How is Voice Therapy Beneficial for Treating Muscle Tension Dysphonia or Even Spasmodic Dysphonia?

When a professional singer (or just any voice user) complains about vocal problems, the reason may be that they are suffering from either vocal cord strain or vocal disorder which is known as Muscle Tension Dysphonia.

What is Muscle Tension Dysphonia?

Muscle tension dysphonia is the technical term for stressful or strenuous overuse of the voice, resulting in vocal dysfunction. Over time, untreated MTD may lead to loss of vocal range and throat pain while performing.

What are the symptoms of MTD?

Symptoms of MTD can vary, however the following changes may be observed:

• Difficulty in vocal projection

• Rough or hoarse voice

• Throat pain, especially while performing

• Vocal fatigue

• Sudden changes in pitch

• Diminishing voice quality overall

Evaluation of MTD

To determine if you are suffering from MTD, you need to visit a voice specialist for a proper evaluation. The voice specialist possess specialized and focused training that is necessary for the comprehensive evaluation of one’s voice condition.


Treatment for MTD

The most common treatment for MTD is voice therapy. This alternative form of therapy is a specially designed program that will reduce hoarseness, raspiness and other nasty symptoms associated with such disorders. That can be accomplished via guided changes and not only in vocal behavior, but also by adapting a healthy lifestyle.

At The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair, we possess the expertise and experience  needed for effective treatment of either muscle tension dysphonia or even spasmodic dysphonia.

Obtain Natural Treatment for Vocal Cord Damage Caused by Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is the back flow of gastric acid that comes from the stomach, which then meets the esophagus, causing what is known as heartburn.  

What is vocal cord acid reflux? 

Acid reflux disease can cause your throat to become very sore. The throat pain occurs because stomach acid leaves the stomach and rises to the lungs and the esophagus. In this instance, the acid gets mixed with saliva and can affect your vocal anatomy, thus acid reflux will negatively affect the quality of the voice.  This can also cause symptoms like shortness of breath. This is due to a reduction in the intake of air to the lungs, which causes the sufferer to exert more effort in breathing; which then will cause the sufferers’ vocal cords to strain. With that said, if left untreated, the vocal cords could become damaged and that will may permanently affect the quality of your voice. In this instance, your voice may sound deeper, thinner, hoarse and/or raspy.  

Symptoms of vocal cord acid reflux may include:  Heartburn - burning sensations that sometimes spreads to the vocal anatomy

•  Unpleasant taste in the mouth

•  Pain in chest

•   Swallowing difficulty

•  Hoarseness

•  Sore Throat

• Feeling like there is a lump in the throat  

Treatment options for vocal cord acid reflux: 

At The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair, their world-renowned voice specialist uses a revolutionary, holistic and non-surgical approach to deal with acid reflux that greatly effects the voice. This method of instruction and treatment gets to the root of the cause, rather than treating solely its symptoms. 

They employ their revolutionary approach to vocal mechanics by lifting the voice off of vocal box and restructuring it to a different set of muscles (the facial muscles). That helps in minimizing the use of the throat, larynx and vocal cords. Along with this, they also employ chosen natural herbs and remedies that will soothe and heal the vocal cords while minimizing and (in most cases) eliminating the burning pain on the vocal anatomy from the effects of the acid reflux. 

For more information about The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair, please email them at: info&vocalscience.com or call them at 416-857-8741

What are the Symptoms of Muscle Tension Dysphonia and What Are The Treatments Available for That Voice Disorder?

The term Muscle Tension Dysphonia is a general term which could be associated with an imbalance in the muscle’s coordination and breathing patterns required to create a voice. Muscle Tension Dysphonia (often called MTD) may occur on its own, or as a result of a strained voice being pulled into the neck muscles. The reason behind this disorder is not always clear. It may be triggered by allergies, illness, acid reflux or whichever other means...  

