Dysphonia
Signs of Dysphonia
- Hoarse voice
- Bovine cough
Causes of Dysphonia
Neurological
- Trauma - vagus / recurrent laryngeal nerve
- Small-vessel ischaemia
- Infection - meningitis, diptheria
- Tumour
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
Neuromuscular / Muscular
- Myasthenia gravis
- Spasmodic dysphonia
Upper Respiratory
- Irritation - alcohol, tobacco, reflux, pollutants, inhaled chemicals
- Laryngitis - viral, bacterial, fungal
- Vocal cord trauma - direct trauma, chronic cough, vocal abuse
- Vocal cord mass - nodules, polyps, cyst, tumour
- Medications - ACE inhibitors, antihistamines, inhaled steroids
Other
- Psychogenic
Hypophonia
Listen For
- Softness of speech.
Significance
- Hypophonia is classically suggestive of Parkinsonism.
Hypernasal Speech
Listen For
- Speech that is excessively nasal in quality, particularly on articulating vowels. Nasal emissions (air escaping through the nose) may occur on articulating consonants.
Significance
- Hypernasal speech is associated with flaccid dysarthria, due to a lower motor neuron lesion.
Harsh Speech
Listen For
- Speech that is strained or strangled in quality.
Significance
- Harsh speech is associated with spastic dysarthria, due to an upper motor neuron lesion.
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