Hoarseness is a harsh and dull voice that occurs when speaking, so-called the vocal cords, i.e. the vocal folds, vibrate incorrectly and cannot touch each other or their flexibility is disturbed due to various disease processes.
In this article, Niketrainers.com.co will tell you:
What is laryngitis and hoarseness?
Laryngitis is an inflammation that occurs in the larynx, which is the cavity that houses the vocal cords. It is possible for this to cause inflammation of the surrounding tissue as well as the loss of one’s voice. If left untreated, this ailment can cause irreversible damage to the vocal chords, which can leave a person’s voice sounding scratchy and raspy.
Voice alterations can be described by the symptom of hoarseness. The speaker’s voice may come across as raspy, breathy, or strained.
What are the most common causes of hoarseness?
Hoarseness is caused by diseases of the larynx, diseases in which the laryngeal nerve is damaged, diseases that weaken the muscles, and in rare cases no organic cause of hoarseness is found and is considered a functional disorder.
Of the acute laryngeal diseases that cause hoarseness, the most common is laryngitis (laryngopharyngitis or laryngotracheitis), where hoarseness occurs suddenly, can become silent, and is usually resolved within two weeks. Croup is a less common acute cause. Among the chronic diseases of the larynx, professional abuse of the voice (teachers, singers), exposure to tobacco smoke or gastroesophageal reflux, less frequently a foreign body or granulation tissue after intubation, are frequently encountered.
Neoplasmsconstitute a separate group of diseases that cause hoarseness . These include, first of all, cancer of the larynxand pharynx, esophagus and mediastinal tumors. Hoarseness is then one of the first symptoms of cancer.
The much rarer causes of hoarseness include secondary laryngeal diseases, such ashypothyroidism,myastheniagravis, chronic inhalation of corticosteroids or rheumatic diseases. The damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (except for tumors within the thoracic region) is caused by damage to this nerve, e.g. during thyroid surgery, much less frequently by dilatation of the left atrium,aortic aneurysmsor dilatation of the pulmonary artery.
What to do in case of hoarseness?
If short-term hoarseness occurs suddenly during an infection, it does not require detailed diagnostics, but only, apart from drugs to alleviate the infection, rest the vocal cords, i.e. minimizing the use of the voice during the disease. Agents that irritate the vocal cords, such as dust, tobacco smoke and alcohol, should also be avoided. It is worth using inhalations that moisturize the mucosa of the respiratory tract and antitussive drugs.
In the event of chronic hoarseness (lasting more than three weeks), see your doctor who will order tests to determine the cause of hoarseness and prescribe treatment appropriate to the cause.
What will the doctor do if we report hoarseness?
During the interview, the doctor will want to find out how long the hoarseness lasts and whether it was accompanied by other symptoms of infection or a single symptom. It will determine whether we work with our voice or take permanent medications that may irritate the larynx (e.g. inhaled steroid drugs used to treatasthma). He will ask about diseases and treatments that may lead to hoarseness (e.g. thyroid disease and possible treatments for the thyroid gland,myasthenia gravis). The doctor will also ask about addictions, especially smoking, which are often the cause of chronic laryngitis.
During a medical examination, the most important element isan ENT examination, i.e. examining the larynx with the use of a laryngeal mirror. The appearance and mobility of the vocal cords are assessed. The examination also includes a palpation of the lymph nodes in the neck. If changes are found on the vocal cords, the diagnosis is supplemented withdirect laryngoscopy, i.e. a specialized examination performed under general or local anesthesia. The examination enables a precise assessment of the larynx together with the areas invisible during the examination with the laryngeal mirror and allows for the taking of a specimen for histopathological evaluation. It is then also necessary to perform anultrasound of the neckduring which the lymphatic system is assessed. If necessary, depending on your condition, your doctor may ordera computerized tomography (CT)ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)scan .
In professionally working people,a stroboscopic examination of the larynxis also performed . This test allows you to check the degree of tension, mobility and condition of the vocal cords as well as to detect changes in the larynx, including cancerous ones. The examination is performed under surface anesthesia so that excessive reflexes and muscle tension in the pharynx and palate do not affect the work of the larynx. They are performed using a laryngostroboscope (with the tongue stretched out) or a flexible laryngofiberoscope, which is inserted through the nose at the height of the laryngeal entrance – this enables the larynx to be observed under physiological conditions under stroboscopic (intermittent) light with a frequency different than the frequency of vibrations of the vocal folds.
Treatment of hoarseness is closely related to the treatment of the disease that caused it.
