Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) affects vocal ability due to improper muscle function in the throat and vocal cords. Stress and strain cause hoarseness, pain, and fatigue. Medical help, rest, medication, and speech therapy can help recover normal voice tone and eliminate pain.
Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is a health problem that affects an individual’s ability to speak or perform other vocal activities normally. Some examples include hoarseness or situations where you feel a lot of pain in your throat and general vocal cord area when you try to speak. The main cause of this type of ailment has to do with the improper function of the muscles in the throat and around the vocal cords.
Prolonged periods of stress and strain on the muscles used to produce sounds usually cause this type of hoarseness. In some situations, muscle tension causes the tight muscles around the larynx to tighten to such an extent that you feel a lot of pain while speaking. Also, straining to speak can cause fatigue. Over time, voice quality will also suffer, often becoming hoarse and rough.
There are several signs that muscle tension dysphonia is developing. People who sing may find that some notes that once came very easily are now out of reach. Voice starts cutting in the middle of a normal conversation. A constant sense of pain in the throat often develops whenever the individual tries to speak, and the neck can become very sore and extremely tender to the touch.
To overcome muscle tension dysphonia, it is important for the individual to seek medical help immediately. A healthcare professional can examine your throat and vocal cords to determine if there’s any underlying health issue causing the discomfort. If none are found, several different tools can be used to ease the tension in the throat and begin to relax tense muscles. Medications to relieve inflammation caused by muscle tightness are often a good first step.
Resting the vocal cords for at least a few hours a day may also be recommended. The rest will help give the tense muscles time to begin to relax and the inflammation that has occurred due to the constricting action of the muscle tension to subside. Combining the rest periods with medication can often help clear up the condition in as little as a week.
Also, the doctor may recommend the patient to consult a speech therapist. Speech therapy can address the vocal habits that contributed to the initial development of hoarseness and help re-educate the individual to use the vocal cords in a way that minimizes the chances of recurrence. With proper care and rest, it is possible to recover normal tone and tenor of the voice and eliminate the presence of any pain in the throat while speaking.
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