VOICE IMPAIRMENT & UPPER AIRWAY DISORDERS

What is a voice/upper airway disorder?

Symptoms may include:

·      Hoarseness

·      Abnormal pitch

·      Abnormal loudness or volume

·      Loss of voice

·      Weak voice

·      Difficulty projecting voice or Inability to be heard by others

·      Vocal tremor

·      Vocal fatigue

·      Voice that doesn’t match your gender identity

·      Increased vocal effort

·      Running out of breath during speaking

·      Tension in the throat related to speaking

·      Difficulty breathing due to airway closure following a trigger

·      Chronic cough

Voice / Upper Airway disorders may be caused by:

·      Vocal nodules, polyps, cysts

·      Laryngeal dystonia (Spasmodic Dysphonia) and/or vocal tremor

·      Muscle tension dysphonia

·      Inducible laryngeal obstruction (aka Vocal Cord Dysfunction or Paradoxical Vocal Fold Motion)

·      Aging voice (Presbyphonia)

·      Vocal cord paralysis or paresis

·      Head / Neck cancer and associated treatment

·      Chronic cough

·      Reflux

·      Trauma to the throat or vocal folds

·      Intubation

·      Neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke

·      Laryngectomy due to cancer treatment

SWALLOWING IMPAIRMENT

What is Swallowing Impairment (Dysphagia)?

Symptoms may include:

·      Feeling of food “sticking” or caught in the throat

·      Extra effort to swallow

·      Liquids going “down the wrong pipe”

·      Food or liquid remaining in the mouth despite swallowing

·      Food and/or liquid entering the nasal cavity

·      Coughing during or right after eating

·      Difficulty coordinating breathing and swallowing

·      Recurring aspiration pneumonia related to swallowing

·      Avoidance of certain foods or liquids

·      Weight loss or dehydration

·      Pain when swallowing

·      Drooling

Swallowing Impairment may be caused by:

·      Movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or ALS

·      Neurologic disorders such as stroke

·      Problems affecting the head or neck, such as cancer, chemoradiation, head/neck surgery, trauma, pulmonary disease or intubation

·      Infectious diseases such as Covid-19, sepsis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

·      Laryngectomy