{"id":2675,"date":"2005-03-31T14:51:13","date_gmt":"2005-03-31T21:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/?p=2675"},"modified":"2009-03-27T14:51:57","modified_gmt":"2009-03-27T21:51:57","slug":"listen-to-your-voice-changes-could-mean-danger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/listen-to-your-voice-changes-could-mean-danger\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen to Your Voice: Changes Could Mean Danger"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"bullets\">\n<li><strong>3\/31\/2005<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Ann Arbor, MI<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>University of Michigan Health System as reported by  Newswise.com<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Alice Lundsten thought it was just a cough that wouldn\u2019t go away. But it turned out to be much more than that. Sounding hoarse, and feeling like there was something stuck in her throat, Alice went to her doctor for a checkup. The doctor suspected something was wrong but couldn\u2019t see it, so she sent Alice to a specialist.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s when Alice learned she had cancer \u2014 on one of her vocal cords.<\/p>\n<p>After laser microsurgery to remove the tumor, and voice therapy to optimize the quality of her voice, Alice is sounding so good that she\u2019s been able to work as a church receptionist. But her experience should be a lesson for others, she warns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would\u2019ve been helpful if I had listened to my own voice earlier and gone to the doctor\u201d sooner, she says. \u201cNow I know that that\u2019s the thing to do \u2014 not to wait.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The voice specialist who discovered and treated Alice\u2019s cancer couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s the perfect example of why it\u2019s important to pay attention to a voice change,\u201d says Norman D. Hogikyan, M.D., F.A.C.S., who heads the University of Michigan\u2019s Vocal Health Center. \u201cPeople need to be aware that a voice change can indicate health problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He notes that voice specialists have designated April 16 as World Voice Day to bring attention to the many voice problems that can occur, and ways to prevent them. Hogikyan is heading World Voice Day efforts in the United States through the American Academy of Otolaryngology \u2013 Head and Neck Surgery, a professional society for ear, nose and throat specialists.<\/p>\n<p>Not all voice problems are due to something as serious as cancer. But they should never be ignored, particularly if they persist for a period of time or progressively get worse. And some can be prevented.<\/p>\n<p>Despite all this, many people take their voices for granted, Hogikyan says, and don\u2019t seek help until a problem with their voice starts interfering with their life. For people whose careers revolve around speaking, such as teachers, salespeople, clergy and receptionists, untreated voice problems can greatly interfere with their work.<\/p>\n<p>So, says Hogikyan, it\u2019s important to take voice symptoms seriously. Such symptoms can include hoarseness that sticks around or gets worse over time; loss of vocal range, especially the upper \u201cnotes\u201d of the voice; loss of volume or ability to project a loud voice; and loss of endurance, causing the voice to die out over the course of a day. Neck muscle pain or throat soreness after voice use can also indicate a problem.<\/p>\n<p>People who smoke are especially at risk for cancer of the \u201cvoice box\u201d or larynx, says Hogikyan, an associate professor of otolaryngology \u2013 head and neck surgery at the U-M Medical School and associate professor at the U-M School of Music. Smoking is the number-one risk factor for laryngeal cancer, and regular heavy drinking of alcohol also raises the risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLarynx or voice-box cancer most often presents as hoarseness, and the American Cancer Society estimates that about 10,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year,\u201d says Hogikyan. As with many other cancers, the chance of curing it is best if it is discovered at an early stage. An estimated 3,770 people will die this year from laryngeal cancer.<\/p>\n<p>Occupational voice users, and just plain talkative people, can develop vocal problems related to the strain they put on their vocal cords, which doctors call vocal folds. One such problem involves benign (non-cancerous) nodules that form on the vocal folds, and can cause hoarseness and limitation of the vocal range because of abnormal vocal cord vibration.<\/p>\n<p>Colds and other infections can cause laryngitis, a few days of hoarseness or weakened voice. And over-zealous sports fans can lose their voice temporarily from rooting too hard for the home team.<\/p>\n<p>But other voice problems can stem from problems with the muscles and nerves that control the movement of the vocal cords. Hogikyan and his colleagues see many cases of spasmodic dysphonia, in which the voice cuts out, or is uncontrollable, because of spasms of the vocal cords. U-M research has shown that injections of Botox, which is better known as a wrinkle treatment, can relax the vocal muscles and restore a patient\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n<p>Not every voice problem is preventable, but many are. Here are some tips to protect your voice:<br \/>\n\u2022 Stop smoking and\/or drinking heavily. Not only will you reduce your risk of cancer, you\u2019ll cut down on the irritation of the voice box that can cause hoarseness or long-term voice changes.<br \/>\n\u2022 Avoid screaming or shouting. If you feel like your throat is dry, tired, or your voice is becoming hoarse, stop talking.<br \/>\n\u2022 Don\u2019t clear your throat regularly. If you feel you have to, there may be an underlying problem.<br \/>\n\u2022 Drink lots of water and caffeine-free non-alcoholic beverages. \u201cMoist is good for the voice,\u201d Hogikyan quips.