Hoarseness is a voice disorder in which a person faces abnormal voice changes. A hoarse voice may sound rough, breathy, strained and raspy and there may even be changes in the tone, pitch and volume of the voice. This voice disorder happens due to malformations in the vocal folds or the vocal cord, which are the main organs responsible for one’s voice. While breathing, the vocal folds remain apart, and while speaking or singing, they come together. Sound is produced when they vibrate while air leaves the lungs. Swelling or lumps on the vocal folds prevent them from coming together properly, which makes a change in the voice, resulting in a common form of voice disorder called hoarseness.
Clinics that offer professional services in hoarseness treatment in Kolkata, agree on the common cause of hoarseness being acute laryngitis which occurs due to swelling from common cold, viral infection in upper respiratory tract, or irritation caused due to excessive voice use like screaming. Fortunately there are other causes of hoarseness that are temporary, and tend to go away with time. However, certain disorders like keratosis in the focal fold can lead to cancer. Some unusual causes of hoarseness include allergies, thyroid problems, neurological disorders, trauma received by the voice box, and sometimes even the normal menstrual cycle.
It is, therefore, necessary to prevent before any serious damage happens to your precious voice, because prevention is always better than cure. Professional Speech Language Pathologists at clinics dealing with hoarseness treatment in Kolkata have recommended some preventive measures for hoarseness. Let us have a quick glance at them :
- Quit smoking as soon as possible.
- Avoid secondhand or passive smoking.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they dehydrate the body.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Keep your home warm and humid.
- Have a healthy balanced diet. Avoid spicy foods.
- Avoid speaking too loudly or screaming for a long time.
- Avoid speaking too loudly or singing when you have an injured or hoarse voice.
- Always seek professional voice training.
Clinics offering services in hoarseness treatment in Kolkata, also agreed upon some common symptoms of hoarseness, which are as follows:
- Hoarseness lasts for more than 2-3 weeks
- Pain in the throat which is not due to cold or flu
- Blood comes up while coughing
- Swallowing difficulties
- Swelling or lump sensation in the throat
- Complete loss or severe change in voice that lasts for many days
If you have the above symptoms, then you must immediately visit a certified healthcare professional at a recognised clinic offering professional services in hoarseness treatment in Kolkata. A trained healthcare professional will start an evaluation process by first obtaining a history of your health and past medical issues (if any), and do a detailed study of it. Then they observe the vocal folds by placing a mirror at the back of your throat. Often a very small lighted flexible scope may be required to pass through your nose in order to view your vocal focals. Some clinics handling hoarseness treatment in Kolkata, also videotape the evaluation process which might help them to better analyse the roots of the problem. There is another special test known as acoustic analysis which is designed for evaluating the voice. It is done mainly to examine voice irregularities, voice sounds (acoustic composition), airflow and other such characteristics that are helpful for carrying out a successful diagnostic test. The good part of these evaluation procedures performed at centres dealing with hoarseness treatment in Kolkata is that they are not at all uncomfortable and are quite tolerable for patients.
Hoarseness treatment in Kolkata depends on the cause and severity of the disorder. Most treatments include simple methods like resting the voice or modifying its use. Some Professionals may recommend alterations in the voice use behaviour and refer the patient to other specialized voice therapists in the team. Most therapists ask patients to quit bad habits, such as smoking – both active and passive, drinking alcohol, yelling too much, that may be the possible cause of hoarseness. If the patient is a singer, then a singing teacher may help him/her to make several voice modifications so as to get rid of voice disorders. However, if a lesion or polyp is found, then surgery is recommended by a trained Otolaryngologist who is a part of a well-known centre for hoarseness treatment in Kolkata.
To conclude, hoarseness voice disorders should not be neglected and the person suffering from a serious one should immediately seek for a professional hoarseness treatment in Kolkata, based on the above treatment tips, delaying which may have serious consequences on the patient.