Symptoms And Treatment Of The Vocal Fold Polyps

The vocal note produced by the vibrations of the vocal folds is complex and made up of periodic (regular and repetitive) and aperiodic (irregular and non-repetitive) sound waves. The aperiodic waves are random noise introduced into the vocal signal owing to irregular or asymmetric adduction (closing) of the vocal folds. Noise impairs the clarity of the vocal note and too much noise is perceived as hoarseness.

Mrs. Newman has been experiencing hoarseness and a change in her voice, but she did not seek medical help until she began to have difficulty swallowing. After being seen by her healthcare provider, she is scheduled for outpatient surgery for a direct laryngoscope to obtain a culture and take a biopsy.

Meister and colleagues (2017) completed an investigation to assess the subjective and objective voice results of Wendler’s glottoplasty. Meister and colleagues (2017) examined the effects of Wendler’s glottoplasty on 21 male-to-female transgendered individuals. Areas evaluated included fundamental frequency, vocal range, and voice satisfaction. All participants, except one, raised their fundamental frequency after surgery. The researchers saw a decrease in vocal range, but increase in lower frequencies

Speaking in an incorrect pitch, volume, or with poor placement may be even more damaging to the larynx than singing because people speak more than they sing. In most cases, the problems include speaking in a pitch that is focused in the throat. While serious problems in this area are best resolved with the help of a licensed voice therapist, the singer can make some changes based on experience with their preferred placement when singing. Misconceptions include the idea that speaking very softly or whispering will help save voice. People who speak softly do so by blowing breath through the tone stopping the glottis from closing completely. Since the glottis' function is to close, it may compensate with a time of no closure by creating an edema or swelling to fill up the empty space (Greschner, 2017). Therefore, the singer who thinks they are protecting or reserving the voice may be creating a bigger problem threatening their vocal health. In addition, whispering is often focused in the throat. This may be particularly true when speaking on the phone or in situations they may not want to be overheard. In such cases it may be necessary to raise the volume of the speaking voice in order to raise the focus or

Never heard of PVCM? It was first noted by Dunglison in 1842 as laryngospasms brought on by hysteria, he called it Hysteria Croup. In 1869 the closing of the vocal cords during inspiration was first visualize using laryngoscopy and was determined to be the cause of the stridor heard upon inspiration during an attack (Ibrahim, Gheriani &Raza, 2007). Throughout the past it has been called many names including

• Medicines to treat the cause of the polyps or nodules. This may be medicines for coughs, allergies, GERD, or thyroid problems.

For class requirements for her master’s degree in speech language pathology, Jennifer Allison, from Southern Illinois University, researched the advantages and disadvantages of using FEES (fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing) versus videofluroscopy (such as VFSS, or Modified Barium Swallow (MBS)). There has been a lack of research to determine the gold-standard for assessing dysphagia especially for the pediatric population. VFSS and FEES can be compared based on each procedure’s ability to enable feedback during intervention, assess sensory threshold, evaluate and diagnose GER, provide patient comfort, and assess a wide range of appropriate candidates.

Vocal polyps are benign tumors usually found on areas of the larynx. They can be attached either directly to the larynx or by a stalk and tend to be unilateral which makes them extremely prone to hemorrhage (Anderson & Shames, 2011). Symptoms show the placement and type of the vocal polyp. Someone with this disorder may experience the sensation of having something caught in their throat (Owens, Metz, & Haz, 2007). If the polyp sticks out from the glottal boarder, it can

Reid argues that working with the dynamics of falsetto development and integration is a lost art, but one that is essential to providing excellent technical training. 10. He advocates working with the singer to produce a pure falsetto, where the only opposition to the cricothyroids (the relevant muscle system) as they perform their pitch regulatory function is provided by the posterior cricoarytenoids. In this arrangement, the vocal folds are maintained in a fully open position, thus permitting the breath to be released unchecked. This hooty, breathy falsetto sound is short in duration, has a fundamental pitch with no overtone content, has no vibrato, depends on the use of an [u] vowel sound exclusively, and is inflexible. With this separation,

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is the complete immobility of one vocal fold. According to Sapienza and Ruddy (2013), “90% of vocal fold paralysis that occurs is unilateral and caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system” (p. 189). Vocal fold paralysis is typically considered a symptom of a disease or neurologic disruption. In one study, it was found that vocal fold paralysis was caused by surgical trauma, tumors or neoplasms, unknown or idiopathic factors, trauma, central nervous system dysfunction, radiation, inflammatory, cardiovascular, and other causes (Chen, Jen, Wang, Lee, & Lin, 2007). Symptoms of unilateral vocal fold paralysis may include: aphonia, abnormal vocal quality (breathy, hoarse, and/or strained), and dysphagia. Onset of UVFP may be life altering as the individual has to find compensatory strategies for voicing or even alternative methods of communication. The individual is also left susceptible to aspiration due to the lack of airway protection. These factors make it critical to diagnose the impairment so as to provide the appropriate treatment.

For Commissure advancement, a center strip of the anterior commissure is cut from the thyroid cartilage. The vocal cords are then “detached in the subperichondrial plane, and the cartilage strip is advanced and secured using a metal splint” (American, 2003). A successful surgery tightens and increases tension in the vocal folds. Commissure advancement and endolaryngeal shortening can increase one’s fundamental frequency by 40 to 50 Hz (American,

Antoni and colleagues (2015) developed this paper to support clinicians and researchers working in this field. Antoni and colleagues (2015) discusses topics such as trans-specific voice-and-communication assessment, voice feminization protocols and voice feminizing surgeries. In regards to resonance, they discuss how to raise vocal tract resonance frequencies and how to achieve a higher voice placement. Antoni and colleagues (2015) found surgeries where the thyroid cartilage was raised and sutured to the hyoid

Phonation resistance training exercises (PhoRTE) is treatment adapted from the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (Ziegler et al, 2014). PhoRTE uses Silverman’s “loud voice” approach while using “high-intensity phonatory exercises to overload the respiratory and laryngeal systems.” (Berg, E., Hapner, E., Klein, A., Johns, M., 2008). In their 2008 study,

This technique is used for people who have problems protecting their airway when swallowing. The supraglottic swallow helps close the vocal cords when swallowing, which keeps food from going into the windpipe. This technique can be used with each swallow, as needed.

The last option is surgical voice restoration which was introduced by Singer & Blom in 1980(Blom,1995) Not all patients are suitable for this however, It involves a tracheoesophageal speaking valve, a small fistula is surgically created through the tracheal wall into the oesophagus. A small, one way valve is inserted into the fistula and it allows air to be shunted from the trachea to the oesophagus and up through the pharyngo-oesophageal segment creating an acoustic wave form and voice. A longer flow of voice can be achieved as pulmonary air is used as the initiator for voice.