At Cape Fear Valley Health, we’re committed to helping determine the underlying cause if you experience prolonged voice changes. Regain control of your health with one of our ear, nose and throat specialists.
Change in Voice Symptoms
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Types of Change in Voice
Experiencing vocal difficulties can be tough, especially when you’re unsure what’s causing it. There are several medical conditions that could be the culprit, as listed below. Seek an evaluation with one of our ear, nose and throat specialists to help determine the underlying cause. Remember, you don’t have to suffer in silence – help is available.
Acute Laryngitis
Hoarseness and sudden voice loss are often caused by acute laryngitis, which is triggered by a viral infection. Resting your voice and drinking plenty of fluids can help alleviate symptoms.
Chronic Laryngitis
Chronic laryngitis can be caused by acid reflux, irritants like smoke, or low-grade infections such as yeast infections of the vocal cords in those who use asthma inhalers.
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD)
Stomach acid flowing into the throat can cause hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, a lump feeling in the throat, or throat pain due to acid irritation.
Voice misuse and overuse
Misusing your voice can lead to vocal difficulties. This includes speaking loudly or for too long, using an improper pitch, speaking in noisy environments, excessive cell phone usage, and not using amplification when speaking publicly.
Benign vocal cord lesions
Vocal cord growths like nodules, polyps, and cysts are caused by voice misuse or overuse, resulting in hoarseness. • Vocal nodules are treatable with voice therapy and can lead to improvement in most cases. • Polyps and cysts can form from voice misuse and overuse, requiring microsurgery or a combination of therapy and surgery to treat.