Dysphonia works is a disorder that causes an alteration of the voice, and that can be associated with or lead to a lesion in the vocal cords. It is characterized by an abnormal quality of the voice, without an identifiable cause and which is usually caused by inappropriate use of the voice. Specialists from the Otorhinolaryngology services of the hospitals of the Ribera health group assure that, on occasions, there is no original injury to the vocal cords, but this can occur if speech therapy treatment is not initiated. For example, it may be the cause of the appearance of vocal cord nodules, polyps, or vocal cord edema.
Dysphonia, in addition to being functional, can be organic (caused by an organic disorder), psychogenic (due to psychological aspects), traumatic (due to internal or external trauma) and audiogenic (due to a hearing deficit).
But returning to functional dysphonia, there are profiles of patients who are more likely to develop this pathology, for example, people who work a lot with the voice and who are at greater risk of suffering this functional dysphonia, among others, teachers or professors and professionals. of the song or song.
How to identify functional dysphonia
Elena Aránzazu, a speech therapist from the Ribera health group, explains that most of us have suffered hoarseness on some occasion. “But if these hoarsenesses are repeated frequently over time, last more than 4 days and we find no apparent cause, it is time to see a professional to assess our case and avoid further injuries”, she assures.
The most recommended treatment consists of performing vocal exercises, which improve the vibration of the vocal cords and, as a consequence, the quality of the voice, in addition to reducing the severity of the lesion or preventing its appearance. The Ribera health group has developed a online program for the treatment of dysphonia, through videos on his YouTube channel, whose objective is to facilitate rehabilitation for patients suffering from this pathology and make it compatible with their daily personal and work obligations. It consists of five videos of four minutes each and in the initial video (which can be seen here) indicates the protocol to carry out the treatment.
Also, it is important to let the vocal cords rest and speak as little as possible for at least two days; and avoid whispering, because the vocal cords are strained, even if it doesn’t seem like it to us, as well as following the advice that we provide below to prevent dysphonia.
How to prevent hoarseness or functional dysphonia
- don’t clear your throat
- Drink water regularly. Hydrate properly.
- Avoid dry environments and sudden changes in temperature.
- Avoid smoke, tobacco and alcohol.
- Rest properly. Sleep at least eight hours.
- Reduce caffeine intake.