How your ENT specialists in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Okeechobee, FL, can help if you have a voice disorder.

If you have been told you have a voice disorder, it can be a frightening experience, and you need to know the facts. Your ear, nose, and throat specialist is an expert at treating voice disorders and other ENT conditions.

The ear, nose, and throat specialists at South Coast Ear, Nose & Throat provide comprehensive ENT services, including treatment for voice disorders. They have three convenient office locations in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Okeechobee, FL, to help you.

These are just a few frequently asked questions and answers about voice disorders:

What exactly is a voice disorder?

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association or ASHA, a voice disorder, also known as dysphonia, is a condition during which the pitch, loudness, and quality of voice is not correct for a person’s characteristics, related to gender, age, cultural background and other factors.

What causes a voice disorder?

There are many factors that can cause a voice disorder, including:

• Structural conditions such as laryngeal inflammation and trauma to the larynx
• Functional conditions such as muscle tension and vocal fatigue
• Neurologic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
• Psychogenic conditions such as chronic stress, depression, and anxiety

What are the signs and symptoms of a voice disorder?

Dysphonia has a wide variety of signs and symptoms, including:

• Roughness and breathiness
• Increased effort to speak
• Strangled speech
• Abnormal pitch or volume
• Loss of voice, or breaks in speech
• A weak or hoarse voice
• Pulsed speech
• Fatigue with speaking
• Running out of breath when speaking

How can an ENT specialist help with a voice disorder?

The goal of treatment for a voice disorder is to gain improved voice production through better coordination of respiration and laryngeal function. This can be accomplished with several different approaches, including:

• The direct approach, which focuses on improving the function of phonation, respiration, and musculoskeletal structures.
• The indirect approach, which attempts to modify behavioral, physical, cognitive, and physical environments. Examples of treatment include patient education, counseling, and behavior modification.

To find out more about the signs, symptoms, and treatment of voice disorders, call the ear, nose, and throat specialists at South Coast Ear, Nose & Throat. You can reach them in Port St. Lucie, FL, at (772) 398-9911, Fort Pierce, at (772) 464-6055, and in Okeechobee, FL, at (863) 357-7791, so call now.