Hyperfunctional Voice Disorders
Hyperfunctional voice disorders occur when people misuse or abuse their vocal cords. The vocal cords line the center of the larynx and, by vibrating and overlapping, allow people to make sounds. People can easily overwork and damage their vocal cords by speaking or singing too loudly, too long or too often. Each hyperfunctional voice disorder described here causes the voice to sound raspy, lower than normal and breathy, but only one causes noticeable pain.
Laryngitis
Laryngitis is the least serious hyperfunctional voice disorder. Simply speaking more than usual or cheering loudly can strain a person's vocal cords enough to produce the swelling that doctors categorize as laryngitis. People can relieve laryngitis by resting their voice, drinking lots of water or juice, sucking on lozenges or gargling with salt water.
Nodules
Nodules are callus-like patches of hardened tissue that form on vocal cords when people constantly strain their voices. The noncancerous growths typically form on pairs of vocal cords when those muscle folds repeatedly rub together. Vocal training can prevent and diminish nodules.
Polyps
A fact sheet on the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders website likens vocal cord polyps to blisters. The fluid-filled growths typically form on a single vocal cord after a person has injured it by yelling, singing very loudly or trying to speak or sing or in an unnaturally low register. Polyps do not cause pain, but they can prove career-limiting for performers. The only sure cure for vocal polyps is surgical removal, which can be done using microscopic imaging and ultrathin scalpels or a laser. The Merck Manual notes that laser vocal cord surgery puts patients at a higher risk of experiencing collateral damage than does more-traditional surgery.
Contact Ulcers
As a hyperfunctional voice disorder, contact ulcers form on vocal cords when people spend decades speaking or singing loudly. This causes the vocal cords to rub together so strenuously that tissue wears away. According to the Merck Manual, singers, teachers, salespeople, preachers and lawyers have the highest prevalence of contact ulcers. Treating the sometimes painful ulcers requires speaking not at all or seldom and quietly for at least six weeks. Patients who develop vocal contact ulcers may also benefit from speech therapy designed to teach them use their voices more effectively.
Protecting the Voice
Smoking, drinking alcohol, having a respiratory infection or leaving chronic heartburn untreated can raise people's risk for experiencing a problem because of vocal cord misuse or abuse. People should also avoid clearing their throats often because this unnaturally vibrates vocal cords. Last, keeping one's throat and larynx well lubricated with water or by chewing gum can prevent irritation, swelling and injury to the vocal cords.
