Vocal Cord Damage: Am I Harming My Voice?
Are you worried about vocal cord damage and that you are damaging your voice by using it? Let me explain how to know if you are hurting your voice and what to do or not to do to avoid further damage.
Voice Problems
Most vocal problems manifest themselves as a change in voice quality, whether it’s a hoarse or a weak voice. That’s usually one of the first signals that tell us that there is something going on with the voice. But based just on the voice quality, we really don’t know what is happening inside the throat and the larynx. There may be many different reasons why you sound the way you sound or why you feel the way you feel when you use your voice. And nobody can tell you if you are damaging your voice or not just based on the voice quality.
The only way to find out if you have vocal cord damage is to go and see a laryngologist or an ENT doctor (ear-nose-throat doctor) who specializes in voice problems. If you experience voice changes without the presence of an acute infection, such as common cold or flu, for more than 2 weeks, go and see a laryngologist for a proper voice assessment. That is the first step in knowing if you are harming your voice or not.
Visit to an ENT
And if you have already done that, that’s great. Hopefully, the doctor was able to advise you on what to do next. But if you are still worried about vocal cord damage, then keep on watching.
During the exam, the doctor is basically assessing the structures and the function of the vocal folds and the muscles of the larynx. And your vocal issue may fall into one of these categories:
You may have:
- structural problem,
- functional problem,
- neurological problem, or
- a combination of them.
Structural Problems
These are voice issues due to some changes on the vocal folds or in the larynx. Examples are:
- vocal fold nodules,
- swelling of the vocal folds,
- sulcus vocalis,
- cysts,
- polyps,
- inflammation of the larynx,
- vocal fold hemorrhage and others.
One cause leading to structural voice problems are vocal behaviours that bring the vocal folds together with excessive force. Examples of such vocal behaviours are screaming, yelling, coughing, constant throat clearing, speaking in loud environments for a prolonged period of time, smoking or untreated acid reflux to name just a few. Every time our vocal folds come together, they collide. And our vocal folds come together hundreds of times per second, so there are a lot of collisions going on when we use our voice. If we use excessive force, then our vocal folds may undergo structural changes as a result. And that may lead to vocal cord damage.
So, in order to avoid further damage to the vocal folds, the first step is to avoid these vocal behaviours. The second step is to learn how to use your voice in a more efficient way without putting stress on the vocal folds. The good news is that many of these voice problems are very well treatable and they respond well to voice therapy. Take for example vocal nodules. Most people with vocal nodules are able to get rid of their voice problem with voice therapy.
Functional Problems
These are voice issues that may sound exactly the same as structural vocal problems but in reality, there are no structural changes present on the vocal folds. The function of the voice is altered. Usually, when you have a functional voice disorder, your ENT doctor who has done an endoscopic exam may say: “Your vocal folds look great!”
Functional vocal problems can sound and feel the same way as structural problems. Even though there are no structural changes, you may experience a globus sensation or a feeling of something stuck in your throat. You may feel a tight throat, tension when speaking, you may get easily tired after speaking for a short time, or you may have a hard time raising your voice. You may even feel pain or discomfort after talking for an hour. A very typical and quite common example of functional voice problem is muscle tension dysphonia.
I have been working with people with functional voice problems for a long time and I know that many of them are very worried about damaging their voice when they use their voice. Because the discomfort and pain they experience is very real, they are afraid that they are damaging the vocal fold tissue or their larynx. Some of them even undergo several endoscopic voice exams to make sure that there is no damage inside their voice. And every time, the doctor says that the vocal folds look great. But to them it feels like burning, tearing or straining.
How to Interpret Pain?
The problem is that our sensations from the larynx and how we interpret these sensations are very unreliable. You may feel a lump in the throat but there is no lump. It is muscle tension that your brain interprets as a lump. You may feel a burning sensation in the laryngeal muscles but it may be tension or movement that your brain interprets in this way. You may feel pain inside your throat but there is no damage, it is muscle tension that feels like pain.
The first step in dealing with functional voice problems is to start voice therapy with two main goals - reducing muscle tension and developing more efficient ways of using your voice that do not trigger tension.
It is important to know that once you start working on your voice, the discomfort or pain will not go away immediately. It does not mean that you are damaging your voice. As I said before, these sensations are your body’s interpretations of tension. If you are experiencing this, just know that it is ok. You are ok. Your body is signaling discomfort and pain but you are safe. You are in no imminent danger. Of course, I am not telling you to go and yell or keep talking for 10 hours. No. I am just telling you that you don’t need to worry about damaging your voice. This additional worry about your voice can actually worsen your voice problem and the symptoms you are experiencing. If you get more worried about your voice that is already tense, you are creating additional tension. And a vicious cycle starts.
If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension or even pain when speaking, and you are ready to work with me towards a free, strong and confident voice, you can apply to our Vocal Freedom System coaching program. Click here to schedule a chat with me.
Neurological Problems
These are voice problems due to nerve damage or misfiring of nerves. Examples of such problems are Spasmodic Dysphonia, voice problems accompanying Parkinson’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis, paresis or paralysis of the vocal folds or vocal tremor.
If your voice problem falls into this category, chances are that there is no damage on the vocal folds tissue. So, you don’t need to be worried about damaging your voice when speaking. Voice therapy may be a good idea to improve vocal function somewhat. But voice therapy is just a small part of the recovery plan.
Watch the video below for more information:
Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJ_V1d6icY
