Larynx

A laryngoscopy (lair-in-GAHS-kuh-pee) is a test healthcare providers perform to examine your larynx (voice box). They perform this test with a laryngoscope, a thin tube with lights, lens and video cameras that help them to look closely at your larynx. Laryngoscopes may have tools your provider can use to remove tissue from your larynx. Overview Woman receiving indirect nasal laryngoscopy test. What is a laryngoscopy? A laryngoscopy is a procedure healthcare providers use to examine your What is my larynx? Your larynx is located between your throat and your When would I need a laryngoscopy? Your healthcare provider may recommend a laryngoscopy to diagnose problems like dysphonia ( Who performs laryngoscopies? Healthcare providers called otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons perform laryngoscopies. An Test Details I’m having a laryngoscopy. What should I expect? Your healthcare provider will consider your specific situation when deciding which type of laryngoscopy they’ll use. You may have your laryngoscopy in a clinic office or as a surgical procedure. For example, your provider may decide you should have a surgical laryngoscopy in an operating room. This is a direct laryngoscopy. Providers typically do direct laryngoscopies following in-office flexible laryngoscopies. Direct laryngoscopies may be done along with biopsies or other surgical procedures. What happens before my laryngoscopy? If you’re having a surgical laryngoscopy, you’ll receive general anesthesia. Your pro...

Cancers and other conditions that develop in the voicebox, or larynx, may not be commonplace, but they do present unique challenges related to preserving a patient's voice. Laryngeal surgery is generally recommended for laryngeal cancer, which affects the aerodigestive tract. This tract includes the upper digestive and respiratory organs, such as the mouth, vocal cords, nose, throat, and windpipe. Aerodigestive-related conditions usually appear as a sore throat, or difficulty speaking, swallowing, or breathing. Some of these illnesses can be treated with medicine, while others require surgery. People who have benign aerodigestive tract lesions such as polyps, nodules, and cysts can sometimes be removed by surgery. Vocal professionals such as singers, teachers, public speakers, and sales people tend to have high incidence of these lesions, says Swallowing issues have many causes, and in some cases, Dr. Young performs endoscopic laser surgery. This is minimally invasive, leaves no scar and patients go home the same day. Some disorders can be more difficult to diagnose. “Subglottic stenosis, which causes a narrowing of the airway below the vocal cords, is often mistaken for other disorders such as asthma or bronchitis,” Dr. Young says. “Neurological diseases are also underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. For example, spasmodic dysphonia constricts the voice muscles in the larynx, causing spasms and choppy voice breaks. When this is misdiagnosed as stuttering, people get sent to a p...

You may know your larynx as your voice box. It’s the part of your throat that allows you to speak and make sounds. Your larynx does more than that, though. It plays a key role in enabling and protecting your respiratory system. What Is the Larynx? The larynx is a hollow tube, about 2 inches long, that connects the back of the throat to the windpipe, or trachea. Larynx function includes three jobs: • Aid in breathing • Create vocal sounds • Prevent food and particles from entering your respiratory system Because of the larynx’s role in speaking and making vocal sounds, it’s sometimes referred to as the voice box. Larynx Location Within your throat are two muscular tubes: your esophagus and your trachea. The esophagus is part of your digestive system, and connects your throat, or Larynx Anatomy Larynx structure includes four primary parts: • Epiglottis. The epiglottis is a flap of skin that covers your larynx. It closes when you swallow to keep food, liquids, and particles out of your trachea and lungs. • Thyroid cartilage. The thyroid cartilage is a piece of cartilage at the front of your throat, sometimes referred to as the Adam’s apple. • Vestibular folds. Also called false vocal cords, they also keep food out of your respiratory system by closing when you swallow. • Vocal cords. Your vocal cords create sound and speech by opening and closing as air passes through them. What Is the Larynx Made Of? Your larynx is made of multiple materials within your body. Cartilage. Cart...