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What is spasmodic dysphonia? -

Spasmodic dysphonia is a rare speech disorder that affects the vocal cords. It causes a person’s voice to change and makes them sound very different.

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What does it sound like? -

When people with this condition speak, their voice may break, or it may sound tight and strained, or very breathy. Sometimes the vocal changes caused by this condition can make a person very difficult to understand.

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How it feels -

For this reason, people with spasmodic dysphonia often feel anxious or uncomfortable when talking to others.

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Treatment available -

While there is no cure for spasmodic dysphonia, there are treatments that can help alleviate the symptoms.

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Prevalence -

As previously mentioned, spasmodic dysphonia is rare. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it affects around 500,000 people in the United States, for example.

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Risk groups -

Although it can start at any age, most people present with symptoms between the ages of 30 and 60.

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Adductor spasmodic dysphonia -

There are three different types of the condition. The first is adductor spasmodic dysphonia, a condition that makes the voice suddenly sound tight and strained.

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Abductor spasmodic dysphonia -

Then there’s abductor spasmodic dysphonia. This type makes the voice sound very breathy, or it may cause the person to lose their voice completely.

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Mixed spasmodic dysphonia -

The third and rarest type is mixed spasmodic dysphonia. This causes people to sound strained, tight, and breathy at the same time.

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Common symptom -

All three types of spasmodic dysphonia can also cause vocal tremor. This is when the voice sounds shaky.

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Gradual development -

When a person develops spasmodic dysphonia, their symptoms do not appear overnight. Rather, they develop gradually over a period of quite some time.

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Cause -

Scientists believe that this condition starts with the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that helps coordinate the body’s movements.

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Spasms in the larynx muscles -

The current thinking is that a neurological problem in this part of the brain causes the muscles in the larynx, including the vocal cords, to go into spasm.

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Tight vocal cords -

These spasms can cause the vocal cords to become very tight, which in turn causes the voice to sound strained.

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Unknowns -

When the vocal cords come apart again, the voice sounds breathy. As it stands, experts do not know exactly what causes these spasms.

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Diagnosis -

If a medical practitioner suspects that their patient may have spasmodic dysphonia, they will generally refer the patient to an otolaryngologist and/or a speech-language pathologist.

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Diagnosis -

These experts will listen to the person speak and do a videostroboscopy to look at the larynx and vocal cords.

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Treatment -

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for this condition. However, there are treatments that can help ease the spasms that affect the vocal cords.

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Different options -

Treatments include Botox injections, voice therapy, thyroplasty, and selective laryngeal adductor denervation-reinnervation (SLAD-R).

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Surgery -

SLAD-R is a surgery that improves muscle control by disconnecting and reconnecting nerves between the brain and the vocal cords.

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Using technology -

There is also technology that patients can use to make their voice sound louder, or to translate typed text into speech.

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Tips for coping -

If you or someone close to you is living with spasmodic dysphonia, there are some things you can do to make daily life a little easier. The first is practicing self-care.

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Practice self-care -

Being tired and overwhelmed can make the symptoms of the condition worse, so remember to take good care of yourself and get enough rest.

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Seek professional advice -

You may also like to consider speaking to a counselor. This helps some people learn to cope with their symptoms and the way they affect their daily life.

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Seek professional advice -

It is worth noting that there are counselors and therapists out there who specialize in helping people adapt their working life to a spasmodic dysphonia diagnosis.

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Stay connected -

It is also important to try and stay as connected as possible, even though sometimes the sound of your voice may make you self-conscious.

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Stay connected -

Some people find it helpful to address the issue and explain if their voice suddenly changes mid-conversation.

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Try a support group -

Finally, some people find it helpful to attend support groups that provide a safe space for people with this condition to share their experiences.

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Try a support group -

Being around other people with the same condition can help you feel less alone and help you learn more about how to manage the everyday challenges.

Sources: (CNN) (Cleveland Clinic)

See also: Alice in Wonderland syndrome is actually a real neurological condition

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