Symptoms 

The most common symptoms for this disorder is a change in voice quality, often associated with discomfort of the vocal cords (or voice box) while speaking or singing. Also, almost always, symptoms like hoarseness and rapines will be associated with an increased effort to talk or sing, coupled with subsequent fatigue during continuous voice use.

Treatment 

There is an alternative form of voice therapy which is the gold standard for the treatment of Muscle Tension Dysphonia. There are no other known treatments (outside of the Vocal Science™ Method and Technique) that can restore the muscle balance in the vocal mechanism. With that said, this unique form of therapy will help alleviate the above vocal symptoms.

If you are suffering from any vocal disorders like MTD or any other ones like Vocal Paralysis (Paresis), vocal cord nodules, polyps, cysts, lesions, or what have you, The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair can help you with virtually any voice problems in Toronto, Ontario and even worldwide. No matter what your voice/vocal problem(s) are, they can solve it with their revolutionary vocal technique, and specially designed speech and singing exercises (when needed) to help you recover and regain your healthy voice!

A Detailed Overview of Chronic Laryngitis

The human vocal chord is one of the most sensitive parts of the body that is subject to a number of infections and hence, special care must be taken to abstain from such infections. Here, an attempt has been made to gain clarity on the various aspects of Chronic Laryngitis, which is basically a kind of strain on the vocal chord. Now, is the time to understand the main causes behind this health issue. Some of the most common causes are inhalation of the irritants, such as chemical fumes, allergens or smoke. The disease can also be a result of a viral infection or due to an overuse of the vocal cords. One thing to note here is that if the problem of Laryngitis lasts for a period of more than three weeks, then it falls under the category of Chronic Laryngitis. 

It order to ensure that you get the right treatment for laryngitis, it is important to make sure that the diagnostic tests are performed with complete accuracy. One of the most reliable and widely adopted ways to diagnose Chronic Laryngitis is by reading the history of the patient and getting a physical examination done by the experts. In certain cases, the diagnosis is done using a Laryngoscope.  

Now, let us understand the most specific an accurate treatment for laryngitis. The front line treatment is recommended for the same and it includes total voice rest, as the same gives an opportunity to the vocal cords to heal. Other home remedies include salt water gargles and a significant increase in the fluid intake. In severe cases, the symptomatic treatment might be recommended using prescribed decongestants and painkillers.  

Whatever the severity of the disease be, it is always important to get in touch with an expert health care professional so as to arrive at a beneficial and safe decision.

Top 5 frequent suspects of vocal problems in humans

Singers, actors, teachers, politicians and other professional voice users are prone to developing voice problems because of the extensive use of their voice. These problems may be obvious; like a complete loss of voice. A singer could experience not only a loss of high notes, but also the loss of their voice in general. A voice problem in these professions can be career-threatening and therefore those voice problems need to be assessed as soon as possible. Below are five frequent reasons that can cause vocal problems for these professionals.

  1) Singing loudly without warming up: If you are in a rock band and use a loud belt quality frequently without warming up or practicing properly, your vocal folds will thicken and lose flexibility. 

 2) Acid Reflux: You may have acid reflux. Acid reflux happens when the acid from your stomach travels back up to the esophagus. Try not to eat too late. Avoid acid-producing food such as alcohol, coffee, meat, sugar, and dairy products. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of water. 

 3) Nodules: You may have nodules or a polyp. Polyps are especially difficult to analyze as they tend not to affect your vocal folds. You can still sound well-connected, but your voice tires easily.  Nodules are easier to spot for a singer, as it makes high notes almost impossible to achieve and even the lower tone in their voice becomes compromised whether they are either speaking or singing. 

 If they are soft nodules, a few months working with a professional vocal coach on your vocal technique should get rid of the vocal problem. But, in retrospect, if the vocal cord nodule(s) reach a severe growth-span (to the point where it completely compromises your speaking voice, as well as your singing voice) you may need surgery to treat vocal cord problems of this magnitude. 

