; avoid straining the vocal folds through improper pitch or volume, and keep them well hydrated by drinking lots of water, especially when speaking. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake, as these can dry out the throat. A humidifier is a great way to prevent dry air and add more moisture to the air you are breathing. If you are experiencing vocal strain, it can be important to rest your voiceto avoid further injury.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some voice disorders may be treated with medications, such as those caused by acid reflux or other viral or bacterial infections. Other causes of voice disorders may require surgery to remove polyps, cysts or other lesions and to obtain biopsies if necessary to rule out cancer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><p class=\"content-cta\">\r\n<span>Call St. Cloud Ear, Nose &#038; Throat for more information or to schedule an appointment.<\/span>\r\n<a href=\"tel:+13202520233\" class=\"phone \"><span class=\"phone-number\">(320) 252-0233<\/span><\/a>\r\n<svg class=\"content-cta-accent\" width=\"742\" height=\"74\" viewBox=\"0 0 742 74\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path opacity=\"0.5\" d=\"M1 28C1 28 88.2316 51.1442 313.093 62.5852C537.955 74.0261 741 72.9747 741 72.9747\" stroke=\"white\"\/>\n<path opacity=\"0.5\" d=\"M1 1C1 1 88.2316 35.4592 313.093 52.4935C537.955 69.5277 741 67.9623 741 67.9623\" stroke=\"white\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n\r\n<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keeping your voice healthy will ensure you can communicate properly, and for some people who rely on it to earn a living\u2014singers, teachers and lawyers, for instance\u2014good voice health is essential. These same individuals tend to put more strain on their vocal folds. Even those whose professions don\u2019t require constant speaking still suffer when experiencing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":990,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"[phone format=&quot;&lt;phone&gt;&quot;] | Learning how to keep your voice healthy will ensure years of quality communication. We&#039;d love to know how we can help you, give us a call.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"service_tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1001"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1001\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"service_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stcloudent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/service_tags?post=1001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}