A voice disorder is characterized by inappropriate loudness, pitch, quality (i.e. harsh, airy, nasal, hoarse), or total loss of the voice, at any age.
Causes of a voice disorder can include:
- Damage to vocal cords due to surgery and/or intubation
- Misuse and abuse of the voice (i.e. overuse, yelling, singing, sound effects during play, smoking, etc)
- Disease affecting vocal cords (e.g. laryngeal cancer)
- Other conditions such as: Cleft Lip and Palate, Cerebral Palsy, Hearing Impairment, allergies
When should you be concerned?
When a voice disorder calls attention to itself.
If your child’s voice sounds too nasal, hoarse, airy to you, and if the problem persists for more than two weeks, the Ontario Speech and Language Association recommends that you seek attention from an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) physician and/or Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). Some voice problems require medical attention and even surgery, so most Speech-Language Pathologists will recommend you see an ENT first to confirm or rule out a medical cause. After seeking medical attention, a Speech-Language Pathologist may provide help and teach you strategies to improve the voice, including good vocal hygiene practices (see tips below).
Vocal abuse
When an adult misuses his or her voice (e.g. cheering at a hockey game), the vocal cords temporarily become swollen, and the voice sounds hoarse in quality. If a person continually misuses their voice, small usually benign growths (like calluses) or ulcers can develop on the vocal cords. These are often called nodes, vocal nodules, polyps, or contact ulcers. The person’s voice will often sound hoarse for a prolonged period. For a child, this may be constant high volume talking, hard throat sounds in play, etc. Medical follow up from an ENT to properly diagnose the issue is needed.
Good vocal hygiene practices for your child:
- Have “quiet time” on a daily basis and ensure a good night’s rest.
- Encourage your child to drink plenty of water during the day. Avoid beverages that contain caffeine, such as cola and iced tea, as caffeine has a drying effect on the body.
- Eliminate exposure to cigarette smoke.
- Discourage “sound effects” during play as well as yelling/screaming.
- Use whistles, clapping, or non-verbal signs/hand signals to get another person’s attention or when cheering for others.
- Move closer to the other person when talking.