4) Vocal Fold Gap: You may have a slight gap at the back of your vocal folds. This is called Sulcus Vocalis. If this problem is left untreated, it can grow to a more severe problem known as muscle tension dysphonia. For these types of disorders, it is very important to find an alternative voice specialist to deal with them.  The technical aspects that should be addressed with respect to this disorder (and many others) include improving posture, improving breath control and support, avoiding excessive shoulder and neck tension, etc.

5) Bad Speaking Habits: Normally, we use our speaking voice much more than our singing voice. If you have a raspy/breathy voice or you excessively clear your throat, you need to re-train yourself with a professional voice specialist/speech therapist   and they will teach you how to speak with a healthy clear voice. 

All the above-mentioned points are the most common causes of vocal problems. If you feel that you frequently have these problems, contact a vocal specialist in order to have them properly diagnose the underlying causes so they can effectively restore and improve the quality of your speaking and singing voice.

What Is Chronic Laryngitis? Causes, Symptoms & Its Treatment!

Chronic Laryngitis 

In laryngitis, you will find that laryngeal mucous membrane is congested, swollen and is full of mucus. Chronic laryngitis happens as a result of continual attacks of acute laryngitis. Since the larynx is responsible for producing voice, this can naturally affect the voice of any individual. 

Causes 

Excessive use of the voice for singing, especially in a dusty atmosphere, often leads to chronic laryngitis. Heavy smoking, exposure to chemicals, poisonous fumes and harmful gases can also cause this disease. Breathing from the mouth and obstruction of the nasal sinus can precipitate chronic laryngitis. Also, in some cases, respiratory diseases such as influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and the common cold can cause chronic laryngitis.

Symptoms  

Hoarseness in the voice/Lost voice

Throat irritation (itchiness and scratchiness) 

Difficulty in swallowing Swollen lymph codes

Change in voice Pain in throat

Treatment
 
If your chronic laryngitis is caused by smoking, drinking alcohol, voice overuse or work-related exposures, your doctor will likely advise you to follow the standard prevention guidelines. As well as, he/she may also refer you to an alternative voice care speech therapist. This form of therapy (known as the Vocal Science™ Method and Technique) teaches you to use your voice correctly and avoid speaking in ways that might re-injure your vocal cords. 

The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair offers a unique and revolutionary non-surgical program that will not only help you to repair your voice, it will also teach you how to use your voice correctly according to the standards of professional speaking/singing. By getting the treatment for the cause, and not only for the symptoms of your vocal problems, you will never face the same vocal issues again.

Breathy voice? Your vocal cords may be injured

Chronic breathing in the voice should always be investigated. From time to time, almost everyone has hoarse sound caused by swollen vocal cords from a viral attack or misuse of the voice. The voice will sound raspy or breathy in the head voice. These symptoms are signs to go on a short vocal rest and then get back to careful voice exercises to pump out the excess fluid and get the voice back on track. However, chronic breathiness can be a sign of serious injured vocal cords or even cancer. 

 Anything which causes your vocal cords from being closed properly, such as a bump of tissue caused by injury, swelling, any kind of obstruction or lesion, will cause problems such as breathiness, hoarseness, fatigue, vocal cracks and other limitations in your speaking or singing voice. Fortunately, these symptoms are a cry for help which needs to be heeded properly.  

It is imperative to get a correct diagnosis as to the type of vocal lesion present because some injuries respond quite well to rest and corrective vocal training, and some require surgery. The symptoms of vocal cord problems will vary for individuals, and the treatment options are usually guided by symptoms. 

If you think you have a problem, get checked out with a good vocal specialist who specializes in the vocal cords problems. For reliable vocal advice and information on re-training abused voices, contact The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair. They can help you learn effective ways to compensate. In addition, a speech-language therapist can teach you effective ways to use your voice without causing any damage to your vocal mechanism.