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Muscle tension Dysphonia
What is Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
What causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
What causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
Dysphonia means disordered phonation (voicing). Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD) is a term used to describe voice problems caused by excessive squeezing of the muscles in and around the larynx. It causes the voice to sound hoarse or strained and can cause throat irritation or pain, voice loss and in some cases cause vocal cord nodules or polyps. Diagnosis is by assessment from a speech pathologist and/or ENT, usually via a camera through the nose to look at the voice box while you are speaking.
What causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
What causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
What causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
Muscle Tension Dysphonia is usually caused by speaking in noisy environments, frequently using a loud voice and producing voice inefficiently. Often, it develops in response to an underlying problem such as respiratory tract infection, reflux, or to compensate for vocal fold palsy or a gap between the vocal cords as can happen with ageing. Anyone can get Muscle Tension Dysphonia, however it is most common in people who have a high load on their voice and talk loudly. People who are more likely to get vocal cord nodules include singers, teachers, fitness Instructors, Vocal Fold Palsy, children, lawyers, coaches, actors and performers.
Can this Be Treated?
What causes Muscle Tension Dysphonia?
Can this Be Treated?
Muscle tension Dysphonia is effectively treated by a Speech Pathologist with experience in Voice disorders. Treatment consists of a voice assessment which looks at how you produce voice, followed by a series of therapy sessions. Therapy is aimed at changing how you use your voice, to release the tension in and around your larynx and enable you to produce easy, reliable voice. In cases where there is an underlying issue such as reflux, vocal fold cyst or vocal fold palsy, medical or surgical intervention may be required. This would be discussed with your ENT.
Left untreated, long term muscle tension dysphonia may lead to issues such as vocal fold nodules, polyps or develop into severe dysphonia and voice loss.