<br \/>\n\u2022 Warm up your voice, just like athletes warm up their muscles. If you\u2019ll be teaching a class, leading a meeting, or giving a speech, take a few moments beforehand to get your voice ready. \u201cWarm-ups don\u2019t have to be complicated,\u201d Hogikyan says. \u201cSimple things like gliding up and down in your vocal range on different vowel sounds, making lip trill sounds, or tongue trills, can get you ready for the vocal task you want to perform.\u201d This will reduce the chance that your voice will start to give out during your presentation, or be tired afterward.<br \/>\n\u2022 If you can, use amplification for public speaking. That way, you can use a conversational volume and still reach the people who need to hear you, while avoiding strain on your voice box.<\/p>\n<p>Above all, Hogikyan says, seek specialized help if you\u2019re experiencing a problem with your voice, especially one that persists or gets worse over time. Start with your primary doctor or health care provider, and seek a referral to a specialist if needed. If you\u2019re not sure whether you need specialized help, you can take an online vocal health quiz offered by the American Academy of Otolaryngology and based on Hogikyan\u2019s research into voice-related quality of life. It\u2019s online at http:\/\/www.entlink.net\/news\/voicedisorderstest.cfm.<\/p>\n<p>The U-M Vocal Health Center, like many voice centers across the country, offers specialized help through a team of doctors, nurses, speech pathologists and vocal arts professionals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe opened the Vocal Health Center in 1996 as a place where people who are having trouble with their voice could come for innovative and comprehensive care,\u201d says Hogikyan. \u201cThat includes anybody having a voice problem \u2014 but in particular, we have a special interest and expertise in caring for the occupational or professional voice user.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Facts about voice health and voice problems:<br \/>\n\u2022 The voice is the sound made when the vocal cords vibrate due to the passage of air through the larynx. The sound made by the cords is amplified and shaped when it passes through the nose and mouth.<br \/>\n\u2022 Common symptoms of a voice problem include hoarseness or raspy-sounding speech; a raw, achy, or strained throat with voice use; increased effort needed to talk or sing; and loss of ability to hit high notes when singing.<br \/>\n\u2022 The most common cause of a voice problem is an upper-respiratory infection such as a cold. But voice problems can be related to anything from acid reflux to cancer to nerve damage.<br \/>\n\u2022 Voice changes are the most common sign of laryngeal (voice-box) cancer, which is diagnosed in nearly 10,000 Americans each year and kills more than 3,700 of them. More than 95 percent of people diagnosed with the most common type of laryngeal cancer are smokers. Heavy or regular drinking, especially combined with smoking, can raise the risk.<br \/>\n\u2022 Experts recommend that if a person\u2019s voice does not return to its normal state within two to four weeks after a cold, he or she should seek a medical evaluation by an ear, nose, and throat specialist. A throat examination after a change in the voice lasting longer than one month is especially important for smokers.<br \/>\n\u2022 Some voice problems are caused by non-cancerous nodules, cysts or polyps on the vocal folds; treatment for these includes voice rest, voice therapy, singing voice therapy, and microsurgery on the vocal cord.<br \/>\n\u2022 Nerve and muscle problems can also interfere with the voice; treatments for such problems include Botox (botulinum toxin) injections in the vocal folds.<br \/>\n\u2022 Some medications can affect the voice by drying out the mucous membrane of the vocal folds, or by causing fluid to build up in the vocal folds. Others can cause hoarseness by promoting yeast infections in the voice box. Such medications include antidepressants, birth control pills, allergy and asthma medications, and diuretics (\u201cwater pills\u201d) for blood pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>3\/31\/2005 Ann Arbor, MI University of Michigan Health System as reported by Newswise.com Alice Lundsten thought it was just a cough that wouldn\u2019t go away. But it turned out to be much more than that. Sounding hoarse, and feeling like there was something stuck in her throat, Alice went to her doctor for a checkup. The doctor suspected something was wrong but couldn\u2019t see it, so she sent Alice to a specialist. And that\u2019s when Alice learned she had cancer \u2014 on one of her vocal cords. After laser microsurgery to remove the tumor, and voice therapy to optimize the quality of her voice, Alice is sounding so good that she\u2019s been able to work as a church receptionist. But her experience should be a lesson for others, she warns. \u201cIt would\u2019ve been helpful if I had listened to my own voice earlier and gone to the doctor\u201d sooner, she says. \u201cNow I know that that\u2019s the thing to do \u2014 not to wait.\u201d The voice specialist who discovered and treated Alice\u2019s cancer couldn\u2019t agree more. \u201cShe\u2019s the perfect example of why it\u2019s important to pay attention to a voice change,\u201d says Norman D. Hogikyan, M.D., F.A.C.S., who heads the University of Michigan\u2019s Vocal Health Center. \u201cPeople need to be aware that a voice change can indicate health problems.\u201d He notes that voice specialists have designated April 16 as World Voice Day to bring attention to the many voice problems that can occur, and ways to prevent them. Hogikyan is  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[787],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-oral-cancer-news-archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2676,"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2675\/revisions\/2676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oralcancernews.org\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}