What is Dysphonia?

Dysphonia refers to having an abnormal voice which can be described as hoarse, rough, raspy, strained, weak, breathy, or gravely. There can be many causes of dysphonia including muscle tension, injury, irritation, nodules/polyps on the vocal folds, etc. Someone with dysphonia may even complain of pain with speaking or singing and difficulty with intonation and loudness. This can be frustrating for many patients as they are not able to use their voice the way they want to.

How Can a SLP Treat Dysphonia?

Speech-Language Pathologists can provide many functional voice exercises to help ease tension and improve overall vocal quality and loudness. Some of these exercises may include:

• Resonant voice therapy
• Diaphragmatic breathing exercises
• Relaxation/laryngeal massages
• Amplification
• Easy onsets
• Avoiding vocal abuse (ie. smoking, caffeine, yelling)

Reference:
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/hoarse-voice-dysphonia#:~:text=Dysphonia%20refers%20to%20having%20an,suddenly%20or%20gradually%20over%20time