Hoarse voice

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: For the past few weeks, I have had a hoarse voice, even though I don’t have a cold. Is this something I should be concerned about? ANSWER: It’s not uncommon to experience hoarseness once in a while, especially with a cold or even after cheering loudly at a sporting event. But when a hoarse voice doesn’t go away after three to four weeks, it’s a good idea to see your health care provider. That’s because hoarseness can be more than a temporary nuisance and result from numerous treatable problems. Your voice is created when air from your lungs flows up through the vocal cords — also called vocal folds — in your voice box, or larynx. The vocal cords are made up of layers of delicate tissue from an elastic surface to deeper tissue of muscle, all within a cartilage framework. As air passes through the vocal cords, they vibrate, producing sound. Alone this sound is similar to a buzzing sound but when the sound travels through your vocal tract, throat, mouth and nose, you shape this sound into speech. When hoarseness lasts more than three weeks, or if you have other worrisome signs or symptoms such as a lump in your neck, pain when speaking or difficulty swallowing, it’s time to see your health care provider. That’s because the list of potential causes grows much larger. Your health care provider will review your medical history, symptoms and any potentially triggering factors. A visual inspection of your vocal cords may be performed with a mirror or using a smal...

Overview Hoarseness, an abnormal change in your voice, is a common condition that’s often experienced in conjunction with a dry or scratchy throat. If your voice is hoarse, you may have a raspy, weak, or airy quality to your voice that prevents you from making smooth vocal sounds. This symptom commonly stems from an issue with the vocal cords and may involve an inflamed If you have persistent hoarseness lasting for more than 10 days, seek prompt medical attention, as you may have a serious underlying medical condition. Hoarseness is typically caused by a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract. Other common factors that can cause, contribute to, or worsen your condition include: • stomach • tobacco • drinking caffeinated and alcoholic beverages • screaming, prolonged singing, or otherwise overusing your vocal cords • • inhaling toxic substances • coughing excessively Some less common causes of hoarseness include: • • • damage to the throat, such as from the insertion of a breathing tube • • poorly functioning • thoracic • nerve or muscle conditions that weaken the voice box function While hoarseness typically isn’t an emergency, it may be linked to some serious medical conditions. Speak with your doctor if your hoarseness becomes a persistent issue, lasting more than one week for a child and 10 days for an adult. See your doctor promptly if hoarseness is accompanied by A sudden If you arrive at your doctor’s office or the emergency room and are experiencing breathin...

Overview Vocal cord paralysis is a condition in which you can't control the movement of the muscles that control your voice. It happens when the nerve impulses to your voice box (larynx) are disrupted. This results in paralysis of the vocal cord muscles. Vocal cord paralysis can make it hard to speak and even breathe. That's because your vocal cords, also called vocal folds, do more than just produce sound. They also protect your airway by preventing food, drink and even your saliva from entering your windpipe (trachea) and causing you to choke. Vocal cords open and closed Vocal cords open when you breathe and then close to produce sound when vibrating together. Your vocal cords are two flexible bands of muscle tissue that sit at the entrance to the windpipe (trachea). When you speak, the bands come together and vibrate to make sound. The rest of the time, the vocal cords are relaxed in an open position so that you can breathe. In most cases of vocal cord paralysis, only one vocal cord is paralyzed. Paralysis of both of your vocal cords is a rare but serious condition. This can cause difficulties with speech and significant problems with breathing and swallowing. Signs and symptoms of vocal cord paralysis may include: • A breathy quality to the voice • Hoarseness • Noisy breathing • Shortness of breath • Loss of vocal pitch • Choking or coughing while swallowing food, drink or saliva • The need to take frequent breaths while speaking • Inability to speak loudly • Loss of y...

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation has released evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and management of hoarseness. The goals of the guidelines are to improve diagnostic accuracy; reduce inappropriate medication and imaging use; and promote appropriate use of laryngoscopy, voice therapy, and surgery. Each recommendation is assigned a grade based on quality of evidence: A = well-designed, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or diagnostic studies performed in a population similar to the guidelines' target population; B = RCTs or diagnostic studies with minor limitations, or overwhelming consistent evidence from observational studies; C = observational case-control or cohort studies; D = expert opinion, case reports, reasoning from first principles (branch research or animal studies); X = exceptional situations where validating studies cannot be performed, and there is clear preponderance of benefit over harm. The diagnosis of hoarseness is based on clinical criteria that may be reported by the patient or proxy, identified by the physician, or both. No testing or additional evaluation is required. Hoarseness may be accompanied by discomfort with speaking, increased phonatory effort, weak voice, and altered voice quality (e.g., shakiness, breathiness, raspiness). Evaluation is needed in patients with significant voice change, or limited voice change but significant other symptoms. Medication Mechanism of impact on voice Angiotensin-c...

