Dysphonia Treatment in Kyiv

Dysphonia is a speech disorder in which the person's voice is preserved but loses its individual sound. Treatment of voice dysphonia at our clinic aims to restore the timbre, pitch and strength of the voice, as well as normal phonation (voice production).

A voice disorder impairs a person's ability to communicate. In children and adults, dysphonia may contribute to social withdrawal.

Without proper correction of dysphonia and treatment of the underlying condition, there is a risk of losing the voice. In this state, a person can speak only in a whisper, because the vocal cords do not take part in whispering.

Symptoms of Dysphonia

• disturbed voice intensity (quiet or loud speech);
• disturbed pitch (lowered or raised voice);
• changed timbre (hoarseness, raspiness, roughness, nasality, shrillness).

In children, dysphonia may be accompanied by stridor: narrowing of the airway on inhalation or exhalation, which produces a sharp, harsh sound.

Types of Dysphonia

Functional dysphonia is reversible, but without treatment it can also lead to pathological changes in the larynx.

Six types of this dysphonia are distinguished:

1. Psychogenic.

   It results from stress or nervous exhaustion. The voice loses its sonority, but whispering is preserved.

2. Hypotonic.

   The muscle tone of the vocal folds is weakened. The voice becomes hoarse and sounds weak, and speaking quickly causes fatigue.

3. Hypertonic.

   The muscle tone of the vocal folds is increased. The voice sounds harsh and hoarse, and voice production is accompanied by pain in the throat.

4. Hypo-hypertonic.

   The muscle tone of the speech apparatus is uneven: it is reduced in the vocal folds, while the internal muscles of the larynx are tense. The voice sounds strained and dry.

5. Spasmodic.

   It occurs in middle-aged or older people (35-45 years), more often in women. Involuntary contraction (spasm) of the vocal fold muscles causes vibration. When the cords close, the voice is tremulous, strained and unnatural (adductor type). When the cords open, the voice is silent and muffled (abductor type). People with this type of dysphonia find it hard to begin speaking and to hold a long conversation.

6. Mutational.

   It occurs in teenagers, more often in boys. The voice becomes lower and rougher. Falsetto notes can be heard, which sometimes do not disappear even in adulthood.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Dysphonia

Treatment of organic dysphonia is based on drug therapy.

Surgery is performed as prescribed. Correction of an organic voice disorder involves working with a defect caused by persistent damage to the vocal folds and larynx. Therefore, the restored voice and the original timbre differ to some extent.

At our clinic, treatment of functional dysphonia in Kyiv is based on speech therapy, therapeutic exercise, massage and physiotherapy. Treatment of dysphonia at CSM begins with a consultation and a careful initial examination. A comprehensive assessment is performed by experienced speech therapists, neurologists and psychologists of our clinic. At this stage, our task is to carry out a differential diagnosis of the voice changes, which affects the choice of treatment approach and further rehabilitation methods.

Speech therapy plays a decisive role in treating dysphonia. It is especially important to start as early as possible. This helps avoid fixing a faulty way of producing the voice and relapses, and aims to correct the speech defect. Our speech therapists and defectologists work with dysphonia in children and adults.

With a properly selected program of speech therapy exercises, correction of functional dysphonia may help restore the previous sound of the voice. Articulation and breathing exercises teach patients to control breathing while speaking, to breathe freely, to speak expressively, and not to strain the voice or run out of breath during conversation. Following a voice rest regimen and using the voice correctly helps avoid overloading the speech apparatus and protects the vocal cords.

Sources

• Ukrainian Wikipedia
• Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine