What is Presbylaryngitis?
The vocal cords are composed of several important layers of tissue, but the fullness and shape of the vocal folds comes from the vocal cord muscle. Age-related vocal cord changes may include loss of volume and bowing (inward curvature) of the vocal cord inner edges, a condition termed presbylaryngis or presbyphonia.
How is Presbylaryngis diagnosed?
On examination utilizing transnasal fiberoptic laryngoscopy with videostroboscopy, the bowing is often evident. Stroboscopy may reveal asymmetry or increased amplitude, indicating decreased tone. Many patients, however, may be incorrectly diagnosed as having muscle tension dysphonia.
How is Presbyphonia treated?
What is the Best Treatment for Presbyphonia? While evidence supports the use of voice therapy, injection laryngoplasty, and bilateral thyroplasty, no studies compare their treatment outcomes. Most physicians recommend voice therapy first simply because it is the most conservative intervention.
Is Presbyphonia a disorder?
While presbyphonia itself is not pathologic, it can influence a person’s ability to communicate and have social, work-related, and psychological effects.
What is the optimal treatment for Presbyphonia?
Voice therapy, injection laryngoplasty, and bilateral medialization thyroplasty are all appropriate choices for treatment of the aging voice, as all have demonstrated improvement in patient quality of life.
What dysphonia sounds like?
Spasmodic dysphonia is a voice disorder. It causes involuntary spasms in the muscles of the voice box or larynx. This causes the voice to break and have a tight, strained or strangled sound. Spasmodic dysphonia can cause problems ranging from trouble saying a word or two to being not able to talk at all.
What are the symptoms of dysphonia?
The most common symptoms of muscle tension dysphonia include:
- Voice that sounds rough, hoarse, gravelly or raspy.
- Voice that sounds weak, breathy, airy or is only a whisper.
- Voice that sounds strained, pressed, squeezed, tight or tense.
- Voice that suddenly cuts out, breaks off, changes pitch or fades away.
What does Presbyphonia sound like?
People with presbyphonia may experience some of the following symptoms: Less efficient speech: this may present as shaky, squeaky, weak, rough and hoarse. But it can vary from one person to another. Speech may sound rushed and breathy.