You should see your doctor if you: have a hoarse voice for more than 3 weeks. have lost 4 to 5 kg (10lbs) or more in a short time and you are not dieting. are short of breath or have a cough that doesn't go away, or your breathing becomes noisy (stridor)
Cardiac conditions such as CHF can cause changes in the blood vessels around the heart, pushing on the nerve that controls the movement of the vocal cords, resulting in a weak, breathy voice.
Causes of chronic laryngitis. Laryngeal symptoms such as cough, sore throat and hoarse voice are frequently caused by prolonged irritation of the larynx and vocal cords. If laryngitis persists for weeks or months, this can result in vocal cord strain and injuries and growths or polyps developing on the vocal cords.
When you lose your voice, it's most often due to laryngitis. Laryngitis occurs when your larynx (voice box) becomes irritated and inflamed. You can irritate your voice box when you overuse your voice or when you have an infection. Most cases of laryngitis are caused by viral infections, like the common cold.
When the vocal cords become inflamed or infected, they swell. This can cause hoarseness. The most common cause of hoarseness is a cold or sinus infection, which most often goes away on its own within 2 weeks. A rare but serious cause of hoarseness that does not go away in a few weeks is cancer of the voice box.
Home Remedies: Helping a hoarse voice
- Breathe moist air.
- Rest your voice as much as possible.
- Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration (avoid alcohol and caffeine).
- Moisten your throat.
- Stop drinking alcohol and smoking, and avoid exposure to smoke.
- Avoid clearing your throat.
- Avoid decongestants.
- Avoid whispering.
The main symptom is heartburn, but GERD can also weaken your voice. Stomach acid can irritate your vocal cords, throat, and esophagus. This leads to a hoarse voice, wheezing, and too much mucus in your throat.
Post-nasal drip is among the most common causes of persistent cough, hoarseness, sore throat and other annoying symptoms. It can be caused by a number of conditions and may linger for weeks or months.
The most common symptoms of lung cancer are: A cough that does not go away or gets worse. Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm) Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing.
Patients can (and usually do) live with lung cancer for many years before it becomes apparent. Early lung cancer is largely asymptomatic and internalisation of tumours means patients are not alerted by obvious physical changes.
Stage 1 lung cancer usually doesn't cause symptoms, but you may experience: shortness of breath. hoarseness. coughing.
In severe cases, red-tinged phlegm or even coughing up blood can be a sign of lung cancer.
Hoarseness or voice changesLaryngeal cancers that form on the vocal cords (glottis) often cause hoarseness or a change in the voice. This can lead to them being found at a very early stage.
Most lung tumours appear on X-rays as a white-grey mass. However, chest X-rays cannot give a definitive diagnosis because they often cannot distinguish between cancer and other conditions, such as a lung abscess (a collection of pus that forms in the lungs).
Some people with lung cancer can develop a hoarse voice. It may be caused by the cancer pressing on a nerve in the chest called the laryngeal nerve. If this nerve is squashed, one of the vocal cords in your throat can become paralysed, leading to a hoarse voice.
When lung cancer does cause signs in its early stages, they may vary from person to person but commonly include: A new cough that is persistent or worsens, or a change in an existing chronic cough. Cough that produces blood. Pain in the chest, back or shoulders that worsens during coughing, laughing or deep breathing.
If lung cancer grows and spreads, it can put pressure on the bones that make up the spine and the spinal cord. This can lead to pain in your neck or upper, middle, or lower back. The pain may also spread to your arms, buttocks, or legs. Your back or neck may feel numb, weak, or stiff.
A cough with COPD can be dry (non-productive) or produce mucus. With some types of COPD, such as chronic bronchitis, the cough occurs daily and is associated with mucus production. Initially, the cough may be intermittent, but as the disease progresses, it may be present every day.
Controls: COPD patients had higher degree of hoarseness, throat clearing, excessive throat mucus, cough and sticking sensation in the throat. Laryngopharyngeal reflux is more prevalent in patients vs. Controls: The frequency and severity of laryngopharyngeal symptoms is significantly higher in COPD patients.
Vocal Cord Dysfunction
- Feeling short of breath or feeling that it is hard to get air into or out of your lungs.
- A feeling of tightness in the throat or chest.
- Frequent cough or clearing your throat.
- A feeling of choking or suffocation.
- Noisy breathing (wheezing or raspy sound/stridor)
- Hoarse voice.
Voice changes are not a direct symptom of COPD, but many COPD patients experience voice changes due to COPD symptoms and even certain COPD medications [1]. Hoarseness is an abnormal deep, harsh voice. It can be described as raspy, breathy, soft, tremulous and even croaky or frog-like.
If acute bronchitis occurs together with a cold, many of those affected have other symptoms such as a mild fever, a stuffy nose, a sore throat and a hoarse voice. Severe coughs can lead to pain behind the breastbone and sometimes make it harder to breathe.
Both asthma and vocal cord dysfunction can make breathing difficult. Signs and symptoms of either condition can include coughing, wheezing, throat tightness and hoarseness, but they're two separate disorders.
Unfortunately, breathing 100% oxygen for long periods of time can cause changes in the lungs, which are potentially harmful. Researchers believe that by lowering the concentration of oxygen therapy to 40% patients can receive it for longer periods of time without the risk of side effects.
The most common culprit for that rasp in your voice? An infection in your airways. A cold, the flu, bronchitis, or another upper respiratory infection can make your vocal cords swell temporarily -- also known as laryngitis.
Some common voice disorders include:
- Laryngitis.
- Muscle tension dysphonia.
- Neurological voice disorders, such as spasmodic dysphonia.
- Polyps, nodules or cysts on the vocal cords (noncancerous lesions)
- Precancerous and cancerous lesions.
- Vocal cord paralysis or weakness.
- White patches called leukoplakia.
Treatment option for hoarseness
- Rest your voice for a few days.
- Drink plenty of hydrating fluids.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air.
- Take a hot shower.
- Stop or limit your smoking.
- Moisten your throat by sucking on lozenges or chewing gum.
- Eliminate allergens from your environment.
Another common cause of throat clearing is postnasal drip. Postnasal drip happens when your body starts producing extra mucus. You may feel it dripping down your throat from the back of your nose.
Trouble With Your ThyroidWhen your thyroid doesn't make enough of it, one symptom you might have is a hoarse voice. If you have a goiter -- when your thyroid gets larger -- you may cough a lot and have problems with your speech. A growth on the thyroid, or a nodule, can also affect the way you speak.
Medications That May Cause Hoarseness
| Medication | Mechanism of impact on voice |
|---|
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors | Cough |
| Antihistamines, diuretics, anticholinergics | Drying effect on mucosa |
| Antipsychotics, including atypical antipsychotics | Laryngeal dystonia |
| Bisphosphonates | Chemical laryngitis |
Preventative measures should be taken to avoid hoarseness, especially for high vocal users. Try the following to avoid the irritating disorder: Drink water daily. Dehydration is bad for you and your vocal chords.
What is reflux laryngitis? Reflux laryngitis is caused by stomach acid coming up into the esophagus and irritating the larynx. This can cause chronic swelling of the vocal folds and hoarseness.
