Common Voice Problems
What Is a Problem Voice?
Voice becomes a problem when the pitch, loudness or quality of voice calls attention to itself rather than to what the speaker is saying. It is also a problem if the speaker experiences pain or discomfort when speaking or singing.Do I Need Professional Help?
If you have hoarseness, voice change or discomfort with speaking that lasts for more than ten days in the absence of an allergy or cold, you should have an examination by a medical doctor. This examination will help determine whether you may benefit from professional assistanceWhat Causes A Problem Voice?
There are a variety of causes of voice problems. People can become hoarse temporarily by cheering at sports events or can sustain an injury to the vocal cord structures. Voice misuse such as speaking too loud or too high or too low may also result in a problem as can improper breathing patterns or excessive smoking. Most commonly voice problems occur through vocal abuse with vocal fold nodules and polyps and include spasmodic dysphonia and paradoxic vocal fold movement.How Can They Be Helped?
When your medical doctor recommends speech therapy, these difficulties can often improve dramatically with the help of a speech language pathologist. Sometimes this will be done in conjunction with medical and/or surgical treatments.Especially in the case of voice misuse, a speech language pathologist is important to avoid a recurrence of the problem.
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