Voice Disorders

About

Your voice box (larynx) is made of cartilage, muscle and mucous membranes located at the top of your windpipe (trachea) and the base of your tongue. Sound is created when your vocal cords vibrate. This vibration comes from air moving through the larynx, bringing your vocal cords closer together. Your vocal cords also help close your voice box when you swallow, preventing you from inhaling food or liquid.

If your vocal cords become inflamed, develop growths or become paralyzed, they can't work properly and you may develop a voice disorder.

Some common voice disorders include:

• Laryngitis
• Vocal cord paralysis or weakness
• Polyps, nodules or cysts on the vocal cords (noncancerous lesions)
• Neurological voice disorders (spasmodic dysphonia, pronounced spaz-MOD-ik dis-FO-ne-uh)
• Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (pap-ih-loe-muh-TOE-sis)
• White patches (leukoplakia, pronounced loo-ko-PLAY-key-uh)
• Precancerous and cancerous lesions

Many factors can contribute to a voice disorder, including:

• Voice misuse or overuse
• Illness such as colds or upper respiratory infections
• Throat dehydration
• Improper throat clearing over a long time
• Allergies
• Esophageal reflux
• Aging
• Scarring from neck surgery or from trauma to the front of the neck
• Drinking
• Smoking
• Cancer
• Thyroid problems
• Neurological disorders
• Psychological stress
• Normal menstrual cycle

Read more about laryngitis and vocal cord paralysis at MayoClinc.com.