When talking is a problem

Vocalization is when noise is produced as air from the lungs is forced through the vocal cords in the larynx, or voice box. The sound is then manipulated by our tongue, soft palate and lips to produce recognizable speech to allow for communication. Abnormal speech can be due to many variables including abusing or using the voice incorrectly, infection, trauma or tumors of the structures that produce voice. Symptoms of conditions affecting voice include hoarseness, breathlessness, coughing, pain, enlarged lymph nodes, changes in the quality of sound being produced and the production of blood or mucus. These symptoms can be caused by diseases including laryngeal muscle paralysis (hoarseness), infections such as laryngitis, vocal cord polyps, cysts or nodules, smoking, allergies, and cancer. Reflux of stomach acid can also directly irritate the voice box with symptoms being worse in the morning. Laryngeal muscle paralysis is caused by damage to nerves and is due to injury, neck surgery including thyroid operations, neuronitis, and cancer including laryngeal cancer. Treatment is through an Ear Nose and Throat specialist or speech therapist. Occasionally surgery will be recommended after assessment, and retraining of speech might be offered. The best prevention of voice problems is to avoid smoking, yelling, talking loudly, clearing the throat and to drink lots of water and rest the voice as needed.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by The Hindu

Related Disease Topics:

• Infection
• Trauma
• Tumors
• Laryngeal muscle paralysis
• Laryngitis
• Vocal cord polyps
• Vocal cord cysts
• Vocal cord nodules
• Allergies
• Cancer
• Reflux
• Injury
• Neuronitis
• Laryngeal cancer

Related Symptom Topics:

• Vocalization
• Speech
• Abnormal speech
• Hoarseness
• Breathlessness
• Coughing
• Pain
• Enlarged lymph nodes

Article Source Details

About: When talking is a problem

Date: 3 July 2005

Source: The Hindu

Author: Dr P.S.N. Murthy

URL: http://www.hindu.com/mag/2005/07/03/stories/2005070300210700.htm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Surgery
• Surgery and vocal cord paralysis
• Surgery and laryngeal muscle paralysis
• Surgery and thyroid
• Surgery and voice box
• Surgery and neck
• Surgery and nerve damage
• Surgery and tumor
• Surgery and vocal cord polyps
• Surgery and vocal cord nodules
• Surgery and vocal cord cysts
• Surgery and laryngeal cancer
• Cause of loss of voice
• Cause of poor voice
• Cause of hoarseness
• Cause of vocalization
• Cause of speech
• Cause of abnormal speech
• Cause of hoarseness
• Cause of breathlessness
• Cause of coughing
• Cause of throat pain
• Cause of neck pain
• Cause of head pain
• Cause of enlarged lymph nodes
• Cause of laryngeal muscle paralysis
• Cause of vocal cord paralysis
• Cause of vocal cord polyps
• Cause of vocal cord cysts
• Cause of vocal cord nodules
• Risk and smoking
• Risk and throat infection
• Risk and sore throat
• Risk and coughing
• Risk and hoarseness
• Risk and neck pain
• Risk and enlarged lymph nodes
• Diagnosis and vocalization
• Diagnosis and speech
• Diagnosis and abnormal speech
• Diagnosis and hoarseness
• Diagnosis and breathlessness
• Coughing
• Diagnosis and pain
• Diagnosis and enlarged lymph nodes
• Infection
• Diagnosis and trauma
• Diagnosis and tumors
• Diagnosis and laryngeal muscle paralysis
• Diagnosis and laryngitis
• Diagnosis and vocal cord polyps
• Diagnosis and vocal cord cysts
• Diagnosis and vocal cord nodules
• Diagnosis and allergies
• Diagnosis and cancer
• Diagnosis and reflux
• Diagnosis and injury
• Diagnosis and neuronitis
• Diagnosis and laryngeal cancer
• Diagnosis and sore throat

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