What Is Voice Disorder?
A voice disorder occurs when voice quality, pitch, and loudness differ or are inappropriate for an individual’s age, gender, cultural background, or geographic location. A voice disorder is present when an individual expresses concern about having an abnormal voice that does not meet daily needs.
Voice disorders can develop at any age and may be characterized by hoarseness, breathiness, strained and/or unpredictable voice quality. There may or may not be associated sensations of pain, strain, or tension in the throat or neck muscles.
Common causes of voice disorders include vocal abuse (e.g. yelling, screaming, excessive throat clearing), overuse of the voice, or vocal misuse (e.g. prolonged speaking at an elevated pitch level).
The voice can be lost temporarily due to overuse, laryngitis, or viral infection. If symptoms persist for an extended period they will likely not resolve on their own and may even worsen over time.
Speech Therapy or voice therapy at the Persian Speech Clinic can assess and treat voice disorders in children and adults with different causes and symptoms.