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Losing your voice can make you feel like you’ve lost a part of your identity. After all, speech is one of many ways that individuals connect and share ideas. Outside of normal overuse and illness, there’s one condition that can limit your ability to talk or sing: spasmodic dysphonia.
Your throat contains a hollow area known as the larynx, which contains your vocal cords. The vocal cords are responsible for creating sound and speech by vibrating from the air passing from the lungs through the throat. However, when the larynx spasms, it can interrupt these sounds and strain your voice. This neurological voice disturbance is known as spasmodic dysphonia, and it appears in three versions:
Spasmodic dysphonia is predominantly characterized by breaks during speech, often mid-sentence. The voice may be hoarse or strained, and others may have difficulty speaking overall.
Dr. Terri Gerlach, a CEENTA voice and swallowing specialist who practices out of our SouthPark office, explains how this disorder can impact daily and special routines of patients. “This voice disorder can be devastating to patients as they find it very difficult to be understood in most normal speaking situations that we encounter. These patients find it most difficult to be understood on the phone, trying to order in a noisy restaurant or drive-through and especially in any public speaking situations. The singing voice can also be affected.”
Dr. Gerlach goes into detail about the causes of spasmodic dysphonia. “It is believed to be caused by a lesion on the brain involving the basal ganglia, which is responsible for coordinating movement.” As additional causes are being researched, related literature points to extended respiratory infections or viruses as precipitating factors.
The first part of treatment is the diagnostic stage. Your physician may refer you to an ENT specialist and a voice and swallowing specialist that works in tandem to examine your throat and vocal cords. From there, they may recommend a combined treatment plan that includes speech therapy and BOTOX injections.
For the latter, BOTOX injections, which are commonly used as a cosmetic treatment to tighten facial muscles, can actually relax the muscles in the larynx to provide more consistent vibrations with the vocal cords. This method can provide relief for months at a time with additional injections recommended afterward.
If you or someone you know is currently dealing with vocal interruptions, now is a good time to go to CEENTA. Our team of voice and swallowing specialists can evaluate many common vocal disorders that keep you from speaking or singing, including spasmodic dysphonia. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Gerlach in SouthPark today by calling 704-295-3000.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. To make an appointment with a CEENTA voice and swallowing specialist, you may schedule an appointment through myCEENTAchart or by calling 704-295-3000.
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