If your voice sounds rough or husky, you may have dysphonia – commonly called hoarseness. Maybe you talked too loud in a crowded restaurant, or maybe there’s an underlying medical condition for this symptom. Hoarseness should go away after a short time but, if it lasts for three weeks or more, you should see your healthcare provider. Overview What is hoarseness (dysphonia)? Hoarseness (dysphonia) is when your voice sounds raspy, strained or breathy. The volume (how loud or soft you speak) may be different and so may the pitch (how high or low your voice sounds). There are many causes of hoarseness but, fortunately, most are not serious and tend to go away after a short time. How does the voice work? You can speak thanks to your vocal folds (vocal cords) and larynx (voice box). Your larynx sits above your trachea (windpipe) – the airway that goes down to your lungs. The vocal cords, which are two bands of muscle, are inside your larynx, and they open and close. When you speak, air from your lungs makes the cords vibrate, creating sound waves. If you relax (shorten) your vocal folds, your voice will sound deeper. It will be higher pitched if the vocal folds tense or elongate. How common is hoarseness? Hoarseness is very common. About one-third of people will have it at some point in their lives. Who is at risk of getting hoarseness? Anyone at any age can experience hoarseness. This symptom is most common in people who smoke and those who use their voices professionally like ...

Is this your child's symptom? • Hoarse voice is raspy and deeper than usual • If hoarseness is severe, the child can do little more than whisper • Cough is often present Causes • Laryngitis is the medical name for a hoarse voice. Caused by an infection or irritation of the larynx (voice box) and vocal cords. • In children, most hoarseness is caused by a virus. It's usually part of a cold. The onset is slow. • The laryngitis viruses cause Croup in younger children. • Less often it can be caused by an allergen, such as pollen. Watery eyes and runny nose may also occur. The onset is sudden. • Overuse of vocal cords (shouting, yelling or loud singing) can also be a cause. When to Call for Hoarseness Call 911 Now • Severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath, can barely speak) • You think your child has a life-threatening emergency Call Doctor or Seek Care Now • Trouble breathing, but not severe • Your child looks or acts very sick • You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours • Age less than 2 months old • Cannot even whisper • Fever lasts more than 3 days • You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent Contact Doctor During Office Hours • Allergy symptoms (such as runny nose and itchy eyes) also present • Hoarseness lasts more than 2 weeks • You have other questions or concerns Self Care at Home • Hoarse voice from a common cold • Hoarse voice from overuse (shouting or singing) • • • • • Care ...

A hoarse voice can be caused by overuse, an infection, or irritation of your vocal cords. The symptoms of a hoarse voice are often referred to as “laryngitis,” although this is a catch-all term rather than a specific diagnosis. X Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Drink hot fluids. Warm herbal tea and other hot drinks will soothe and relax your vocal cords. This, in turn, will allow your voice to return to normal as quickly as possible. If you don’t like herbal tea, try a mug of hot apple cider or hot chocolate. X Research source • Chamomile tea, or any tea designed to soothe your throat, will be especially helpful for a hoarse voice. Avoid spicy herbal teas with ginger or lemon. • Avoid caffeinated tea or coffee when soothing your vocal cords. The caffeine in the tea will dehydrate your body, and could worsen the hoarseness of your voice. Add a few drops of honey into the herbal tea. This will create an extra-soothing drink. Honey has soothing properties of its own, and is commonly used to treat a sore throat or hoarse voice. X Research source • You could also eat a few spoonfuls of pure honey. However, since honey is thick and tough to swallow, adding it to tea is the most common option. X Research source • If you don’t like tea, try sucking on a piece of hard candy made with honey. Or, add a spoonful to a mug of hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice. Gargle warm salt water. Add 1 pinch of salt to a mug full of warm water....